ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"

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ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
Issue 179
                              September

Etisalat              How the ICT
ready to              industry has
                        become a
serve the          future-defining
‘New Normal’        “Geostrategic
                         Contest”

ConnecTechAsia
delivering best-in-class
virtual experience
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
ICT spend growth to accelerate 2-3x over
 the next 5 years, riding on the strongest
 ever wave of digitization in history

    COVID-19

                                                          Emerging ICT
                                                          use cases
                                                          Digital-driven
                                                          (e-healthcare,
                                                          e-education, …)

                                                                                 Telcos &
   Consumers                                                                     Enterprises
        Permanent                                                                Ensure network
           change                                                                capacity/
          towards                                                                redundancy;
            digital                                                               re-optimize
                                                                                 operating models,
                                                            Support              develop partnerships
                                                              ICT

                           Economy
                      Digital-driven growth
                           post-COVID-19
                                                            Government
                                                            Enable ICT sector                            Contact us to learn how the Hughes JUPITER™ System powers broadband satellite solutions like Community Wi-Fi
                                                            to build a digital                          Hotspots, Cellular Backhaul, Satellite Internet, and Aeronautical and Maritime Mobility across 40+ satellites worldwide.
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Whitepaper full report here:
https://www.rolandberger.com/en/Publications/Post-COVID-19-opportunities-
in-the-Middle-East.html                                                                                                                                 © 2020 Hughes Network Systems, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The HUGHES logo is a
                                                                                                                                                            registered trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar Company.
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
15             09 September 2020

                                             15th year of publication

                                       "Best IT & Telecoms News Outlet Award 2020"

Scan to download PDF version   Chief Editor                   Khalid Athar
                               Managing Editor                Nasreen Akhtar
                               Technical Editor               Toby Ruckert
                               Associate Editor               Gulraiz Khalid
                               Assistant Editors              Jassem Hariri
      TELETIMES MEDIA LLC.                                    Aftab Raza Khan
      P.O. Box 239031,         Technology Writer              Ken Herron, Dean Sackett
      Dubai - UAE              Consultant                     Khadim Hussain
                               Sub Editors                    Fakher Dawar, Mustafa Khan

                               Director Sales (MEA)           S.A. Burney

                               Special Correspondents
                               Dubai                          Masood Kahout
                               Cape Town                      Peter Stoffberg
                               Barcelona                      Mohammed Tanveer
                               Ontario                        Nasir Kharl
                               Jeddah                         Akram Asad
                               Melbourne                      Jeveria Hashmat
                               Amman                          Eng. Mohammed Sirrieh
                               Doha                           Ashraf Siddiqui
                               Brunei                         Imran Ul Haq
                                                              Farah Muhammad

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ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
Editor’s Note

                                                                                                                                            Dear Reader,

                                                                                                                                            Welcome to the latest edition of Teletimes International!

                                                                                                                                            Whilst we still remain in a COVID affected state, it is safe to
                                                                                                                                            say that the worst is most likely now past us. As we pick up
                                                                                                                                            the pace from where we left off in Q1, we are now somewhat
                                                                                                                                            adjusted to a ‘New Normal’ and we have the ICT industry to
                                                                                                                                            thank for that. Following up on a series of virtual gatherings of
                                                                                                                                            ICT professionals that have been taking place around the region
                                                                                                                                            during the last month, we now have ConnecTechAsia to look

                                                                                                                               16
                                                                                                                                            forward to. The event will feature some 200 exhibitors, several of
                                                                                                                                            which are taking part for the first time, showcasing the latest 5G
                                                                                                                                            technologies and enterprise solutions. This group includes AT&T,
                                                                                                                                            SPTel, Qualcomm, ServiceNow, StarHub and Verizon. Teletimes,
                                                                                                                                            just like the many past years, is a media partner and we will be
                                                                                                                                            bringing you the latest news and updates from the event.
     Articles                                                                TELECOMMUNICATION
                                                                                                                                            Gearing up to support businesses and the public during these

33
       10   Demand for data in Africa is increasing.                                                                                        difficult times, Etisalat has been doing an outstanding job as a
            Could this be a solution?                                         14    Etisalat ready to serve the ‘New Normal’ accelerating   national telecom carrier. Highlighting Etisalat’s readiness and
                                                                                    digital transformation and adoption
            By: Anthony Okenwa                                                                                                              resilience to support this new normal is an editorial by Dr. Ahmed
                                                                              16    DEWA & Huawei reinforce AI & digital transformation     Bin Ali, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications at
       12   From vision to reality: The journey towards                             with the launch of network operation center             Etisalat Group.
            cognitive and zero touch network operations
            By: Mohamed Elsokkary                                             19    PM Imran Khan appreciates the support of Huawei
                                                                                    to realize the objectives of “Digital Pakistan”         I would also recommend two other interesting pieces from this
       13   How the ICT industry has become a                                                                                               edition, “From vision to reality: The journey towards cognitive
            future-defining “Geostrategic Contest”                            20    Etisalat supports business continuity                   and zero touch network operations” by Mohamed Elsokkary,
            By: Khalid Athar                                                        initiatives for SMBs
                                                                                                                                            Head of Managed Services for Ericsson Gulf Countries and
       17   The role of 5G in healthcare during                               22    stc announces deployment of 5G stand-alone              “The role of 5G in healthcare during COVID-19 and beyond” by
            COVID-19 and beyond                                                                                                             Saurabh Verma and Gourab Banik from Frost & Sullivan.
                                                                              23    Microsoft report: 16% of Saudi institutions
            By: Saurabh Verma, Business Head, ICT and Gourab Banik, Senior          consider AI a top priority
            Research Analyst, ICT at Frost & Sullivan                                                                                       As always, you will also find the latest news and updates from all
                                                                              24    Etisalat participates in WSIS Forum 2020                major industry players in this edition of Teletimes International.
       45   Africa in Motion: Accelerating its digital future
            By: Fadi Pharaon                                                  26    ICT's Pivotal role in Post-COVID-19                     Your feedback is welcome on
                                                                                    "New Normal” in the Middle East                         khalidathar@teletimesinternational.com
                                                                              28    Huawei launches latest digital OptiX network
                                                                                                                                            Enjoy Reading!
                                                                                    solutions in the Middle East

                                                                                                                                                                                             Khalid Athar
     SATELLITE                                                               Events                                                                                                                 Chief Editor

       33   Ooredoo with Es’hailSat to launch Inmarsat satellite              08    ConnecTechAsia reveals details of event to deliver
            voice and data services to enhance business                             best-in-class virtual experience
            communications
                                                                               31   AfricaCom and AfricaTech 2020: Digital Playground
       34   Intelsat launches Galaxy 30 Satellite and Northrop                      - A key to Connecting the Next Billion in Africa
            Grumman’s MEV-2

31     35
       36
            Yahsat boosts Thuraya’s next generation capabilities

            Satellite Antenna Diversity                                                                                                     Scan to download PDF version
       39   Connectivity demand booms as leisure vessels                                                                                    Follow @TeletimesIntl on Twitter
            become safer places to work and rest
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
Furthermore,       the    exhibitor   metrics
                                                                                                                                                 dashboard will give them valuable real-
                                                                                                                                                 time data and insight into their customers’
                                                                                                                                                 behaviour by capturing multiple touchpoints
                                                                                                                                                 and providing a multi-dimensional view of a
                                                                                                                                                 visitors’ journey, allowing for more effective
                                                                                                                                                 outreach and follow-up.

