MyAdhan Blog

Link: Qatar: Hala users can send SMS from overseas

Qtel’s prepaid (Hala) subscribers can now send SMS messages from abroad. Acision, a leading messaging company, yesterday announced that it has successfully deployed its prepaid SMS roaming solution for Qtel. With the Prepaid SMS Roaming, Hala customers can now send SMS from over 217 operator networks in 104 countries without having to buy a foreign operator’s SIM card or switch to a post-paid account. Acision deployed the feature-rich application to improve the messaging experience for Qtel’s prepaid customers while ensuring congestion-free delivery. The service, known as “Hala” and currently in effect, targets all of Qtel’s prepaid customers, who form 80 percent of its total subscribers. “We chose Acision because of its leadership in messaging and charging; and its track record of high performance and high availability. The new service ensures that Qtel’s services do not stop when users leave Qatar,” said Qtel Chief Operations Officer Sheikh Fahd bin Jassim Al Thani.

Link: Yemen to issue law for combating electronic crimes

Interior Minister Rashad al-Alimi said that the government is working to issue a draft law for combating electronic crimes. In a symposium on “progress towards building infrastructure for Yemeni geographic database”, al-Alimi said that the internet made big changes in ways of collecting, saving, dealing and publishing geographical information to be as a public service. He added that the project of building infrastructure for geographic database in the country is a national initiative to unify the various geographic data, pointing out the project would offer standards, policies, databases and technical measures to support the process of geographic information exchange among concerned bodies. Al-Alimi urged all government bodies in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology to bring this project into success to serve development in the nation.The two-day symposium would discuss the role of information technology in various applications and current situation for the geographical information system in the country in addition to showing the experiences of some participating countries in this regard.

Link: Liberalising Lebanon’s Mobile Sector

Lebanon’s mobile sector has enormous potential, but its growth hinges on the government’s commitment to liberalisation. Lebanon’s telecom sector has been in the spotlight in the past couple of months, with the government’s decision to delay the auction of stakes in the country’s state-run mobile companies, and political problems slowing down the potential privatisation of its fixed-line operator. For most players in the sector, Lebanon’s telecommunications industry, both mobile and fixed-line, has much potential, but delays to the introduction of competition are doing little to help the industry achieve its potential. Indeed, the slow pace of change in the sector has left Lebanon with low mobile penetration rates compared with the country’s GDP, according to Andrawes Snobar, a senior research analyst at Arab Advisers Group. “The growth in the Lebanese market is relatively low. The penetration level was not more than 31% by end of 2007,” he says. “This - as the Arab Advisors Group believes - is mainly due to the fact that the current rates in Lebanon are not flexible nor does the country have any major price competition between the two operators. “The known trend in the many countries in the Arab World of multiple line usage is minimal in Lebanon (not more than 3.5% of total subscribers use two or more lines). This is also due to the high rates in the country. As chief commercial officer of Lebanese mobile player MTC Touch, Nadim Khater, is also convinced that more competition is needed in the Lebanese mobile sector. “The Lebanese mobile telecommunication sector is state-owned and this fact keeps the market withheld from its real potential, which will only be felt through liberalisation and proper competition,” he says. “This is confirmed by the Lebanese GSM penetration rate which is around 33% as opposed to other markets with a similar GDP and purchasing power where penetration has reached 80% or even 90%.

Link: Kuwait’s Zain eyes China, India expansion

Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) wants to expand into India and China, chairman of the third-biggest Arab telecom firm by market value said in remarks published on Sunday. “Naturally, Zain is looking at emerging markets such as India and China as part of our expansion course,” Asad al-Banwan said, according to Arabic-language daily al-Qabas. Zain had talked with a Chinese delegation, the paper said, without being more specific. As it faces growing competition in its home market, Kuwait’s largest telecom firm has expanded into Africa since buying Netherlands-based Celtel in 2005. It also owns a stake in Saudi Arabia’s third mobile phone operator.

