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Goes Live in Myanmar

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CorrespondentsDubai Khawar Nehal Masood KahoutLondon Basim AsherIstanbul Yasemin Saygi Jeddah Akram AsadAbu Dhabi Bashir AnjumMelbourne Javeria HashmatCasablanca Dr. Khadija Arabany

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Chief Editor Khalid AtharExecutive Editor Raheela AnjumAssociate Editors Gulraiz Khalid, Jassem Hariri, QutubuddinSub Editors Farwa Al Khayal, Awais HanifSenior Reporter Nasir Mahmood KharlDirector Sales (MEA) Valencio D’souza

Vol: 09 Issue: 08 August 2014 ABC Certified

9th year of publication

July 20144 www.teletimesinternational.com

In this edition

24 AsiaSat8successfullyliftsoff27 IBC 2014 marks the European launch of Newtec Dialog28 Divona picks Eutelsat to pursue its development in Algeria28 Leonard Wapler appointed CFO of Eutelsat Americas 29 Eutelsat ties up procurement and launch contracts forEUTELSAT172BAsia-PacificSatellite30 MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat strike new multi-transponder agreement30 Eutelsat America eligible to provide Hosted Payload Services to Government31 30,000 global customers on board for YahSat satellite broadband service31 Globalstar equips FindMySheep with 12,000 transmitters for satellite-based M2M animal tracking33 ABS expands its operations in Johannesburg, South Africa33 Garmin calling on buyers in Southern Africa34 Boeing to build Intelsat 35e High-throughput Satellite34 Arabsat selects GMV for monitoring34 Satellite Pay TV channels aired 41 new Arabic series during Ramadan 201435 PGNL chooses MEASAT for International distribution35 Steering the next wave of connected vehicles36 SES jumps on Electric-propulsion Bandwagon with Latest Satellite Order37 Inmarsat:TheLondonfirmleadingtheraceintoouterspace39 MSTelcom extends agreement with Intelsat to expand satellite broadband services in Angola39 Orange Niger expands relationship with Intelsat40 Speedcast listed on the Australian Stock Exchange40 Telstra launches new low latency service from Australian Liquidity Center to Aurora Data Center41 Iridium Communications—The next steps for product debuts

Satellite Communications

19 CFOs can move the needle on cyber security20 Will the National Telcos safeguard the Nation’s Cyberborders?21 Middle East Cyber Security Market worth $9.56 billion by 201921 Software piracy in Africa: 3 companies found guilty22 Defending the digital frontier46 Grand Bazar

Internet & Cyber Security

8 Asia continues to lead the Global LTE Market9 GSMAannouncesfirstspeakersforMobile360Series11 Ooredoo Goes Live In Myanmar23 Dubai’s foreign trade in mobile phones grows 126% in Q149 Riding the Mobile Ticketing Wave - Arthur D. Little59 Using 3G and 4G in Pakistan

Special Reports

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Telecom / ICT News & Reports

10 Myanmar’s under-developed telecoms market is set to become the world’s fastest-growing12 Enabling Technologies for a Smart Nation stole the limelight at CommunicAsia2014, EnterpriseIT2014 and BroadcastAsia201415 AhmadJulfar-thehighestpaidofficialintheUAE16 Etisalat to provide mobile billing for Samsung Galaxy Apps purchases16 Etisalatlaunchesregion’sfirstSmartphoneProtectionPlans17 UAETRApublishesfifthAnnualSectorReview17 Etisalat expands data roaming to 106 countries and 248 operators18 TRA and Tanmia sign MOU to promote the role of Emirati talents in developing the UAE ICT sector18 TRA warns public of scam calls by those falsely claiming to be authorized UAE service providers43 duannouncesfirst-in-the-regionVoLTEtechnology,talkandbrowse the Internet simultaneously at blazingly-fast 4G LTE speeds43 Lucky winner from South Africa becomes a summer millionaire after winning with du’s promotion! 44 Zain Group selects ‘ResponseTek’ to power customer experience program across 8 countries 44 Prince Faisal Bin Khaled honors Mobily for Abha Festival Sponsorship 52 Ovum & Informa Telecoms & Media Research complete merger53 JeffreyHedbergappointedasCEOofMobilink55 Vodafone Egypt chooses Ericsson to enhance network quality in Greater Cairo55 Smartphone shipments reached over 290 million in Q2 2014: Juniper Research57 HKTreportssolidinterimfinancialresults57 PCCWreportshealthyinterimfinancialresults58 Prysmian, contract worth 95M Euros for the connection of the Cyclades Islands to the Mainland, in Greece60 Indian Government plans Telecom Finance Corporation by 201760 SingTeloffersinstantfundtransferstoIndonesiabankaccountsviamobile61 Warid Telecom and Bank Alfalah formally launch “Mobile Paisa”