                                                                                                                                                 Networking opportunities are an integral
                                                                                                                                                 part of any event experience and have
                                                                                                                                                 also been enhanced through a powerful AI
                                                                                                                                                 business matching platform. Attendees will
                                                                                                                                                 receive personalised meeting suggestions
                                                                                                                                                 based on their interests and profile. On a
                                                                                                                                                 consolidated dashboard, visitors can view
                                                                                                                                                 connections, find out who is interested in
                                                                                                                                                 setting up a meeting with them and arrange
                                                                                                                                                 for one-to-one video meets via virtual
                                                                                                                                                 meeting rooms.

                                                                                                                                                 Conference delegates will have the full             communicate on the same platform.              Showcasing their 5G capabilities across the
                                                                                                                                                 benefits and experience of a live conference,                                                      exhibition and conferences, Xu Su, Chief
                                                                                                                                                 available right at their fingertips using their     Ivan Ferrari, Event Director, Tech, Media &    Marketing Officer of Carrier BG, Huawei Asia

ConnecTechAsia reveals details
                                                                                                                                                 device of choice. This includes live keynotes,      Entertainment Events, Informa Markets,         Pacific Region said, “As global 5G deployment
                                                                                                                                                 Q&A sessions and breakout rooms. Content            who spearheads ConnecTechAsia said, “The       begins to ramp up, we need to strengthen
                                                                                                                                                 will also be available on-demand 24/7 for           disruption we’re facing today has pushed       our focus on industry applications as this
                                                                                                                                                 delegates based in different time zones.            our community to dramatically accelerate       will help unleash the full potential of 5G.

of event to deliver best-in-class
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ConnecTechAsia is a platform for Asia Pacific
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    telecom operators and industry partners, to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    come together to discuss the build-out of
                                                                                                                                                   Comprising long-time favourites BroadcastAsia                                                    5G networks and explore potential business
                                                                                                                                                   and CommunicAsia, ConnecTechAsia2020 will                                                        development.”

virtual experience                                                                                                                                 feature new entrants SatelliteAsia and TechXLR8
                                                                                                                                                   Asia staging their respective exhibitions and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    “The business case for 5G is not just better
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    connectivity. When technologies like 5G,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    computing, cloud, and AI come together,
                                                                                                                                                   conferences. Inaugural Asian editions of                                                         they reinforce each other and create

Event to provide stellar user experiences through virtual exhibition                                                                               AccelerateHER and Elevating Founders, will also
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    numerous opportunities across five major
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    tech domains: connectivity, AI, cloud,
                                                                                                                                                   be key highlights of this year’s event, bringing                                                 computing, and industry applications. The

hall, interactive conference sessions and AI business matching                                                                                     with them the big names from the women-in-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    pandemic has reshaped how we live and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    work and has dealt a heavy blow to the world
                                                                                                                                                   tech and start-up worlds.                                                                        economy. Together with our partners and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    customers, including carriers and enterprises
Informa Markets announced new details         Roland, Sony and SingTel Satellite, to            • Martin Huang, MD Southeast Asia,                                                                                                                  of all types, we can use technological
for ConnecTechAsia2020, the first virtual     name a few.                                       SenseTime                                                                                                                                           solutions to effect a positive impact on our
Infocomm, Media and Technology event held                                                       • Euan Smith, CEO of TV & Group COO, Astro       Comprising          long-time         favourites    digital transformation which was already       communities. We look forward to sharing
in partnership with Singapore’s Infocomm      Six group pavilions bringing with them                                                             BroadcastAsia         and      CommunicAsia,        underway. With that same spirit in mind,       more at the event this year,” he added.
Media Development Authority (IMDA), from      companies from the European Union,                Best in Class Virtual Platform                   ConnecTechAsia2020 will feature new                 at ConnecTechAsia we have worked hard
29 September to 1 October 2020.               France, Great Britain and Northern Ireland,                                                        entrants SatelliteAsia and TechXLR8 Asia            on identifying and investing in those exact    Participating for the first time in a virtual
                                              Israel, Korea and Ontario are also taking part.   With more than 10,000 attendees                  staging their respective exhibitions and            virtual features that we believe can grant     tradeshow in the technology and media
The event will feature some 200 exhibitors,                                                     expected to connect to the virtual event,        conferences. Inaugural Asian editions of            the highest possible return on investments     sector, The GREAT Britain and Northern
several of which are taking part for the      In addition, more than 220 conference             ConnecTechAsia2020 will unlock possibilities     AccelerateHER and Elevating Founders,               for all attendees, sponsors, speakers and      Ireland Pavilion will be showcasing
first time, showcasing the latest 5G          sessions addressing the latest industry           that were not previously available in a          will also be key highlights of this year’s event,   delegates who will dedicate precious time      companies across all four segments of
technologies and enterprise solutions. This   trends and challenges will feature top            physical setting.                                bringing with them the big names from               and resources to make this online experience   ConnecTechAsia. They will bring with them a
group includes AT&T, SPTel, Qualcomm,         industry names, including:                                                                         the women-in-tech and start-up worlds.              a success. Success is indeed in the agency     wide range of product and services including
ServiceNow, StarHub and Verizon.              • Anne Chow, CEO, AT&T Business                   The event’s four virtual exhibition halls will   After the live event, ConnecTechAsia2020            of others, and we thank our community for      professional audio, IPTV, OTT, secure storage
Other bellwethers will also enrich the        • Brenda Harvey, GM, IBM Asia Pacific             allow companies to set up customisable           will thereafter turn into a 24/7, 365-day           trusting our work in these difficult times.    solutions, e-sports, fibre communications,
virtual experience; they are Amazon Web       • Bicky Bhangu, President, Southeast Asia,        virtual booths, with live presentations          interactive marketplace, allowing exhibitors        Together, we are contributing to shape the     content delivery solutions, smart living,
Services, Grass Valley, Huawei, KTSat,        Pacific and South Korea, Rolls Royce              and real-time interaction with buyers.           and buyers to continue to connect and               future of our industry.”                       cloud services, big data and data analysis.

8    September 2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       September 2020      9
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
Demand for data in Africa is increasing -
Could this be a solution?
By: Anthony Okenwa

Africa has become a home to over a billion     a young and growing population with
people and the population is expected          increasing digital skills. Declining data
to grow in the coming years. The sector        prices and an increase in the accessibility

