MyAdhan Blog

Link: Saudi Telecom sets up content company

Saudi Telecom Company has entered a joint venture with Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) and Malaysian-based All Asia Networks (ASTRO) to set up a new company for content in the MENA region. Based in Dubai Media City, the company will commence operations by early 2009 to acquire and manage content from providers around the world for Saudi Telecom customers. According to Saud Al-Daweesh, president of Saudi Telecom, the company would provide religious, entertainment and educational content: “The content will provide using a diverse set of media including broadcast, television, text messages and web browsing,” reported Arab News.

It will draw on the experience of ASTRO, a key multimedia provider in Southeast Asia with knowledge of aggregation, management and production of TV content, and SRMG, an integrated publishing group with a strong media network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Telecom will be the majority shareholder investing 51% of the SR 280 million capital, with SRMG responsible for 20% and ASTRO holding a 29% share.

“After decades of success as the region’s biggest ‘paper’ publisher, this revolutionary step takes SRMG to new and additional horizons and enables us to provide quality digital content to approximately 70 million people worldwide via a whole new platform,” said Prince Faisal Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, chairman of SRMG, in a statement.

Link: UAE telco du reaches 50k IPTV subs, secured by Latens

UAE telco du has passed 50,000 subscribers for its IPTV service, a multilingual offering offering both local and international channels, secured by content protection technology from UK firm Latens. du selected Latens IPCAS, a software-based Conditional Access System for IPTV, replacing traditional smart cards with Secure Software Modules and removing the cost of additional hardware while decreasing time to launch. The Latens software CA product range also includes solutions for cable, satellite and terrestrial networks.

“We are aggressively pursuing our plans for growth and expansion as we are confident of the potential for growth of our IPTV service,” said Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial du. “To do this successfully, it is imperative that our CA system can be upgraded and scaled without any disruption to our current services and customers, Latens does this and helps us to achieve our goals efficiently.”

Gary Else, Director of strategic alliances for Latens, added: “Pay-TV piracy in the Middle East is well reported as a serious problem for network operators and their content providers. Operators like du are aware of the unique advantages of Latens software CA, and how it can enable their business. That du can continue to grow at such a fast pace is evidence that the Latens family of software CA systems has a vital role to play in preventing piracy in this market.”

Link: Etisalat Nigeria plans free calls to win market

Barring intervention from the country’s telecom regulator, Etisalat Nigeria will offer subscribers free network-to-network calling for no less than six months to win over mobile subscribers. The operator joined the competition last week with the launch of GSM (Global Service for Mobile Communications) services in seven Nigerian cities. “We have a robust network that would allow us to accommodate a huge number of subscribers and do what we need to do to change this market,” said one Etisalat Nigeria senior official.

The Nigerian market is crucial for the United Arab Emirates telco, which plans to become a global brand by 2010. It already has an 82 percent stake in Atlantique Telecom — based in Côte d’Ivoire, with mobile networks in Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger and Togo — and a subscriber base of 2.9 million at the end of 2007. The company operates in the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) under the brand name Moov. A successful push in the Nigeria market would see the company redefining the entire ECOWAS telecom landscape with a complete rebranding of Moov into Etisalat.

“The Nigerian market will determine the fate of the Moov brand in Franco West Africa,” said a Moov senior official. “A successful Etisalat brand in Nigeria will make it imperative to have Moov dropped for Etisalat.” Etisalat is entering Africa’s most populous country of 160 million people with a large war chest and vast experience in delivering mobile services in developing markets. The company hopes that will count as it competes for new subscribers and already saturated markets major cities, where it will have to contend with Glo Mobile, MTN, Zain and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) operators redefining a mobile market once ruled by GSM.

CDMA operators have used lower entry cost and substantially lower call tariffs to win over GSM users. More than 4.5 million CDMA subscribers have emerged in Nigeria over the last 14 months, leading to the conviction by marketing watchers that Nigeria could transition to a CDMA-dominant market in the near future. “Evidently, GSM has a strong grip on the market, but this is a waiting CDMA market,” said Lagos telecom analyst Titi Omo-Ettu.

Etisalat, however, is weighing its options. Free network-to-network calling for six months could cause mass dumping of other networks’ GSM SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards in preference for the new network, a move the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) could deem anticompetitive. It could also stir similar actions by other networks, particularly Glo Mobile, to open a major war that may not “augur well for the sector in the long run,” said an NCC official in Abuja. Want to compare wireless products? Visit the IT Buyer’s Guides now.

Nigeria’s newest operator has consistently hinged its winnings on superior network technology and service. But these factors may count for nothing in a market where numbers are critical to staying afloat and brand relevance is tied to the volume of subscribers. “We are bringing juice to the market — something Nigerians will find hard to resist; enough reasons to leave others for us,” said the Etisalat Nigeria official. Etisalat is taking a cue from Sierra Leone’s second-leading mobile operator, Comium, which offered free network-to-network calling when it entered the market over four years ago.