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Welcome to the latest edition of Teletimes International.With the month of August, we have some really exciting news regarding the industry all around the region. After o3b’s successful launch of the next 4 satellites, the Interactive Group will be formally starting its operations on utilizing the services around the South Asian region. Meanwhile, Asiasat has also successfully launched Asiasat 8 which will strengthen Asiasat’s dominance in terms of DTH television, private networks and broadband services alongside the Asiasat 7 satellite, you will find a detailed report inside on the subject.Coming over to Telecommunications, Ooredoo has gone live in Myanmar with a fabulous set of telecom services available for the people in Myanmar. You will find a special report in this edition about how Ooredoo’s under-developed telecoms market is set to become one of the fastest growing in the world. Furthermore, you will also find a very interesting report titled “Asia continues to lead the Global LTE Market”. Moving

on, in a huge leap forward, du has recently announced the first-in-the-region VoLTE technology which will allow users to talk and browse the Internet simultaneously at 4G speeds.The advent of mobile ticketing services provides new challenges and opportunities for transport operators, In that viewpoint, Arthur D. Little highlights five key questions transport operators need to answer to maximize the benefits of mobile ticketing in its report “Riding the Mobile Ticketing Wave” which is available for your interest inside. As per routine, you will find the latest news and updates on all major players in the region including news about Etisalat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Orange Niger, SES, Arabsat, SpeedCast, ABS, IBC, GSMA, Zain Group, Ovum, Telstra, Vodafone, PCCW, Singtel, Warid Telecom, TRA, Informa, Mobilink and more.Please enjoy reading this edition of Teletimes International! Your feedback is welcome at [email protected] and [email protected]

August 20148 www.teletimesinternational.com

As advanced countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia continue to make strides in rolling out LTE to optimise their voice, video, messaging and Data services, Asia is undoubtedly leading the LTE evolution. With the number of users of next-generation LTE technology in the region forecast to surpass 120 million by 2015, Asia is one of the most dominant LTE markets, compared to its global counterparts. This provides the backdrop for LTE Asia 2014 (23-25 September) which will bring together the ecosystem to discuss the technologies driving the region’s success, including network optimisation, unified communications, TD-LTE, hetnets, enhanced services and 5G.Now in its ninth year, LTE Asia will take place in Singapore, one of the world’s leading countries for smart technology penetration and one of the first few countries to implement a regulatory framework for unlicensed access to unused radio spectrum. As a global leader in technology adoption Singapore is the perfect platform for the conference and exhibition which is supported by Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and major regional operators, including SingTel and SK Telecom. Aileen Chia, Deputy Director General (Telecoms and Post) at the IDA will welcome delegates on Day One by providing an overview of LTE in Singapore, followed by Kuan Moon Yuen, CEO Consumer Singapore at

SingTel and Jin-Hyo Park, SVP, Head of Network R&D Center, SK Telecom.The conference boasts a comprehensive agenda delivered through a number of new tracks aimed at the advanced and emerging markets within the densely and scarcely populated

areas in Asia. With 5G rollouts being planned for the region, this year’s event will include the 5G Asia Summit, which is endorsed by the 5GIC (5G Innovation Center) at the University of Surrey, and operators and content providers and is designed to explore 5G and its opportunities and challenges. For emerging markets, such as India, Bangladesh, Fiji and

the Philippines, discussions will focus on developing the network within the LTE Evolution track on Day One as well as learning about monetising and pricing services in the Monetising LTE track. With a stellar speaker line-up from across Asia, the two-day event promises insightful

case study presentations and interactive debates led by over 175 visionary speakers, including Ahsan Aziz Khan, EVP BSS & ESS Application, PTCL; Herfini Haryono, CTO, Indosat, Indonesia; Sun Tae Kim, Director of SD, EVP, LG U+, South Korea; Qiu Heng, VP of Huawei TDD product line; Francisco Claravall, VP, IT-Enabled Products & Services, Globe Telecom, Philippines;

Muhammad Firdaus, Abdul Monir, General Manager of Network Architecture, Telekom Malaysia; and Ashwin Jaiswal, Head - IT Business Consulting, Reliance Communication, India.We put forward the question, “What is the key aspect of the LTE Asia conference you are most looking forward to,” to some of this year’s event supporters:“As a member of the steering committee of the GTI, I will continue to encourage the convergence of FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE. I am focusing in assisting TDD spectrum holders to find suitable business models that enable them to deploy TD-LTE and be part of the 4G LTE success story. Some of these initiatives are in promoting dual-SIM, dual-radio mobile devices, aligning the WiMAX Standard roadmap with TD-LTE advanced and educating the financial investor community on the hidden values of TDD spectrum assets.” - Pen San Tang, Founding Director, Packet One, on the GTI Steering Committee.“LTE Asia is a great opportunity to mingle, interact and share with so many industry experts around. More than 1,000 attendees, 175+ speakers, exhibitors and networking sessions provide the ideal platform for that. I particularly like the idea of the Operator Mindshare, which will enable informal discussions of industry issues where we can learn from each other’s experiences. I am looking forward to this event and very excited to be part of