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        T&C apply.
of Information and Communication               of smartphones due to lower prices is also
Technology (ICT) is essential for Africa’s     driving growth.
development and adequate ICT service
deployment and digital connectivity            As the demand for mobile data increases,
will play a crucial role in the continent      more ICT investment in mobile broadband
achieving economic sustainability.             is the crucial solution to meet future
                                               requirements.
The forecast is that mobile data traffic in
Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to grow        For    service     providers,    investment
by 12 times the current figures, with total    and modernization of networks is the
traffic increasing from 0.33 Exabytes (EB)     essential way to meet demand for data
per month to 4EB by 2025. Meanwhile,           and future-proof operations for the
average traffic per smartphone is expected     benefit of all stakeholders. It also enables
to reach 7.1GB over the forecast period,       them to provide their mobile broadband
according to the Ericsson Mobility Report.     community with the highest quality of
                                               service available, delivered via cutting       3. Demand-side skills must be developed
Key drivers will be extensive network          edge infrastructure and technology to          to optimize broadband services for
coverage and the reduction in prices of        ensure a superior mobile experience for        personal and business use
both devices and services. Also, driven by     customers.                                     4. Supply-side skills need to be developed
the rapid rise in access to relevant video                                                    in order to exploit the innovative potential
content, with new players who provide          Access to high-quality broadband services      of broadband
and aggregate local content finding            is based on networks that supports
initial success in larger markets. The         rapid growth in internet traffic as well as    The GSMA has estimated that an
increase of mobile data traffic in Africa is   competitive pricing. There is supporting       increase in penetration of mobile data,
driving operators to look at opportunities     evidence that proves that a rise in mobile     can be linked to an increase in annual
to optimize their network capacities,          broadband penetration can be linked to         GDP growth of a minimum of 0.5%. As
including complementing capacity via Wi-       economic growth and job creation.              wireless connectivity enables business to
Fi networks.                                                                                  be done on the go, it allows information
                                                                                              and services to be access anywhere, and
                                                                                                                                              Business Edge
                                               Although supporting evidence may vary
Hence, mobile and fixed networks have          in its estimation on the exact contribution    will create new services and industries. It
become key components of critical              to the economy, there are enough to            has been stated that the mobile industry
national infrastructure in Africa. In Sub-
Saharan Africa, LTE accounted for around
11% of subscriptions in 2019.
                                               support these claims in that an increase
                                               in broadband penetration are associated
                                               with increases in Gross Domestic
                                                                                              in Africa is a key contributor to a country’s
                                                                                              economy and enables new economic
                                                                                              activity in other sectors with the adoption
                                                                                                                                              A comprehensive platform for all business needs
                                               Product (GDP), creating jobs, increase of      of IoT.
Over the forecast period, mobile               educational opportunities, and enhancing
                                                                                                                                              Explore an innovative and flexible platform that offers you more value and helps advance your business.
broadband subscriptions are predicted          service delivery and rural development.        As an augmentation of current mobile
to increase, reaching 72% of mobile                                                           technologies, 5G could consequently             Whatever your needs, Business Edge covers it all:
subscriptions. LTE share will reach around     However, there are four key requirements       ensure significant economic advantages
30% by the end of the forecast period,         needed to be addressed to establish the        for a country’s citizens. However, the
and LTE subscriptions are set to triple,       link between broadband penetration and         characteristics in speed, reliability and
increasing from 90 million in 2019 to 270      economic growth:                               latency means that 5G can potentially
million in 2025.                                                                              be a technology which will enable new
                                               1. Broadband must reach a critical mass of     markets, develop and transform current             Smart          Communication        Security &           Office         Business          Digital
Driving factors behind the growth of           a country’s citizens; -                        industries, as well as support socio-           Connectivity      & Collaboration       Analytics        Productivity      Devices          Marketing
mobile broadband subscriptions include         2. Broadband access must be affordable;        economic benefits.

10 September 2020                                                                                                                               For more information, visit etisalat.ae/businessedge
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
From vision to reality:                                                                                                                     How the ICT industry has become a
The journey towards cognitive and                                                                                                           future-defining “Geostrategic Contest”
zero touch network operations                                                                                                               By: Khalid Athar

By: Mohamed Elsokkary
                                                                                                                                            Although the world has depended more on
                                                                                                                                            ICT infrastructure than ever before during
5G and next-generation technologies such       • Proactive and predictive maintenance                                                       the turbulent times of 2020, it has also been
as network slicing and IoT, along with an      to reduce fault risk                                                                         one of the most sensitive periods for the
increasing number of connected devices                                                                                                      industry in political terms. Governments
and a spotlight on end user experience – it    • Automated performance diagnostics                                                          are well aware of the profound benefits
has become integral for Managed Services       for the network                                                                              that digital infrastructure can bring to their
Providers (MSPs) to rewrite the rules of                                                                                                    economies and societies. But where there is
operations and focus on data-driven,           • Augmented workforce management                                                             an opportunity, there is competition—and it is
automated managed operations.                                                                                                               not always fair.
                                               • Automated reporting across all domains
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine                                                                                                    The stark reality is that the last few decades
Learning (ML) plays a key role in managing     • Plug & Play installation and integration                                                   of technology R&D by Asian companies—
new operational complexities, achieving        (Zero touch during deployment)                                                               perhaps most notably seen in the case of
cost efficacy, minimizing operational errors                                                                                                Huawei—has left traditional powerhouses
and augmenting the human capabilities.         Ericsson is an industry leader in AI and                                                     feeling threatened. One of the most
As such, we are shifting gears to become       Machine Learning for telecom network                                                         fascinating insights on this trend was actually
more predictable and proactive than ever       platforms. Its goal is to empower people                                                     put forward last year by former US House          are not in the 5G race along with Chinese       open and transparent—has noted how the
before by implementing AI & ML.                and machines to transform engineered                                                         Speaker and Republican politician Newt            companies like Huawei. Moreover, the real       US Clean Network Program, while meant to
                                               networks into continuous learning                                                            Gingrich. In his book Trump vs. China: Facing     5G issue at this point in 2020 is less about    safeguard citizen’s privacy, is now considering
As automation and AI technologies              networks. At Mobile World Congress 2019,                                                     America’s Greatest Threat, he was one of the      cybersecurity and more about economic           policies that would fracture the internet into
improve, zero-touch networks of the            Ericsson presented its AI driven operation                                                   early and most vocal proponents that most of      influence. US Secretary of State Michael        pieces[4].
future will soon be able to automatically      portfolios and its vision of the future as     in order to make decisions are typically      the technology issues America now blames          Pompeo only underscored this by saying
determine which actions to take with           well as highlighting the many benefits of      delivered as Centralized SON features         on China are actually of its own making. It has   that Europe “needs to get” Huawei “out of       It would seem that, rather than pushing back
minimal human intervention.                    zero-touch.                                    (C-SON), for example Remote Electrical        become a fully-blown “geostrategic contest”.      their system” as part of ensuring “that the     on Chinese technology companies such as
                                                                                              Tilt Optimization (RET).                                                                        next century remains a Western one”[1]. The     Huawei and even more recently WeChat and
 Introduction of AI cognitive algorithms       Furthermore, successful implementation                                                       And at the heart of the issue? Education and      security argument also lost steam this August   TikTok, the US Administration should be
enable the network to perceive current         of Self-Optimizing Networks (SON) can          Automation/AI is a journey and Ericsson       research, according to Gingrich. He cites how     when Huawei’s 5G wireless and core network      investing in its own digital future. As noted by
network conditions – making it easier to       also be considered as a way to get closer to   has been on this journey for years already    it is not China’s fault that “too few Americans   equipment passed the GSMA’s Network             Gingrich, “if American companies are at the
plan, decide and act on those conditions       materializing the zero touch vision.           with a large yearly investment in R&D, and    in K-12 and in college study math and             Equipment Security Assurance Scheme             forefront of developing this infrastructure,
to achieve better outcomes.                                                                   more than 300 R&D engineers on board          science” to fill graduate schools with future     (NESAS), an exercise specifically designed to   then American companies will be the ones
                                               Ericsson’s SON philosophy is based on          in different global centers – working non-    American scientists. Nor is it China’s fault      help promote the development of the mobile      developing the future technologies that
With cognitive networks based on AI            applying specific SON features where           stop to build more and more AI/ML use         that, when faced with a dramatic increase in      communications market[2].                       interact with this new network.” Those that
techniques, we are getting closer to           they become most effective in a network        cases.                                        Chinese graduate students in science, that                                                        have already done so are seeing exponential
realizing the zero-touch vision which is       topology (Hybrid SON).                                                                       “the old, bureaucratic, entrenched American       While geopolitics continue to play out,         returns, and will continue to reap the
set to be a game-changer in the next five                                                     Having implemented AI/ML on the ground        telecommunications companies” had failed          unfortunately, it is the wider ICT ecosystem    benefits brought on by a commitment to true
years.                                         SON features that requires close to real-      in collaboration with service providers,      to develop a global strategy for 5G over          that is suffering. SEMI, the industry           education and research in the ICT field.
                                               time decisions and work in a limited           we have concluded that in order to            the decade that others had been working           association serving the global electronics
Self-adapting, scalable and intelligent        network area are typically delivered as        succeed in applying automation and AI,        to become world leaders. Companies like           design and manufacturing supply chain, just     [1] https://www.state.gov/secretary-
agents will work alongside human experts       Distributed SON features (D-SON), for          organizational aspects are just as critical   Huawei, Gingrich reports, have thus led by        released a statement in response to the new     michael-r-pompeo-with-maria-bartiromo-
to improve quality and increase the pace of    example Inter-Frequency Load Balancing         as the technological ones.                    “offering far better prices…while providing       export control rule changes announced by        of-fox-news-sunday-morning-futures/
decision-making in many ways, including:       (IFLB), Adjacent Neighbor Relations (ANR)                                                    better service and fielding more advanced         the US Commerce Department. It notes how        [2] https://www.huawei.com/en/
                                               and Automated Mobility Optimization            Change management, re-skills, upskills,       equipment”, which has in turn resulted in         the rule changes will ultimately undermine      news/2020/8/huawei-5g-passes-gsma-nesas
• Automated provisioning, full service         (AMO).                                         developing competencies and new ways          China being “best positioned to win” the          US national security interests “by harming      [3] https://www.internetsociety.org/
and domain-orchestration (self-healing,                                                       of working, altering culture and mindsets     emerging global race to roll out 5G mobile        the     semiconductor       industry…creating   news/statements/2020/internet-society-
scaling, slicing etc)                          SON features that operate over the             are all crucial building blocks in ensuring   infrastructure.                                   substantial uncertainty and disruption in the   statement-on-u-s-clean-network-program/
                                               complete network and thus require longer       that AI and automation are utilized in the                                                      semiconductor supply chain”[3]. Meanwhile,      [4] https://www.internetsociety.org/
• Automated fault diagnosis to reduce          time span for data collection or need to be    best way possible and transforming the        For better or worse, the US administration        The Internet Society—an organization            news/statements/2020/internet-society-
recovery time                                  multi-technology/multi-vendor      capable     operations function effectively.              now recognizes that American companies            dedicated to ensuring that the internet stays   statement-on-u-s-clean-network-program/