Link: Oman selects new fixed line service provider

Oman Telecommunication Regulatory selects PCCW-Awaser Oman Consortium to provide fixed line telecom services. Oman Telecommunication Regulatory selects PCCW-Awaser Oman Consortium to provide fixed line telecom services

In an effort to liberalize Oman’s telecommunication sector, PCCW-Awaser Oman Consortium has been selected as the winning bidder of a Class 1 licence to provide fixed line public telecommunication services in the Sultanate.

The decision was made by Oman’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority who stated that the consortium won “the highest marks in the technical and commercial evaluation, as well as the financial bid.” At present, there is only one fixed telecom operator in Oman, Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel).

PCCW - Awaswer Oman Consortium is a joint venture by a local partner and Hong Kong-based Pacific Century Cyber Works, a telecommunications provider that employs more than 16,000 people worldwide to service Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas, China and other parts of Asia. It beat 5 other competitors to win the licence.

Link: Indonesia: Govt allows Qtel to hold 65 pct stake in Indosat

The government has eventually decided to allow Qatar Telecom (Qtel) to hold a maximum of 65 percent stake in the cellular business unit of state telecommunication operator Indosat.

“We have decided that Qtel`s investment in Indosat`s cellular business unit is a maximum of 65 percent pursuant to Presidential Regulation No.77/2007 junction Presidential Regulation No.111/2007 on the negative investment list,” Communication and Information Minister Muhammad Nuh said in a joint press conference with Chairman of the Capital Market and Financial Institutions Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK) Fuad Rahmani here on Monday.

Meanwhile, Qtel is allowed to hold a maximum of 45 percent stake in Indosat`s fixed line, including fixed wireless access (FWA). Therefore, the government gave Qtel two years to separate its cellular telecommunication business entities from its fixed line telecommunication business in Indosat, the minister said.

“These will be more or less like Telkom and Telkomsel,” he said referring to state telecommunication operator Telkom and its cellular business unit Telkomsel. The separation of the business entities is important because Qtel holds stake in Indosat which is licenced to provide cellular and fixed line services, he said.

“We have considered everything in a realistic and rational way and come to the conclusion that it will take two years to separate the two business entities,” he said. While the separation of the two business entities is under process, Indosat is required to develop its fixed line business, he said.

Link: Bahrain: Batelco crosses major milestone

Batelco has celebrated a major milestone with the launch of its 400th roaming agreement with an international telecom provider. The company launched GPRS roaming on a bilateral basis with the second operator in Malaysia (DiGi).

The launch means that Batelco’s mobile postpaid customers with GRPS/MMS enabled handsets can exchange pictures and video clips with their colleagues, family and friends and access the Internet directly from their mobiles while roaming in Malaysia. Batelco also launched international roaming agreement with a new operator in Iran MTN. Chief executive officer Peter Kaliaropoulos joined staff to mark the occasion at Batelco’s Hamala headquarters.

“We can be very proud of this milestone,” he said, “as we exceed the achievement of many telecom companies that are larger than Batelco.” Media and Government Relations general manager Ahmed Al Janahi said Batelco is the first company in the world to provide free incoming calls from anywhere in the world in 21 countries.

“Our prepaid customers can receive calls and send and receive SMS from anywhere in the world while roaming with 278 International operators in 112 countries worldwide.” “We will continue to sign new agreements with more international operators to ensure that our customers have access to the best telecommunications connections while roaming throughout the world,” he said.

Link: UAE’s second telecom operator claims 30% of local mobile market

Other Links:
UAE’s Du seize 30% of mobile market share 16 months before target time
du claims 30% of mobile market ahead of schedule

Du, the second telecom operator in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said its share in the country’s mobile market has estimatedly reached the target of 30 percent, local newspaper Gulf News reported on Thursday. The achievement of Du’s 30-percent target in local mobile market share was 16 months ahead of its schedule, the report said.

The company recorded a total of 2.3 million mobile customers at the end of the second quarter of 2008, with its active subscribers reaching 1.85 million. Osman Sultan, chief executive of Du, attributed the rapid growth of the company’s mobile customers to the vigorous economy of the country, whose GDP rose by 7.4 percent to 729.7 billion dirhams (198.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2007.

“The UAE is experiencing extraordinary growth. That’s one track fuelling our own growth and we focus on getting the best market share from this,” he said. Established in December 2004 with a capitalization of 4 billion dirhams, Du launched its services in February 2007 and thus broke the monopoly of Etisalat, the only telecom operator in the UAE since 1976. The UAE government held 40 percent of its shares, while the AbuDhabi-based Mubadala Development Company and the Dubai-based Emirates Communications and Technology Company owned 20 percent each. The rest 20 percent is held by public shareholders.