Contd. on P-58

Asia continues to lead the Global LTE Market

Kuan Moon Yuen, CEO Consumer Singapore-Singtel

Ahsan Aziz Khan, EVP-PTCL Jin-Hyo Park, SVP-SK Telecom


GSMA announces first speakersfor Mobile 360 Series - North America

AT&T Joins as Platinum Sponsor for Inaugural Event; Third Annual Global GSMA Connected Women Conference to be held in conjunction with Mobile 360 Series

The GSMA has announced the first keynote speakers for the Mobile 360 Series-North America conference, including leaders from organisations such as AirWatch by VMware, AT&T, the FCC, Jasper Wireless, Syniverse and ZTE. Mobile 360-North America will take place 22-23 September at the W Atlanta – Midtown in Atlanta and will be co-located with Mobility LIVE! 2014. The GSMA has also announced AT&T as the Platinum sponsor for the conference.“Mobile 360-North America will examine the foundations for growth and innovation in the mobile industry and specifically look at topics such as digital commerce and con-nected living through sessions focusing on mobile broadband, smart cities and consumer be-haviour,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “North America is home to many mobile-centric companies and we are looking forward to celebrating this dynamic and diverse market through a great leadership agenda supported by C-level speakers from across the growing mobile ecosys-tem.”At Mobile 360-North America, CEOs and senior executives from leading mobile companies will address the most pressing trends and issues in mobile through a series of vision-ary keynote presentations, thought-provoking interviews and interactive panel sessions. The opening keynote, “State of the Industry: Growth Strategies

in a Forward Focused Market”, will offer a strategic perspec-tive on the challenges and opportunities facing the mobile industry today. There will be additional keynotes delving into subjects such as “LTE: Creating New Opportunities for Innovation”, “Connected Living – Connecting Opportunities” and “Creating the Smart City”.Keynote speakers confirmed to present at Mobile 360-North America include:• Alan Dabbiere, Chairman and Founder, AirWatch by VMware• Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility• Jessica Rosenworcel, Com-missioner, FCC• Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA• Jahangir Mohammed, Founder and CEO, Jasper Wireless• Mary Clark, CMO, Syniverse• Lixin Cheng, CEO, ZTE USAIn addition to the keynote programme, the conference will include focused sessions on topics including the latest trends and innovations in mobile retail; the mobile wallet landscape; the role of mobile in industry sectors such as automotive, education and healthcare; and creating and sustaining the smart city. The programme will feature a ses-sion on the future of innova-tion, in which mobile entrepre-neurs will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of investors and the Mobile 360-North America audience. The full conference agenda is available

Anne Bouverot Director General - GSMA

Mary Clark CMO - Syniverse

Jessica Rosenworcel Commissioner, FCC

Alan DabbiereChairman & Founder-AirWatch

Ralph de la Vega President & CEO-AT&T Mobility

Jahangir Mohammed, Founder & CEO-Jasper Wireless


Myanmar’s under-developed telecoms market is set to become the world’s fastest-growing

Ovum forecasts 29.3% CAGR in mobile subscriptions from end-2013 to end-2019

Myanmar, the world’s largest country with a mobile-operator monopoly, has launched its first privately-owned mobile network in august 2014. The entry of private player Ooredoo will see a rapid growth in mobile subscriptions and revenue in the country. According to Ovum’s latest research, Myanmar’s mobile subscriptions will grow at 29.3% CAGR to 32.3 million at end-2019. Mobile revenue will grow at a similarly rapid rate as a result of the new competition. Ovum forecasts that this will reach $1.2bn in 2019, up from $691m in 2013.Ooredoo mobile SIM cards were soft-launched at retail shops this week, while the operator is expected to make an official announcement about the launch this weekend. At launch, Ooredoo Myanmar will be offering 3G+ services, which include both voice and mobile broadband, in urban areas around Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, and Yangon.

Ovum expects that Ooredoo will be offering 3G (HSPA+) SIMs at a competitive price of MMK1500 ($1.50), which is same as committed to by the other licensee Telenor. In terms of pricing of voice services, Ooredoo is expected to charge on-net calls at less than MMK35 per minute, while off-net calls will cost below MMK45 per minute. Decades of military dictatorship crippled Myanmar’s telecoms sector and mobile access was restricted to a handful of elite groups in power. The state-owned operator, MPT, monopolized the sector and the junta imposed extremely stringent controls on SIM cards, pushing prices as high as $4,500 in 2011. Since April 2013, the quasi-civilian government via MPT has stopped selling SIMs in the open market and instead offers 350,000 SIMs per month across the country through a lottery system. The SIM cards are priced at ~$1.50 under the lottery.