12 September 2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     September 2020      13
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
Etisalat ready to serve the ‘New Normal’
accelerating digital transformation and adoption
Etisalat’s readiness and resilience
enabled business and learning continuity
Etisalat is ready to serve the ‘New                                                            possible due to the robust and advanced
Normal’ pushing the fast forward button                                                        infrastructure in the country with the highest
on digital transformation by focusing                                                          fiber penetration worldwide and among
on partnerships, collaborations and                                                            the first globally and regionally to launch
investments with digital adoption being                                                        advanced networks with 5G technology.
key for new digital services, said Dr Ahmed
Bin Ali, Senior Vice President, Corporate                                                      Etisalat worked closely with the Ministry of
Communications,         Etisalat      Group.                                                   Education during the pandemic to provide
                                                                                               zero-rate access to educational URLs and
Dr. Ahmed participated on behalf of Khalifa                                                    free mobile data for students. There was
Al Shamsi, Chief Strategy and Corporate                                                        also free access to the madrasa platform
Governance, Etisalat Group at the ‘The                                                         on eLife and remote learning apps. For the
Telecommunications Sector and its impact                                                       healthcare sector, there was a telemedicine
on Future Foresight Post COVID 19’, a                                                          platform made available to support
virtual future foresight forum organised by                                                    hospitals and clinics in providing remote
UAE’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA)                                                       healthcare services. IoT/AI platforms were
and UAE International Investors Council.                                                       used for disease containment, AI video
The event brought together all relevant                                                        analytics including thermal cameras and
strategic stakeholders from the telecom                                                        wearable IoT solutions were among the
and technology industry including senior                                                       other advance solutions used for the sector.
executives from TRA, Ministry of Interior,
Smart Dubai, Department of Economic                                                            The way forward will be about the
Development       (DED),     Dubai   Future                                                    acceleration of the ‘Hyper Connected
Foundation, Khalifa University, University     during this period making it possible for       Consumer’ with digital life and home gaining
of Dubai, Federal Competitiveness and          businesses to work remotely, millions of        significance. Etisalat conducted a survey
Statistics Authority, Microsoft and Noon.      students to enjoy distance learning and         recently with its business customers to get
                                               all citizens having access to vital services.   an insight on their upcoming priorities. The
He highlighted the readiness and resilience    Through our networks and dedicated              key learning was that the acceleration of
of Etisalat during the pandemic, the main      teams we were geared to fully support           digital transformation is the most significant
focus was to support the entire community      and serve the community showcasing              and common among all customers. This
including business and individuals ensuring    infrastructure preparedness and our ability     can be achieved by filling gaps in digital
its network and services enable business       to adapt and implement during today's           readiness, encouraging the adoption of new
and learning continuity. During the            extraordinary times,” said Dr. Ahmed.           digital solutions, adapting to key industry
period May-Feb 2020, Etisalat’s network                                                        changes, a cloud-first mindset and focus on
witnessed an increase in traffic of more       The country’s long term vision and strategy     cybersecurity to ensure business continuity.
than 300 percent in communication and          focused on digitalisation put it ahead
collaboration solutions whereas in Internet    of other global markets in dealing with         Industries and governments will redesign to
gaming it touched 500 percent. With work       the pandemic situation. This was backed         scale up agility, efficiency and digital ways
and study from home becoming a norm            by global leadership in infrastructure,         of working. 5G technology and network
there was a surge in traffic of more than 90   governance and business environment             will also gain prominence especially with
percent in video streaming and social media.   accompanied with a diversification of the       advanced technologies requiring increased
                                               economy and investments. The country has        bandwidth, connections density and low
“Thanks to the UAE vision and Etisalat's       also led in the adoption of technology with     latency. 5G will enable new experiences and
strategy of ‘Driving the digital future to     the highest mobile broadband subscriptions      use cases based on futuristic technologies
enable societies’, our network joined one      globally crossing 250 percent and internet      like AR, VR and robotics that are critical for
of the most robust and digitally equipped      usage at an individual level reaching           the new digital normal, for both consumers
to address the unique requirements             98.5 percent (5th globally). This was all       and businesses.