Link: Pakistan: Mobile number portability fails to attract subscribers

The Mobile Number Portability (MNP), launched in March 2007 at a cost of Rs 5 billion, failed to create any impact on the country cellular industry. According to fugures, only 11,800 subscribers out of 80.30 million have availed this service, representing only 0.14 percent subscribers. Industry analysts feel that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and none of the operator have aggressively run a campaign to educate and create awareness regarding their right to use MNP. Analysts said at the time of MNP launch there were approximately over 54 million mobile phone users. Although during the one-year period of MNP launch the number of subscribers have increased up to 26 million but still the numbers of subscriber availing this service is very discouraging. According to an Industry official, the scheme lacks a proper database of subscribers as all the operators are still in the process of updating their subscribers’ data. PTA is forcing all the operators to update their subscriber data but none of the existing operator could claim to have updated data of their subscriber. On the issue of subscriber data, a senior official in a mobile company said, at present all the operators are aggressively working to expand their network to gain maximum subscribers. In this scenario all the operators are lacking to update their data. On the other hand the franchise owners are also blackmailing the operators. If the mobile phone operators force them to follow the instruction of PTA they threat them that they will switch to their competitor company. Mobile companies are charging Rs 100 to Rs 200 for MNP activation. In the current trends, customers prefer new connection rather than getting into the hassle of MNP.

Link: Oman: COMEX to begin soon

The most awaited technology, telecom and IT show is just around the corner and is set to take place at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from 28th April to 2nd May 2008. Organized by Oman International Trade & Exhibitions (OITE), this year would be the 18th successful, consecutive show, the first having been held at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in 1990. The past 17 years have seen COMEX grow successfully along with the local technological development aiding the IT growth locally and serving as a platform to bring resources and services and create an awareness in the Sultanate. Having been supported by the Ministry of Transport & Communications and Omantel right from its inception in 1990, COMEX now has a greater influence with its recent UFI, the Global Association for the Exhibition Industry, approval and accreditation. A two pronged event, the COMEX Business attracts over 15,000 business and professional visitors and will showcase ICT products and services offered by the industry. Showcasing the latest gadgets, products and services, COMEX Shopper, promises to be a show stopper coupled with the irresistible offers. The event attracts more than 45,000 tech-savvy buyers and students to the shopper section. ‘COMEX the largest annual IT, Telecom & Technology show in the Sultanate of Oman, has gained the reputation of a leading platform showcasing the latest in technology and services to match the rising needs for telecommunication & information technology solutions in the region. COMEX carries great value for the country’s fast growing industrial, corporate and consumer markets that are in continuous search of modern technology’, said Mr. Atif Khan, Manager - Exhibitions, OITE. In its 18th year this annually recurring event attracts a wide variety of information technology and telecommunication companies from both government and private sectors. The exhibition area will also have enclosures to encourage business networking and media interactions. ‘COMEX is an ideal platform providing companies with high visibility further enhancing the marketability of products/services and future business prospects. COMEX will be supported by a powerful marketing campaign integrating a variety of proven marketing techniques aimed at enhancing the show’s value and attracting the target audience’, says Mr. Najib Al Marhoon, Head - MARCOM, OITE.

Link: Saudi Arabia: Mobily to provide in-flight calls via AeroMobile

Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) became the first Saudi mobile operator to launch in-flight calls aboard select airlines, according to a company statement issued on 28th March. Mobily customers can now call and text message loved ones, and business associates as they travel aboard select Emirates Airline flights, through a landmark agreement with AeroMobile, the specialized aviation mobile operator. According to the terms of the agreement, Mobily can make calls, send SMS text messages, and will also soon be able to connect to the Internet via GPRS by roaming through AeroMobile’s mobile network. ‘The agreement with AeroMobile has been in the making for quite some time. We have known about AeroMobile for a year now and that their technology was in the readying for commercial use. We contacted AeroMobile, and they gave us their full support,’ said Abdulaziz Al Tamami, Chief Operations Officer of Mobily. ‘We are proud at Mobily to be the first company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide such a service to our subscribers, with it our customers can stay in touch regardless of where they are, on the ground or in the air,’ he added. Last week, Mobily was one of the first telecom operators to ran a trial of it services on Emirates Airline flight EK751 heading from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Casablanca in Morocco. This trip was the first international flight in the world to fly commercially with this unique telephone roaming service. In addition to allowing users to make voice calls and SMS text messages, AeroMobile supports all basic GSM services like Caller ID, Call Waiting, with support of GPRS, and other IP based services like BlackBerry and push mail coming quickly. AeroMobile itself has run exhaustive trials of the service over the past few years and has received approvals from aviation and telecommunications authorities. The AeroMobile system is designed so that it does not affect any other aircraft systems or sub systems by controlling all mobile phones on the aircraft so that they operate at the minimum power level.