However, many of these SIM cards end up in the black market and cost anywhere between $80 and $130. As a result, Myanmar’s mobile penetration grew to just 12.3% at end-2013, which is still considerably low – given a 60 million strong population.Now Ooredoo’s launch is set to change not just Myanmar’s telecoms market, but also the country. “A properly functioning telecoms network will spur innovation in other critical industries – such as education, healthcare and finance – and contribute to overall socioeconomic development,” says Vivek Roy, Research Analyst in Ovum’s Asia Pacific Research Practice.Ooredoo plans to invest $15bn in the next 15 years and roll out almost 1,000 3G base stations to cover 30% to 40% of Myanmar’s population in 2014. In the next five years, Ooredoo aims to offer voice and data services to 97% of the population. NSN is the network partner of Ooredoo

in Myanmar.But the first phase of Ooredoo’s network launch is just the beginning for both Ooredoo and Myanmar. “Ooredoo will need to begin partnering with more tower companies and backhaul infrastructure providers as it tries to expand network in rural parts of Myanmar,” says Roy. “This will require more capex, planning, and patience. Interestingly, the biggest city has just over five million people and 75% of the population lives in rural areas,” he says.Myanmar’s market is about to embark on a whole new phase of rapid development. For the rest of the year and into next, competition among the new entrants and the state-owned operator MPT will only reduce SIM prices further, making mobile communication within the reach of the low-income population. To make mobile devices affordable to the public will be the next task in hand for these operators.

Source: Ovum


Ooredoo Goes Live In MyanmarOoredoo, the mobile telecom operator bringing high definition (HD) voice calls and fast internet for all in Myanmar has an-nounced the availability of its crystal clear voice calls and fast internet services in three of Myanmar’s major cities, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon, as part of final preparations for commercial launch later this month.Initially Ooredoo will provide a bundle of life-enriching services free of charge in a kick off promotion. This is the first time

that telecommunications services have been so readily accessible for the nation’s people. In another first not only for Myanmar but globally, Ooredoo is rolling out a next generation, purely UMTS900

network, some of the most advanced 3G technology in the world which also future-proofs the network being built. The benefits of this technology include a stronger signal, crystal clear sound and fast internet. As Ooredoo works towards commercial launch, coverage will rapidly extend beyond these three main cities to include 68 cities and towns by 15 August. The

company is quickly striving to connect as many people as possible, enabling them to experience life-enriching and afford-able services first-hand. To participate customers need to register and purchase a SIM card for US$1.50 (1,500kyats(ks)). SIM cards are readily available from one of Ooredoo’s 6,500 dealers.Dr Nasser Marafih, Group CEO Ooredoo said: “During the past year Ooredoo has set out to break down all the barriers that have limited the Myanmar people’s access

to the best quality voice and fastest inter-net experience. Our aim is to support the Myanmar people and help them achieve their vast potential. We believe the ser-vices we provide will be transformational

and have the ability to bring change to every aspect of our customer’s lives, from education, to healthcare, in traditional sec-tors like agriculture as well as driving mod-ern-day ICT development and innovation. As a Group we are passionate about the ability of our technology to enable human growth, particularly in nations aspiring for a better, more connected future, and no-where is this more true than in Myanmar.”

Ross Cormack, CEO Ooredoo Myanmar commented: “We are so excited to have met our commitment to bring mobile telecommunications to the people of Myanmar, edging us ever closer to being able to serve the nation’s huge demand for mobile technology. As we undertake final preparations for launch and optimise the network we would like to extend an invitation to those living in Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon to try out our next-generation technology, hence our offer of free services during this time. By August 15th we will deliver high definition voice calls, stronger signal and fast inter-net everywhere we have coverage. We are working hard to deliver our services to as many people as possible and ensure ready availability of SIMs and affordable compatible devices. We are confident that the feedback from our new customers will assist us greatly in enhancing our network in time for our commercial launch.” Upon commercial launch Ooredoo will re-lease further details regarding the variety of life-enriching services that will be avail-able to its customers. These will include initiatives that serve the nation’s high demand for education, application’s that help improve maternal healthcare, solu-tions that help the country’s unbanked and technology that improves the productivity of the nation’s large agriculture sector.Ooredoo, the mobile telecom operator bringing high definition voice calls and fast internet for all [in Myanmar], announced the availability of its life-enriching ser-vices in August 2014. In June 2013 Oore-doo Myanmar was awarded a licence to operate in the country. The past twelve months have been spent laying the foun-dations for Ooredoo to become an integral part of daily life in Myanmar. Ooredoo Myanmar offers a wide range of life-en-riching, exciting and customer-friendly mobile communication services through its next generation network. These services provide a platform for human growth and empowerment and are designed to help people achieve their full potential and busi-nesses operate more efficiently.