14 September 2020
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
DEWA and Huawei reinforce AI and digital transformation                                                                                               The role of 5G in healthcare
with the launch of new network operation center                                                                                                       during COVID-19 and beyond
                                                                                                                                                      Saurabh Verma, Business Head, ICT and
                                                                                                                                                      Gourab Banik, Senior Research Analyst, ICT at Frost & Sullivan

                                                                                                                                                      The highly contagious virus – COVID-19 has        this vast healthcare data volume can be
                                                                                                                                                      spread rapidly across the globe. Measures         analyzed for improving treatment processes
                                                                                                                                                      like lockdown and social distancing were          and also for mitigating future pandemics
                                                                                                                                                      implemented to contain its spread, which          through model-based prediction. Moreover,
                                                                                                                                                      significantly impacted the social and             the healthcare systems are witnessing an
                                                                                                                                                      economic aspects of many countries. It            increasing adoption of sensors and wearable
                                                                                                                                                      massively disrupted the conventional ways of      technologies; aiding remote monitoring
                                                                                                                                                      operations and pushed industries to realign       and reporting of health conditions of
                                                                                                                                                      their strategies and formulate new delivery       infected patients. These advancements
                                                                                                                                                      models for business continuity. Fighting          are    expeditiously      transforming       the
                                                                                                                                                      against the contagion, the healthcare             healthcare sector into a smart and intuitive
                                                                                                                                                      industry has taken the center stage since         ecosystem with more focus on preventing
                                                                                                                                                      the beginning of the outbreak. However,           future pandemic outbreaks. Meanwhile,
                                                                                                                                                      the crisis has revealed several flaws within      introduction of 5G is further revolutionizing
                                                                                                                                                      the existing healthcare systems, especially       the healthcare sector by not only enhancing
*Photo Credits: utilities-me.com                                                                                                                      regarding their preparedness to tackle the        the existing use cases like tele-health but also
                                                                                                                                                      scale of COVID-19’s impact. Almost every          empowering more advanced applications
Together with digital transformation             artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality   are focused on supporting the UAE’s              healthcare facility globally has been exposed     like medical robotics.
partner Huawei, HE Saeed Mohammed Al             (VR).                                               government policies to activate digital          to the problem related to high influx of
Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and                                                           transformation across all industries to boost    patients amid insufficient availability of        Advantage of 5G:
Water Authority (DEWA), has inaugurated          HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said:                    efficiency and support growth," commented        healthcare – infrastructure, services, and
the InfraX Network Operations Center.            “The InfraX Network Operations Centre               Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle         personals. However, a silver lining to the        Improved bandwidth alone is not 5G’s
InfraX—a       wholly-owned         subsidiary   is the result of our strategic partnership          East. “Enabling new industrial applications      ongoing crisis is the accelerated shift towards   only major upgrade over its predecessor
of DEWA—currently owns a secure,                 with Huawei, a global leader in ICT solutions.      that are digital-first will contribute to the    digital transformation of the healthcare          cellular communication network – 4G LTE.
independent, and super-fast fiber optics         This centre supports the directives of His          development of the nation, and encourage         systems with more emphasis on remote              The 5G network also features ultra-reliable
network that meets the smart and the future      Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al              the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT),   care, prevention of future health crisis, and     low latency, high connection density,
applications of the 4th Industrial Revolution.   Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister          artificial intelligence (AI), and smart grid     utilization of innovative technologies.           enhanced security, and power efficiency.
                                                 of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to anticipate        solutions within the UAE."                                                                         With increasing digitalization of healthcare
The ambition behind the Network                  and shape the future. As His Highness                                                                Digital transformation       of   Healthcare      systems and mounting demand for remote
Operations Center is to enhance the smart        once said, “The future is not something             Huawei, one of DEWA’s strategic ICT              systems:                                          and HD-video based medical treatment,
services offered through its large-scale         we wait for, but something we make. We              partners, will use cutting-edge wavelength                                                         data volume has increased rapidly over
optical fiber network, which already provides    look ahead into the future and predict and          division multiplexing (WDM) transmission         Even though technologies like tele-health         the recent past. As a result, it is becoming
local enterprises in energy, transportation,     shape it by being proactive in innovating           technologies to provide comprehensive            have existed for a long time, healthcare          increasingly difficult to seamlessly transfer
education, healthcare, finance, and more,        and employing future technologies to bring          solutions for the transmission networks.         systems relied mostly on conventional             huge amount of healthcare data over
with new avenues through which to                about development and growth, and build                                                              in-person interactions between patients           existing network infrastructures. While 4G
accelerate their digital transformation plans.   a knowledge-based economy.” The Centre              In addition to InfraX, DEWA will continue        and healthcare personals. However, to             network is capable of meeting the basic
                                                 will be a valuable addition to the digital          to work with Huawei to promote a new             comply with the social distancing norms,          data transmission requirements, there
The Network Operations Center will also          infrastructure of the UAE, by using DEWA’s          digital future for Dubai in key areas that       primary medical care has been pushed              is a substantial need for upgrading the            remote healthcare services.
explore the development path for future          fibre-optic network as a secure, reliable, and      align with DEWA’s objectives in the Dubai        towards     technology-powered      remote        network with more bandwidth and reliable
network evolution in Dubai. While enabling       super-fast means of increasing efficiency and       10X initiative, as well as UAE Vision 2021.      options rapidly. Moreover, traditional            connectivity to support the advanced digital       5G use cases in Healthcare:
service-oriented network customization,          performance. These accord with the vision of        The partnership includes a number of future      healthcare systems lacked data analytics          healthcare services. 5G boasts better data
the Network Operations Center will offer         our wise leadership, and the future needs of        projects involving big data management,          and intelligent reporting. Nevertheless,          transfer rates along with reduced latency          5G is playing a significant role in enhancing
enterprises a more flexible and intelligent      the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”                  perimeter and ICT infrastructure security,       improved digitalization trigged by the            facilitating – rapid transfer of large digital     the efficacy of healthcare treatment and
technology-verification platform for new                                                             cybersecurity, and information security,         pandemic is leading to better collection of       healthcare data like diagnostic imaging and        pandemic prevention methods. While
applications dependent on cloud computing,       “Along with our partner, DEWA, we                   among others.                                    patient data. Leveraging big-data analytics;      video files, and real-time communication for       the possibilities are boundless; remote

16 September 2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                September 2020     17
ConnecTechAsia delivering best-in-class virtual experience - How the ICT industry has become a future-defining "Geostrategic Contest"
PM Imran Khan appreciates the support of Huawei
consultation, big-data analytics, VR/AR           in medical robots with hospitals increasingly      the efficacy and efficiency during emergency
applications, medical robotics, infrared          looking to use them for ensuring safety and        medical situations. 5G, along with network
cameras, and connected ambulance are the          reducing the workload of medical personals.        slicing, can provide a dedicated connectivity
key use cases of 5G in healthcare:                Medical robots are capable of undertaking          for critical communication requirements of

Tele-health: The rampant spread of the
virus has overwhelmed the conventional
                                                  routine tasks like cleaning and sanitation,
                                                  supplying food and medicine delivery;
                                                  improving the efficiency and safety of
                                                                                                     connected ambulance. It can also empower
                                                                                                     vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-
                                                                                                     infrastructure (V2I) communication and help
                                                                                                                                                        to realize the objectives of “Digital Pakistan”
healthcare systems globally and accelerated       quarantine facilities. This provides medical       connected ambulances to move through

