UAE/TURKISH BUSINESS RELATIONS

UAE/TURKISH BUSINESS RELATIONS

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  • Dr. Nilgün Birgören
    Dr. Nilgün Birgören    Premium Member   Group moderator
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    UAE urged to invest in broadband
    The pricing structure in the UAE telecom industry is one of the lowest not only in the Arab region, but globally, according to Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General of the International Telecom Union (ITU).

    In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Dr Touré said: "[The] UAE ranks sixth in the world for having the lowest telecom prices."

    Citing a survey conducted in about 150 countries, he added: "The UAE ranks sixth after Singapore, the US, Kuala Lumpur, Denmark and China."

    The difference between telecom rates in the UAE and the highest ranked country is marginal.

    "These figures reflect the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) success in bringing down telecom prices and making telecommunication affordable.

    This is the reason that the mobile penetration rate in the UAE is 200 per cent."

    Gulf News: How do you evaluate the operations of etisalat and du in the context of the TRA?

    HAMADOUN TOURÉ: TRA is one of the key regulators worldwide. It has fostered a healthy competitive environment between etisalat and du. Both these operators are growing so fast in terms of their operations because they have a good foundation and infrastructure.
    However, they need to offer additional services to face the competition in the telecom sector. These two providers should rely on finding a new function in the market and try to attract both existing and new subscribers.

    Do you think that the UAE telecommunications and information communication technology (ICT) market needs new players or is it already saturated?

    The need for new players in the UAE telecom sector not only depends on the TRA's intentions towards liberalising the sector, but on market forces as well. If there is no decline in telecom prices and there are no new services entering the market, there may be a need for a new operator.
    The regulator should look at the trend of services and prices very carefully before arriving at a decision.

    If the TRA opens the market to competition, will it ensure better services and affordable pricing?

    New players invariably fuel competition which in turn brings in new and better services and affordable prices into the market.
    The two objectives behind competition are to increase quality of services and decrease prices. If these trends are already there is no need for a new player.
    Moreover, the entry of a new player at the wrong time could slow market growth and change the direction of the competition.
    You cannot change the rules of the game during the game.
    The regulator plays the role of the catalyst. It should try to energise the game rather than slow it down.

    Will privatisation of the telecommunication and ICT sector add value to the users? How can it support national career development?

    Yes, a vibrant private sector is healthy and good for economies and that is why we strongly encourage privatisation in this sector.
    The telecom industry is a profit-making one. It is the only sector that created new jobs during the financial crisis.
    The market is growing and I attribute these gains to the role of the private sector.
    This industry is fuelled by human brains. It is a sector based on innovative resources. The Middle East and especially the UAE are very good at adapting to new technologies.
    Governments worldwide create policies and it falls upon the regulators to apply these policies. The regulator is a sort of referee whose job it is to ensure that the rules of the game are followed, but do not change very often.

    What is the future of etisalat and du in the UAE telecom industry? And how can they develop broadband?

    I think etisalat and du will continue to expand outside UAE. They need to enlarge their portfolios.
    Like any other country, what UAE really needs is to invest more in broadband. Broadband penetration in the Arab world is very low at 15.6 per cent compared with other countries.
    Europe boasts 55 per cent broadband penetration followed by the US with 42.8 per cent. However, broadband penetration rate in the UAE is fairly good compared with Arab countries.

    Which technology represents the future of UAE telecom industry?

    Mobile and broadband are the future of telecom industry not only in the UAE, but worldwide.
    It is one of the main issues discussed in the ITU World 2009 forum in Geneva. Satellite communication and technologies such as WiMax are the future. The forum also advocated the neutral licensing technology system.
    By 2015, we seek to connect the world by broadband not only to access information, but to share it and use it at affordable prices.

    What is the best way to handle data security technologies?

    International security and law enforcement is what is really need to prevent cyber crime. Cyber security involves protecting information by preventing, detecting and responding to attack.
    Nations should be technologically well-prepared to protect the most vulnerable victim of cyber crime — children. Regular and accurate monitoring in addition to awareness campaigns should be part of government policies.

    What are the global challenges in today's telecommunication and ICT industry?

    One of the challenges the sector faces today is keeping policies up-to-date- with the evolving technology.
    Another major challenge is connecting the world.
    The aim of the telecom industry is to put information at everyone's disposal. Taking into consideration multilingual internet access, we should work towards incorporating more languages.

    How does the ITU help governments and the private sector in developing their telecom networks and services?

    ITU is one of the oldest families in the United Nations. We have 191 public private partnerships and over 700 private companies working hand in hand in developing global standard as well as in managing the global spectrum in the satellite locations.
    ITU helps governments develop policies together and there is very good collaboration. Moreover, it helps the private sector to boost and create a global standard of business to move technology forward.

    What were the major outcomes and goals of the ITU World 2009 forum?

    The forum is an unrivalled event for the global telecommunication and ICT sector. The forum attracted all stakeholders from across the sector and around the world for a truly global, world-class event and networking platform.
    To address shared global challenges in today's information society, ther forum incorporated thematic elements to highlight the reach and role of telecommunications and ICT in areas of societal change such as the digital divide, climate change, and disaster relief.
    With its focus on development opportunities, the event brought together corporate social responsibility and displayed cases of best practices.

    Academic achiever:
    Dr Hamadoun Touré was elected Secretary-General at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, TURKIYE, in November 2006 and took office on 1 January 2007. He served as Director BDT from 1998 until 2006.

    Born on 3 September 1953, Touré holds a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Leningrad and Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) from the University of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics of Moscow.


    Source. GulfNews
    • 13 Nov 2009, 10:52 am