Ross CormackCEO-Ooredoo Myanmar

Dr.NasserMarafihGroup CEO-Ooredoo

As Ooredoo works towards commercial launch, coverage will rapidly extend beyond three main cities to include 68 cities and towns

CommunicAsia2014, EnterpriseIT2014 and BroadcastAsia2014 Asia’s most established ICT, broadcast and digital multimedia trade events took attendees on a revolutionary journey with the most hi-tech technologies that will power the future in a smarter and more connected living environment, while also providing a glimpse into the latest state-of-the-art solutions in digital entertainment. The more than 50,000 attendees at the four-day event at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, set the stage for meaningful interaction with the world’s leading ICT and broadcasting companies as well as technology upstarts. They also experienced the newest technology launches and heard the latest business announcements from nearly 2,000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries/regions across the world. The shows’

three conferences drew more than 1,300 attendees, with industry luminaries sharing with delegates their views on hot and trending topics. “We are extremely pleased with the buzz this year’s shows have generated. By bringing together industry leaders in connected services and digital entertainment, we were able to offer our attendees a truly immersive experience to enable them to adopt the most relevant and effective technological choices for their businesses. The end-to-end spectrum at CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia showcased government frameworks, technological breakthroughs and commercial applications, all under one roof. This is what attracts our conference speakers and delegates, exhibitors, visitors and press to our shows every year,” says Mr. Stephen Tan, Chief Executive of show

organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services. Smart Technologies, Internet of Things and Mobile Services Topped CommunicAsia2014 and EnterpriseIT2014Visitors were excited to try out the smart home security systems, smart bed, smart T-shirt and smart plates and forks that were powered by RFID, sensors and the Internet of Things. Mobile payments solutions from companies like Nexperts, Poket and Unitronic demonstrated innovations in mobile wallets payment. A wearable fitness tracker from Oaxis, a home mobile diagnostic kit from BioSenze and a remote child speech pathology solution from NICTA also made a splash, generating several business enquiries for the companies. CommunicAsia2014 and EnterpriseIT2014 provided a launch platform for several other exciting new products including Huawei’s thinnest

flagship Ascend P7 smartphone; RugGear’s rugged smartphones, Mariner Pro RG100 and iSafe Innovation 2 for use in harsh environments; and Conax showcased its entry-level OTT Access solution and Conax Go Live solution for live streaming of TV content to mobile devices. “CommunicAsia is a fantastic place for us to meet key players in the region and show the full range of innovations that service providers and consumers expect from Technicolor. We put a strong emphasis on middleware, Wi-Fi, smart life solutions, 4K Ultra HD, that can greatly enhance the home experience for the viewer by delivering value-added services. We also showcased new applications built on our Qeo open source solution for connecting a multitude of devices to the Internet of Things; a future that is unfolding for the consumer today,” said Mr. Michel Rahier,


Enabling Technologies for a Smart Nation stole the limelight at CommunicAsia2014, EnterpriseIT2014 and BroadcastAsia2014

Teletimes Report


President Connected Home, Technicolor.Mr. Steve Christian, Vice President Marketing, Verimatrix who has been exhibiting at the shows for more than five years said, “CommunicAsia is the best option as a regional hub for us to reach out to customers and partners across APAC. It enables us to execute three of our business objectives most efficiently: customer deployments, partner relationships and new products showcase. We are very pleased with the number of meetings we had”.Other leading companies in the CommunicAsia and EnterpriseIT showcase included Airwatch, Dell, Ericsson, GlobeCast, Huawei, Irdeto, Panasonic Toughbook, Sennheiser Electronic Asia, SingTel Satellite, ST Electronics, Tata Communications, Tektronix, Toshiba and more.The Myanmar Connect event received an encouraging response from visitors interested in learning more about investing in the country’s newly-opened telecoms sector from Myanmar’s ICT flagship company RedLink Communications as well as Singapore legal eagle Rajah & Tann’s Myanmar practice

experts. New Business Deals and Solutions in the Satellite IndustryOn the back of several recent industry developments, Asia’s largest gathering of more than 160 satellite players at CommunicAsia2014 made significant announcements and led the industry discussion. NovelSat’s new NS3-based enhanced and secure satellite transmission solutions, Thaicom’s inflight Wi-Fi deal with NOK Air, and Eutelsat’s partnership with Singapore’s ST Teleport’s earth station to provide a new gateway that brings faster and more scalable