                                                                                                                                                        Meets high-level delegation of Huawei led by Global SVP Hou Tao
the adoption of remote care or tele-health        staffs with more time in hand to perform           traffic and reach the hospital more efficiently.
services. Tele-health minimized direct            other essential tasks such as tending to
physical contact between patients and             critical cases. In addition, medical robots        Opportunity for telecom operators:
healthcare personals, and provided access of      embedded with sensors and equipment like
medical services especially in remote areas.      cameras can perform several tasks, ranging         5G is accelerating new revenue models              Teletimes Report
Moreover, it helped in remote monitoring          from measuring patient’s body temperature          for operators by driving advancement in
of patients with chronic illness or condition,    to robotic surgical procedures. These              areas like tele-health, healthcare cloud
ensuring they stayed away from hospitals          surgical robots require high computational         computing, and more. It is also empowering
and thus minimizing their chances of              power to process imagery from cameras and          more advanced healthcare applications like
COVID-19 infection. As tele-health services       other sensor data. Moreover, the emerging          robotic surgery and connected ambulance.
especially medical consultation through           cloud robotics technology is enabling the          Moreover, accelerated digital transformation
real time video conferencing and image            maintenance of system intelligence in the          of the sector is providing telecom operators
transmission requires a lot of bandwidth,         cloud and more simplified robotic hardware         with the opportunity to offer services
5G networks is capable of providing a near-       in the ground. The speed and reliability of        beyond connectivity and provide end-to-end
instantaneous data connectivity services.         the exchange of information is crucial for         solutions to healthcare providers. 5G network
The low latency and large connection density      effective operation of cloud robotics. 5G will     leveraging network slicing techniques has
provided by 5G is massively impacting all         play a key enabling role for next generation       the capability to create virtual campus
connected devices in healthcare, facilitating     medical robots to function wirelessly and          networks (VCN). Totally isolated spectrum
seamless interactions and rapid transfer of       provide seamless access to cloud computing.        frequency of 5G VCN is capable of ensuring
diagnostic information.                                                                              maximum device interconnection and also
                                                  Virtual and Augmented reality: Virtual             safeguarding healthcare data by preventing
Thermal imaging: For combating the spread         reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)            unwanted system access. Telecom operators
of the epidemic, it is very important to detect   technologies in the healthcare space are           can also offer guaranteed SLAs and traffic
COVID-19 symptoms such as elevated                mainly used to provide training to medical         prioritization for critical healthcare data over
body temperatures as well as to monitor           workers. These technologies are facilitating       dedicated virtual network resources.
public contact history. In this regard, both      better visualization of patient data, further
governments and industries are increasingly       helping in advanced diagnostics like image-        Conclusion and future outlook:
deploying automated thermal imaging and           guided surgery. Moreover, the growing
temperature monitoring systems in high-           availability of VR/AR headsets and smart           The COVID-19 pandemic is acting as a
footfall areas like hospitals, shopping centers   glasses is accelerating adoption and also          catalyst accelerating the implementation
etc. These systems are powered with high-         opening up new opportunities for VR/AR             of emerging technologies like IoT, big-data,
resolution infrared radiation (IR) cameras        in the healthcare industry. There is a huge        and AI among others in the healthcare
for detecting individuals with elevated           potential for 5G to improve many aspects of        industry. These disruptive technologies have
body temperatures without contact and             VR/AR in healthcare like medical imaging,          been propelled to the next level with the          Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan           Huawei will also provide support in training   operations ensure transparency, speed
generating alarms in real-time. The thermal       where high-speed 5G networks will enable           introduction of 5G network.                        has appreciated the support provided by          university-level students to equip them        of delivery and good governance. Prime
video images generate by these cameras            fast and reliable transport of large data files.                                                      Huawei Technologies Company towards              with the latest ICT skills.                    Minister assured the Huawei delegation to
are transmitted to monitoring centers             Also, low latency of 5G network is ensuring        Post-pandemic, the use of virtual                  realizing the objective of “Digital Pakistan”.                                                  extend full support from the Government
for analysis and processing. 4G networks          robust connectivity for VR/AR based remote         consultation and telemedicine will become          He also assured a high-level delegation          Mr. Hou Tao stated that Huawei supports        towards implementation of ICT solutions in
do not have the capacity to fully support         consultations and patient monitoring               the norm of the industry. 5G will not only         from technology giant Huawei to extend           the vision of the Prime Minister to create     Pakistan.
the requirement of continuous transfer of         services.                                          enhance the existing use cases but will also       full support from the Government towards         a young skillful workforce in the field of
large volumes of HD images generated via                                                             create new ones driving efficacy of healthcare     implementation of ICT solutions in Pakistan.     ICT. Huawei also offered to formulate          Minister for IT & Telecom Syed Amin ul
thermal imaging. Through 5G networks,             Connected ambulance: A connected                   treatment. While critical healthcare                                                                Information Communication Technology           Haque, Advisor on Commerce Mr. Abdul
the data collected by these cameras can be        ambulance facilitates live measurement of          services will continue to demand reliable          This high-level delegation from Huawei           (ICT), White Paper, with the help of           Razaq Dawood, Chairman Board of
transferred seamlessly to central monitoring      patient data through wearables, sensors, and       connections, 5G’s end-to-end ultra-low             led by Mr. Hou Tao, Global Senior Vice           international consultants identifying the      Investment Mr. Atif R. Bukhari, Secretary
centers and also can be uploaded to the cloud     body mounted HD video camera streaming,            latency communications will prove essential        President Huawei Technologies called on          existing ICT systems and suggestions           Ministry of IT & Telecom Mr. Shoaib Ahmad
in real time without any delay. 5G coupled        while transferring the patient to the hospital.    for the provisioning of instant connectivity.      Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on        for    improvements.     Prime     Minister    Siddiqui, Chairman PTA Maj. Gen. (R) Aamir
with artificial intelligence (AI) and big-data    These ambulances are also equipped with            Moreover, increased collaboration between          Tuesday.                                         appreciated the support provided by            Azeem Bajwa and senior officers were
analytics can further improve the accuracy        ultrasound technology for the doctor to            the healthcare providers and mobile                                                                 Huawei towards realizing the objectives        also present during the meeting. Huawei
and efficiency of public temperature              perform scans remotely. Adoption of this           operators will be witnessed going forward          The delegation apprised the Prime Minister       of “Digital Pakistan”. He stated that ICT      delegation was comprised of CEO Huawei
monitoring and crowd movement tracking.           technology can facilitate better coordination      for addressing complex challenges of               that Huawei is dedicated to realizing the        sector holds tremendous potential of           Pakistan Mr. Qiang Meng, Dy. CEO Mr.
                                                  between      paramedics      and       hospital    healthcare systems and further maturing the        ICT initiatives of the Government, and           investment, revenue generation and             Ahmed Bilal Masud, Managing Director Mr.
Robotics: The pandemic has raised interest        emergency department, and thus improve             entire ecosystem.                                  in this regard, Huawei plans to train one        economic development. The Prime Minister       Weijie Gao and Director Public Affairs Mr.
                                                                                                                                                        thousand federal government employees.           emphasized that IT solutions in government     Han Wu.