Link: Syria Cracks Down on Internet Use

As Syrian officials take pride in a new press center with fast Internet access and wireless technology for journalists, the government is maintaining stricter regulation of public Internet use. These regulations, conveyed orally by security agents, extend the arm of the Syrian government by requiring Internet cafes to maintain detailed logs of their customers Web usage. This involves recording the customer’s name, ID or passport number, and the length of time spent on the computer. “It’s a new form of psychological pressure and part of the state’s systematic intimidation of Internet users,” said Mazen Darwish, a journalist who heads the independent Syrian Media Center. “It works to a certain extent in the sense that it creates a kind of self-censorship among users,” he said. Darwish was arrested in January for reporting over turmoil in Adra, near Damascus. He faces up to a year in prison for allegedly defaming state institutions. Syria has made some progress in the past. In 2000, President Bashar Assad succeeded his father Hafez Assad and began to usher in the age of Internet and mobile use in Syria. Meanwhile, almost all print and broadcast media remain under the firm grip of the state, a notion Assad has displayed by sending writers and democracy activists to jail. Syria ranked among 12 “enemies of the Internet,” according to the group Reporters Without Borders. The group added that Syria was “biggest prison for cyber-dissidents” in the Middle East. The Syrian Media Center acknowledges at least 153 Web sites blocked by Syrian authorities. Noteworthy sites to be banned include Facebook, which was blocked in late December, YouTube, Skype and Google’s blogging engine. Syrian officials do not comment on the Internet blocks, but media sources in the region said that Facebook was blocked to prevent Israeli users from infiltrating Syrian social networks. “They made life impossible and I decided to leave the country,” said Ahed al-Hindi, an economics student now living in Lebanon. In 2006, al-Hindi was arrested at age 23 for criticizing the regime on an online forum. He was released after one month, but said he continued to be pressured by “nonstop harassment and intimidation” by security agents. “There is progress in the sense that it’s become easier to be online,” said Rasha Ibrahim, 24, a psychology graduate. “Everything forbidden becomes more tempting,” she said of the government regulations.

Link: Pakistan: Telenor launches first in-flight mobile service

This is Telenor’s slant on the Emirates says first to offer inflight mobile calls post a few days back.

Telenor Pakistan in collaboration with AeroMobile has commercially launched the world’s first in-flight mobile service. The new service allows the postpaid customers to use their GSM services while in flight on Emirates Airline aircraft equipped with the AeroMobile system. The first in-flight mobile phone calls using the Telenor Group’s GSM network took place on Emirates flight EK751 on 20 March flying between Dubai and Casablanca with full approval from aviation authorities. Dubai-based international carrier Emirates has guidelines for the appropriate use of phones on board, including requesting passengers to have their phones switched to ‘silent’ mode during the flights. The airline’s cabin crew is able to monitor use of the system and is in full control of its use throughout flights. AeroMobile’s in-flight solution allows passengers the convenience of safe use of their personal mobile phones during flights as well as on the ground. Calls are billed directly to passengers’ existing mobile phone accounts as international roaming calls. Before the launch of the service on Emirates airline, mobile phone use in aircraft had only been allowed in limited, short-term trials that did not support voice calls.

Link: Kuwaiti government to monitor SMS messages

“Though the Constitution bans phone tapping and other methods of invading people’s privacy, Article 2 of Law No. 9 allows authorities to do so for the larger interests of the country,” Al-Watan Arabic daily quoted lawyer Talal Al-Bediwi as saying. Authorities, however, will have to take permission from the Public Prosecution before doing so,” he added. he lawyer was responding to a statement released earlier by a high-ranking security official saying the Interior Ministry is planning to monitor SMS messages and websites to prevent primaries from taking place. The official had indicated that security teams will monitor livestock pens, stables, chalets and farms, in addition to diwaniyas and houses of tribal leaders to prevent primaries.