connections for data, maritime, media and entertainment sectors - are some of the key developments that unfolded at CommunicAsia2014. Commenting on the show, Mr. Deepak Mathur, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Asia-Pacific & Middle East, SES said, “We have exhibited at CommunicAsia for more than a decade, and it has remained a fixture for SES because it brings together our customers and partners from across the region in a single location. CommunicAsia gives us the opportunity to do what we do best – that is to grow with our customers by listening to them

and addressing their specific needs with the power of satellite communications.” “CommunicAsia is a fabulous trade show that has all the products and services I need under one roof. It enables to keep up with the trending technologies and connects me with the industry,” said Mr. Henry Pang, Vice President of Information Technology, Star Cruise Pte Ltd, Singapore.“CommunicAsia has been the top ICT trade show which I always make the effort to attend. Over the years, the show has matured with more exhibitors and product/service categories. I have also seen

Stephen Tan, Chief Executive - Singapore Exhibition Services


more SMEs which is a very good sign as that means I will have more choices to source from. CommunicAsia is a must-attend event for me,” said Mr. Mashrique Ismail, CEO, Netshoppe Sdn Bhd, Malaysia.4K Ultra HD and OTT Highlights at BroadcastAsia2014 Coinciding with the world’s most viewed sporting event, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, BroadcastAsia2014 showcased the latest and best in 4K/UltraHD content acquisition, production and delivery; multi-platform screening; social TV; immersive TV experiences; cloud broadcasting; new business models for Pay OTT; and much more. Grass Valley demonstrated the industry’s first prototype three-sensor LDK 4K camera with 4B lens mount for capturing live sport in 4K; and taking production to the next level, RED Digital Cinema, featured its highly anticipated technology in 5K and even 6K.Other industry leaders that made their mark at BroadcastAsia2014 included

Blackmagic Design, Canon, EVS, GoPro, Panasonic, RED Digital Cinema, Sony and more. “The past four days have been a great opportunity for Sony to talk to existing and potential customers, and show them our latest 4K and HD solutions for broadcasters and content creators. We look forward to future editions of BroadcastAsia, and believe that it can only get more exciting from here!” said Mr. Chris Grey, General Manager, Broadcast & Content Creation Solutions, Sony Professional Asia Pacific.“BroadcastAsia is a comprehensive show showcasing up-to-date technologies. This is a great platform to source for products. The show is well-represented with a good variety of international brands from around the world. I will definitely recommend others to visit the show, and will be back again next year,” said Atty. Gerik Caesare A. Paderanga, President / General Manager – Cebu North, Cebu Cable, Philippines.

Panel Discussions and Case Studies Lead Industry DiscussionsThe three conferences, CommunicAsia2014 Summit, BroadcastAsia2014 International Conference and the Creative Content Production Conference highlighted the most pertinent trends and challenges faced by the ICT and digital media sectors. With a large number of case studies and panel discussions, delegates at the conferences took away actionable insights to help them adopt the latest technologies and improve efficiencies to stay profitable as consumer demands evolve. The Visionary Address opened to a packed audience of delegates eager to hear the latest trends in social media from Twitter. “Asia will lead the next exciting growth phase for social media that will transform our lives, businesses and societies. CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia play key roles to drive this change by bringing leaders from the tech, mobile and broadcast

industries together to embrace the power of social media, discuss breakthrough ideas and collaborate on next-generation technologies,” said Ms. Aliza Knox, Managing Director, Online Sales, Twitter Asia Pacific and visionary keynote speaker at CommunicAsia2014 Summit.CommunicAsia2014 Summit’s tracks on Big Data Analytics, BYOD/CYOD, Mobile Banking, Payments and Wallets were a key attraction, while OTT Content Strategies, Cloud Broadcasting and Second Screen tracks saw increased attention at the BroadcastAsia2014 International Conference. The Creative Content Production Conference sessions on understanding Asian viewers’ current demands, trans-media strategies, case studies on popular film locations and recent 4K film projects received wide appreciation. CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia will return to Marina Bay Sands Singapore from 2 – 5 June 2015.

AlizaKnox,MDOnlineSales-TwitterAsiaPacific Deepak Mathur, SVP Commercial AP & ME - SES


Ahmad Julfar - the highest paid official in the UAE3 out of top ten best paid executives belong to Etisalat