18 September 2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            September 2020    19
Etisalat supports business
                                                                                                                                                 our commitment to the country’s SMB
                                                                                                                                                 sector,” Esam Mahmoud stresses. “Our
                                                                                                                                                 Video Surveillance as a Service (VSAAS)

continuity initiatives for SMBs
                                                                                                                                                 offers enhanced security and enables them
                                                                                                                                                 to benefit from the power of video and video
                                                                                                                                                 analytics.”

                                                                                                                                                 Customers can choose from four Etisalat Video
                                                                                                                                                 Surveillance (VSAAS) packages, and a one-

Keeping employees safe, connected                                                                                                                time installation will be waived off. VSAAS, a
                                                                                                                                                 comprehensive security surveillance service
                                                                                                                                                 with a business analytics solution, offers

with customers and moving work forward                                                                                                           customers end-to-end managed services,
                                                                                                                                                 security surveillance with analytics, business
                                                                                                                                                 intelligence, upgradeable cloud storage, as
                                                                                                                                                 well as web and mobile access, on a monthly
                                                                                                                                                 subscription model.
Today the SMB sector plays an important                                                        place,” Esam Mahmoud says. “In line with
role in the UAE economy, accounting for 86                                                     government regulations, Etisalat launched
                                                                                                                                                 VSAAS offers heat maps, people-counting, a
percent of the total private sector workforce                                                  a temperature screening solution with
                                                                                                                                                 security system and queue management. It
and more than 60 percent of the country’s                                                      multiple product types and a wide range of
                                                                                                                                                 covers all CCTV requirements, ranging from
current GDP.                                                                                   applications that would make temperature
                                                                                                                                                 supply to installation, testing, commissioning
                                                                                               measurement and screening effortless during
                                                                                                                                                 and maintenance. It provides cameras,
Etisalat serves close to 300,000 SMB customers                                                 these challenging times.”
                                                                                                                                                 network video recorders with local storage,
in the country, working closely with them
                                                                                                                                                 cloud video management with analytics,
in their digital transformation journey.                                                       The thermal camera solution is designed to
                                                                                                                                                 web access, a mobile app, and basic seven-
The relevance of digital innovation and                                                        detect skin-surface temperatures to achieve
                                                                                                                                                 day cloud backup as default for continuous
capabilities have gained significance in                                                       rapid and safe preliminary screening in public
                                                                                                                                                 streaming.
today’s unprecedented times. As businesses                                                     areas with high efficiency in a multitude of
navigate through the challenges posed by                                                       scenarios. Thermal technology has been
                                                                                                                                                 Connectivity is key
the pandemic, Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice                                                        applied widely in temperature screening
President, Small and Medium Business,                                                          scenarios as it offers more flexibility and
                                                                                                                                                 As a provider of vital infrastructure, Etisalat is
Etisalat shares his insights on the unique                                                     efficiency in preliminary screening of elevated
                                                                                                                                                 committed to keeping its valuable customers,
challenges faced by small and medium                                                           skin-surface temperatures. AI technology
                                                                                                                                                 employees and society fully connected now
businesses (SMBs) in the UAE and what the                                                      ensures thermographic cameras only detect
                                                                                                                                                 more than ever before.
telco is doing to continuously support them                                                    human skin-surface temperature to reduce
and facilitate business continuity during these                                                false alarms of other heat sources.
                                                                                                                                                 “To support the unprecedented demand
unprecedented times.
                                                                                                                                                 for connectivity and help businesses stay
                                                                                               Etisalat’s proposition comes with five options,
                                                                                                                                                 connected, we have come up with a wide
“Today’s rapidly evolving situation poses                                                      four different cameras and installment plans
                                                                                                                                                 range of device bundles along with access
unique challenges for everyone, and we                                                         of up to 36 months.
                                                                                                                                                 to Etisalat's unified communication and
understand that businesses are doing               Keeping business establishments safe                                                          collaboration platform CloudTalk Meeting,”
everything to ensure the safety of their                                                       State-of-the-art onsite video surveillance                                                             and minimise face-to-face interactions,” Esam     of challenges of keeping employees safe,
                                                                                                                                                 he says.
employees while managing business                  “With the gradual opening of businesses,    technology                                                                                             Mahmoud explains.                                 connecting with customers, and moving work
continuity,” says Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice        safety measures, thermal scanners and                                                                                                                                                                forward.
                                                                                                                                                 Etisalat’s Business First Plus postpaid plan
President, Small and Medium Businesses at          social distancing procedures should be in   “Etisalat’s mantra ‘together matters’ reflects                                                         Etisalat is providing an E-shop service bundled
                                                                                                                                                 enables business customers to carryforward
Etisalat.                                                                                                                                                                                             with a managed web solution for new and           Etisalat provides SMB customers access to a
                                                                                                                                                 their unused minutes to the next month and

                                                   Etisalat serves close to
                                                                                                                                                 enjoy the unused minutes with three months           existing subscribers to transform businesses      Microsoft 365 Business Basic package, as low
“At Etisalat, it is our constant endeavor to                                                                                                                                                          online and enable them to engage with their       as AED 19 a month. The package allows up to
                                                                                                                                                 validity. Plans start from AED110 with carry
ensure we support our SMB customers with                                                                                                                                                              clients via Google My Business and Google         300 users and includes Online Office apps, a
                                                                                                                                                 forward and the Business Xtreme plan with

                                                   300,000 SMB customers in
their business needs and make every effort to                                                                                                                                                         Maps listing, website listing, website pages      50GB mailbox, a 1TB OneDrive storage, and
                                                                                                                                                 unlimited local calling and double data offer
simplify their lives even during these difficult                                                                                                                                                      and E-shop starting from AED 160 per month.       Microsoft Teams, helps businesses accomplish
                                                                                                                                                 provides 54GB data every month for 12
times.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 more and faster with simple file-sharing, real-
                                                                                                                                                 months starting at only AED 325.
These initiatives, he adds, are in line with
the UAE’s efforts to ensure public health and
                                                   the country, working closely                                                                  Transforming businesses online                       Enabling SMBs and their employees to stay
                                                                                                                                                                                                      connected and productive
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        time co-authoring, and online meetings – all
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        accessible anywhere. Teams can collaborate in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        real-time with professional e-mail, persistent
safety and are based on SMB requirements
for virtual meetings, cloud video surveillance
and analytics, data, monthly usage of voice
                                                   with them in their digital                                                                    “We have been laser-focused on providing
                                                                                                                                                 tools and features to support SMBs confronted        With some organisations beginning to reopen
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        chat, online storage and video conferencing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        tools that are always up to date and keep their

                                                   transformation journey.
                                                                                                                                                 with a very challenging retail environment           and others remaining fully remote, small and      data safe. In addition, there will be live support
minutes, device purchases, and postpaid                                                                                                                                                               medium-sized businesses face a unique set         from experts during the contract period.
                                                                                                                                                 where clients tend to restrict their movements
plans.