Link: Dubai Sports now on du Mobile TV

Telecom Provider Announces Enhanced Offerings at GITEX Technology Week 2008. du, the UAE’s integrated telecom operator, today announced it has added Dubai Sports, a popular TV channel in the UAE, to its existing bouquet of channels under the mobile TV platform

With the new addition, the total number of mobile TV channels available to du customers has risen to 23, further enriching its offering of mobile entertainment services. This service is offered in cooperation with Qtelmedia Group Ltd.

du customers enjoy three flexible packages catering for their need. For just AED10, du mobile TV customers can watch Dubai Sports or any one channel for period of one month. Under the second package, customers can watch all 23 channels for AED10 per day. Under the third package, customers can watch all channels during an entire month for just AED80. du mobile customers not active on mobile TV can also access a free preview of Mobile TV on their handsets.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “With the inclusion of Dubai Sports, du mobile TV customers have more options to catch their favourite live sporting events. Our enhanced bouquet comes as part of our commitment to offering exciting subscription packages to our customers that cater to their unique requirements.”

du’s announcement was made on the sidelines of GITEX Technology Week 2008, the region’s largest industry event for the ICT sector, which is taking place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

List of all du Mobile TV channels available:
1. Al Arabia
2. Dubai TV
3. Sama Dubai
4. MBC
5. Dubai Sports
6. Al Majd
7. du Bollywood Music
8. du Cartoons
9. du Music
10. Rotana Khaleejia
11. Rotana Moussica
12. Mazzika
13. Spacetoon
14. Al Jazeera Arabic
15. Al Jazeera English
16. BBC World
17. Zee News
18. Zee TV
19. Kairali
20. ARY
21. GEO TV
22. ABS – CBN TFC
23. Channel i

Link: du Selects Nortel to Deliver Next Generation Network, Multimedia Services in UAE

Telecom service provider du plans to deliver ‘anytime, anywhere’ IP Centrex and multimedia services across a wider geographical area powered by a carrier solution from Nortel
The expanded network will enable du to respond to massive demand for service from businesses and residential users linked to the current exponential growth in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Convergence of media and telecommunications is an important trend in the region, changing the way people communicate, their entertainment preferences and their day-to-day lives. Services from du tap into this trend, offering converged landline, broadband and TV services to customers living in Dubai and providing the benefits of one single monthly bill and one customer care point-of-contact for all services.

du’s Next Generation Network (NGN) expansion has at its heart the Nortel Communication Server 2000 IP multimedia softswitch and Nortel Media Gateway 15000. This solution allows du to grow its geographical footprint, enabling it to offer media and telecommunications services to residences and businesses across the United Arab Emirates. It also enables du to attract future customers by delivering new communications services such as Unified Communications and IP Powered Business services based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) technology including presence, collaboration and fixed mobile convergence.

du’s newly expanded network will be completely secure and have full redundancy to ensure that services run smoothly and free from interruption. The du agreement also includes fully managed services from Nortel’s Global Services portfolio, including building and operating the system and knowledge transfer. “du’s initial success with our suite of converged media and telecommunications services has swiftly created the need for a network upgrade to satisfy current and future demands for capacity, quality, speed and new services,” said Osman Sultan, chief executive officer, du. “Furthermore, the strategic location of UAE, situated as it is between Europe and the emerging markets in Asia, has reinvented Dubai as a world communications gateway and a conduit to markets in the Middle East. This location and the burgeoning financial success of the UAE has created major growth in international carrier voice traffic.”

“The Middle East region and du are of primary importance for Nortel,” said Ramin Attari, vice president, Nortel Middle East. “With this new success Nortel is increasing leadership in the NGN 2.0 domain for carrier voice and multimedia applications serving business and consumers.” With more than 60 wins in the first half of 2008, Nortel now has more than 300 Carrier VoIP customers globally. In August, Gartner, Inc. a leading information technology research and advisory company, issued its 2008 “Magic Quadrant” for Softswitch Architecture. Gartner positioned Nortel in the Leader’s quadrant of its Magic Quadrant (MQ) for Softswitch Architecture, 2008. Nortel was ranked by Dell’Oro as the leader in Carrier VoIP globally every year for the past six years (2002 through 2007). As of 2Q08 Nortel has shipped over 95 million Carrier IP Voice and Multimedia ports to wireline, wireless and cable carriers globally.

Link: UAE Axiom starts mobile payments venture with Vipera

United Arab Emirates (UAE) mobile phones retailer Axiom Telecom has signed an exclusive partnership with Vipera to launch a mobile services division.

The business unit will offer value-added mobile services directly to consumers and enterprise customers, including mobile payments, banking, marketing and SMS2TV services based on the Vipera Mobile Services Platform. Vipera said it has received positive market feedback in the field across Europe and is eager to launch its mobile banking and payment products in the UAE. Axiom specialises in wireless communication products and boasts more than 500 outlets in prime retail locations across the region.

Vipera is a global provider of mobile financial services and mobile services platforms with offices in Zurich (Switzerland), in Milan (Italy), in Dubai (UAE), and an offshore technical development centre in Bangalore (India).