Survey conducted by Argaam.com

According to a survey conduct-ed by Argaam.com, an Arabic website based on the income of 30 top-ranking officials of listed companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi last year, the Etisalat CEO and Chairman, Ahmad Julfar is the highest earner in UAE, taking home AED 17.27 million in 2013, or about AED 1.4 million a month.Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar is the Etisalat Group’s Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) having formerly held the position of Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Etisalat UAE an office he attained in 2006. He also pre-viously served as the General Manager for Etisalat’s Dubai Re-gion operations, a position that he obtained in 2005. Etisalat has taken many steps forward in terms of growth during his tenure as GCEO.Two other Etisalat executives also made it to the top 10 list with Serkan Okandan, Chief Financial Officer of Etisalat, who took home AED 5.51 million last year and Abdul Aziz Al Sawaleh, Etisalat’s chief human resources officer who took home AED 5.34 million last year in terms of earnings.Low Ping, who served as CEO of Emaar Properties until January 2014 and is currently the com-pany’s executive director for finance and risk, emerged as the second highest paid executive in the UAE, making AED 10.6 million last year or nearly AED 900,000 a month.RAK Ceramics CEO Abdullah Massad came third on the list, with AED 7.64 million, followed by Carl Sheldon, CEO of Abu

Dhabi National Energy (AED 7.38 million) and Hassan Ismaik, CEO of Arabtec (AED 6.61 million).Dubai Investments CEO and managing director Khalid Jassim

Bin Kalban made it to the top 10 list, earning Dh6.44 million. Michael Raynes, chief operating officer of Waha Capital, fol-lowed closely behind with total earnings worth Dh6.37 million.

Keeping this survey in mind, Etisalat’s high level of perfor-mance and success is definitely depicted in terms of the earn-ings of its management.The top ten highest earners for 2013:1. Ahmad JulfarGroup CEO EtisalatAnnual: AED 17.27 million Monthly: AED 1,439,166.72. Low PingFormer CEO, Emaar PropertiesAnnual: AED 10.6 millionMonthly: AED 883,3333. Abdullah MassadCEO, RAK CeramicsAnnual: AED 7.64 millionMonthly: AED 636,6664. Carl SheldonCEO, AD National EnergyAnnual: AED 7.38 millionMonthly: AED615,0005. Hassan IsmaikFormer CEO, ArabtecAnnual : AED 6.61 millionMonthly: AED550,8336. Khalid Jassim Bin KalbanMD, CEO, Dubai InvestmentsAnnual: AED 6.44 millionMonthly: AED 536,6667. Michael RaynesCOO, Waha CapitalAnnual: AED 6.37 millionMonthly: AED 530,833.338. Serkan OkandanCFO, EtisalatAnnual: AED 5.51 millionMonthly: AED 459,166.679. Abdul Aziz Al SawalehChief HRO, EtisalatAnnual: AED 5.34 millionMonthly: AED 445,00010. Ilias AssimakopoulosCEO, Emirates Foodstuff and Mineral WaterAnnual: AED 4.98 millionMonthly: AED 415,000

Ahmad abdulkarim Julfar, Group CEO-Etisalat

Serkan Okandan, CFO-Etisalat Aziz Al Sawaleh CHRO, Etisalat


Etisalat to provide mobile billing for Samsung Galaxy Apps purchases

Etisalat launches region’s first Smartphone Protection Plans in partnership with AXA

Protect your smartphone against accidental damage and theft, both within and outside UAE

Etisalat, the UAE’s leading telecommunications operator, in partnership with Samsung Electronics, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence has launched carrier billing for the Samsung Galaxy Apps store, allowing its customers to charge their purchases directly to their monthly mobile bill or prepaid account. Khaled ElKhouly, Chief Marketing Officer at Etisalat UAE, said, “Introducing new and simplified billing and payment options for Samsung Galaxy Apps users is part of Etisalat’s efforts to improve our customers’ overall mobile experience. Being the first in the UAE to do so for our

Samsung smartphone and tablet customers delights us. The service facilitates easy and secure payment for a huge catalogue of apps and games that our customers desire.” Commenting on this occasion Mr Hayssam Yassine, Head of Telecommunications Group at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with Etisalat to be able to make the Samsung Galaxy Apps more accessible to our customers and enhance their user experience. Consumers now have one more added reason to choose our products, be it the latest smartphone or tablet device.”Etisalat’s mobile customers

in the UAE can now enjoy this secure, convenient, and flexible payment option using their Etisalat accounts. To enable this payment option, customers need to choose the application that they want to buy from the Samsung Galaxy Apps. Thereafter, they need to select the ‘Etisalat account’ option on the payment screen to continue with the transaction. The customer’s Etisalat account will be automatically set as the default option for all future purchases of applications and games. Samsung’s Galaxy Apps is Samsung’s official application store for its smartphones and tablets. It makes software

applications, and games available for purchase and download through the store. It allows users to purchase, download and install applications from third-party developers. This simple and convenient payment option will initially be available to all Etisalat mobile post-paid and prepaid customers in the UAE. With this payment option in place, customers do not need to use a credit card to pay for applications and content on Samsung Galaxy Apps and can enjoy the one-stop convenience of having all of their application purchases consolidated into their mobile bill or prepaid account.