20 September 2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                September 2020       21
stc announces deployment of 5G stand-alone                                                                                                               Microsoft report: 16% of Saudi
                                               As the first in the region to achieve this
                                               remarkable milestone, stc has announced
                                                                                                   these 5G developments, stc will be able to
                                                                                                   build a powerful and secure digital ecosystem,
                                                                                                                                                         institutions consider AI a top priority
                                               the first deployment of 5G SA and “5G Voice         where enterprises and consumers can benefit
                                               over New Radio” service in live network. This       from more innovative services tailored to their
                                                                                                                                                         stc Academy announced the winners of the
                                               technologically innovative accomplishment           exact needs. Always available and highest
                                                                                                                                                         AIDEA Competition for Artificial Intelligence
                                               will enable stc to deploy enhanced data and         quality voice and video calls are the foundation
                                                                                                                                                         (AI) which was held in cooperation with
                                               voice services over an agile, cloud-native, next-   of the contemporary telecom ethos.
                                                                                                                                                         Microsoft Arabia to develop the AI skills of
                                               generation end-to-end 5G network.
                                                                                                                                                         business directors at stc and enable them
                                                                                                   Eng. Haithem Alfaraj, SVP, Technology and
                                                                                                                                                         to generate innovative ideas to enhance the
                                               The 5G SA core network is an outright               Operations, stc, said: “New 5G services
                                                                                                                                                         efficiency of the telecommunication sector.
                                               paradigm shift in the way the world looks at        will continue to be top priorities for our
                                                                                                                                                         The participants of AlDEA Competition
                                               networks. It provides the ability to not only       customers. We are very proud of our continued
                                                                                                                                                         received the necessary guidance to help
                                               provide very high data throughput but also          technological push to reinforce stc’s leading
                                                                                                                                                         them expand their horizons and prototype
                                               ultra-low latency, along with highest possible      position in the region. We believe this is just the
                                                                                                                                                         their ideas through business simulations.
                                               service availability.                               beginning of stc’s digital service innovation.
                                                                                                   stc is determined to bring to market the most
                                                                                                                                                         At the end of the virtual event, participants
                                               Additionally, stc's 5G SA core network platform     advanced technologies and solutions, to deliver
                                                                                                                                                         were presented with an "AI Maturity Report"
                                               is a truly cloud-native and containerized /         total digital transformation. Every technology
                                                                                                                                                         conducted in partnership between Microsoft
                                               micro-service based architecture.                   and service innovation we accomplish comes
                                                                                                                                                         and EY. This report highlights trends of AI
                                                                                                   with the high objective of offering the best
                                                                                                                                                         adoption across different industries and
                                               At the same time, the true 5G enabled Voice         quality services to our valued customers. The
                                                                                                                                                         organizations in the KSA.
                                               Service (VoNR) is the latest evolution of voice     launch of 5G SA network and 5G VoNR service
                                               call solution that offers 5G users true High        is a real life translation of our DARE strategy,
                                                                                                                                                         One of the many findings in this report is
                                               Definition “HD” Voice and Video calls on a          stc’s digital transformation aspirations and
                                                                                                                                                         that there are still 21% of organizations
                                               5G (SA) network, without the need for the           in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s
                                                                                                                                                         in Saudi Arabia that have not yet
                                               classical fall-back to a 4G LTE network. With       National Vision 2030.”                                                                                 Along with this, Microsoft Arabia supported        according to the criteria of the SEEPDEST,
                                                                                                                                                         formalized AI as a digital priority. As
                                                                                                                                                         opposed to this, there is 16% who see AI         and guided the stc Academy’s team in               while having the largest and most reliable
                                                                                                                                                         as THE most important digital priority.          scoring and evaluating the submitted ideas.        network in the Kingdom”. He added.

stc launches a new permanent telecommuting policy                                                                                                        Microsoft Arabia enabled and supported
                                                                                                                                                         the competitors by engaging several of
                                                                                                                                                         its resources consisting of top-class AI
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Stc Group CEO,            Nasser S. Alnasser,
                                                                                                                                                                                                          commended this fruitful cooperation with
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Microsoft Arabia, seeing as building digital
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Moreover, President of Microsoft Arabia
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Eng. Thamer Alharbi highlighted the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             importance of the competition in raising
                                                                                                                                                         engineers, data scientists and data architects   skills, especially AI skills, of stc employees     AI awareness and adoption in stc and their
                                                                                                                                                         throughout the competition over 5 months,        is part of the company's commitment and            joint efforts to achieve that. He noted that
stc has announced the adoption of a            stc Group CEO, Eng. Nasser Sulaiman Al              and creates a healthier work-life balance.            coaching and mentoring the participants          strategy. “stc' is leading and investing heavily   Microsoft’s vision towards innovation and
policy that aims to expand telecommuting       Nasser, confirmed that the company will             This helps increase job satisfaction and              including senior business directors across       in the 5G which artificial intelligence services   digital transformation with AI is aligned with
to include all employees whose work            continue its strategy to promote digital            facilitates acquiring talented professionals          several business units of stc, right from        depend mainly, and company recently won            stc's and they believe stc is leading from
functions do not require their attendance      transformation in line with the objectives of       from anywhere in the Kingdom without                  initial ideation to refinement, presentation     the award for the fastest 5G mobile network        the front towards the Kingdom’s Vision
at the company's headquarters, noting that     the Kingdom's Vision 2030, noting that stc's        being limited to the geographical area.               and eventual submission of their AI ideas.       for the second quarter of this year 2020           2030 with their push and adoption for AI.
the telecommuting policy was launched          strategic direction to digitize its business
about three years ago as part of the           early on proved successful. stc continued           Earlier, several major global companies
company's "DARE" strategy to promote           to provide 100% of its services through my          announced that they had allowed their
digital transformation and create a unique
employee experience and work environment.
                                               stc digital platform including device sales
                                               and delivery services to homes, despite the
                                                                                                   employees to work remotely, such as Google,
                                                                                                   Twitter, and Facebook, making stc one of              Saudi Arabia becomes the 5th fastest mobile internet network worldwide
                                               tenfold increase in demand for its services.        the first companies to adopt telecommuting
In 2017, stc introduced telecommuting as                                                           in the region. stc today is one of the world's
one of the benefits it offers its employees,   Given the positive figures regarding                prominent digital companies.                          Saudi Arabia has jumped five places              for the fastest 5G mobile network during           speeds in the world, is a testament of stc's
allowing them to work remotely 3 days          employee      productivity   during      the                                                              globally in terms of mobile internet speed,      Q2 2020. Stc has also won, for the 4th             commitment to offer the best services
per month, to foster greater flexibility in    implementation of the telecommuting policy          The company ranks among the top 50 digital            ranking 5th worldwide with a speed of 71.73      consecutive year, the award for the fastest        to its customers in the Kingdom, elevate
terms of business processes and encourage      during the coronavirus pandemic, stc decided        companies in the world and the first in the           MB/s as announced by Speedtest website,          mobile network speed, and the award for            community services in the Kingdom, and
reliance on digital solutions. This played a   to expand this policy to include a larger           Middle East according to Forbes' rankings.            specialized in measuring internet speeds         the best mobile coverage provided by a             offer a perfect customer experience, as
major role in preparing all the company’s      percentage of employees, allowing them to           Moreover, Forbes has declared stc as the              around the world. Ookla company, the             telecommunication company in the KSA.              well as its commitment to its central role in
employees to work remotely and                 work remotely permanently, which increases          most powerful telecommunication company               owner of Speedtest website, has already          Winning these awards which are offered             enabling digital transformation following
effectively respond to the COVID-19 crisis.    work flexibility, enhances productivity,            in the Middle East.                                   announced that stc has won the award             by the top platform for measuring internet         Saudi Vision 2030.

22 September 2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   September 2020     23
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