Etisalat has launched the region’s first Smartphone Protection Plans, which protect handsets within and outside UAE from theft and accidental damage. The protection plans are priced at AED120 for a 6-month cover or AED250 for 12 months. Users can protect their devices against accidental damage including cracked screen, forced theft, liquid damage and defects not covered under phone’s existing warranty. The plans have been launched in partnership with leading

insurance provider, AXA Insurance, and are available to all customers who purchase a new smartphone from Etisalat’s business centres or outlets in the UAE.Smartphone Protection Plan is only available at the time of purchase of a new smartphone from Etisalat. It provides cover in addition to the normal manufacturer warranty for the device. If a customer whose device covered under smartphone protection plan is accidentally damaged, the customer can raise a claim

with AXA Insurance directly. Depending on the nature of the damage, the device will either be repaired or replaced for the customer.Commenting on the launch, Khaled ElKhouly, Chief Marketing Officer at Etisalat UAE, said, “Etisalat has been at the forefront offering its customers innovative products to meet their end-to-end requirements. Now, not only we are giving our customers the choice of the latest smartphones through our Smartphone Plans, which offer free

smartphones with data and minutes, we are also providing them with protection on smartphones that they purchase.“Our competitively priced Smartphone Protection Plans provide our customers with complete peace of mind. Customers can be confident knowing that their phone is protected if anything were to happen to it. At a small price, they can enjoy greater comfort now than having to pay for a costly new phone later”, he added.


As part of the ongoing strategy of the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to monitor and report on the trends and developments with-in the UAE telecommunications sector, the TRA has published its fifth ‘Annual Sector Re-view’. The report summarises the state of the fixed, mobile, and data telecommunications markets in the UAE in terms of subscribers, penetration rates, revenues, and usage (i.e. traffic volumes) during 2010 – 2013. The report also provides detail on the rankings of the UAE in a range of international infor-mation and communication technology (ICT) studies.“This report highlights the continued development of the telecommunications sector of UAE. Evidently from the sta-tistics contained within it, the sector continues to experience

significant growth with the pe-riod from 2010 to 2013 building on the positive sector devel-opment seen in 2008 to 2011,” said Mohammed Al Ghanim, DG, TRA.“The many positive trends illustrated within the review is testament to the strategic vision and operational expertise of Etisalat and du, and also to the continued oversight of the sector by the TRA,” he added.

Highlights from the research include:• The UAE had over 2.08 million fixed line subscriptions and the fixed line penetration rate reached 25%;• The number of active mobile subscriptions continued to grow reaching over 16 million by the end of the year with a penetra-tion rate of 192.9%. This figure represents one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world;• Revenues generated from mo-bile services has been progres-sively increasing and increased by 6.3% in 2013;• International outgoing minutes from mobile phones increased by 37%, while interna-tional minutes from fixed line phones fell by 12%; • The top destination of the outgoing international calls was Pakistan, with over 2.1B minutes;

• The total number of SMS and MMS sent during 2013 decreased by 13% and 23% respectively when compared to 2012 year;• The total number of Internet service subscriptions increased 10.5% to reach over 1.043 million;• The percentage of internet subscriptions using fiber technol-ogy increased by 24%; and• The percentage of Internet subscriptions connected by fibre technology increased to 81% as customers were migrated from copper networks to new advanced networks.There has also a marked trend of customers subscribing to higher speed Internet services over time. For example, in 2010 less than one third of the residential customers had Internet speeds of more than 4 Mbps but by the end of 2013, more than two thirds of subscriptions were at these higher speeds.

UAE TRA publishes fifth Annual Sector ReviewReport summarises the state of the fixed, mobile, and data telecommunications markets in the UAE in terms of subscribers, penetration rates, revenues, and usage

Mohammed Al Ghanim, DG-TRA

Etisalat expands data roaming to 106 countries and 248 operatorsEtisalat makes traveling this summer easier with the expan-sion of its preferred partner network for data roaming. Cus-tomers subscribed to Etisalat’s mobile data packs can now access Internet on the country’s largest roaming network of a total of 248 operators in 106 countries. Etisalat’s enhanced roaming network includes all GCC (Gulf Corporation Council) countries, allowing customers to enjoy data usage anywhere in the re-gion as well as in 36 new destina-tions worldwide including Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Maldives,

Philippines, Tunisia, South Amer-ica and South Korea. Etisalat has also added 110 new networks in existing and new countries.Etisalat’s daily, weekly and monthly data roaming packs offer customers the UAE’s most competitively priced data allowances for hassle-free travel without high mobile data costs. Depending on their data con-sumption needs on any handset or tablet, including BlackBerry devices, customers can choose from one of the many options available from Etisalat: 25MB for AED25 daily, 100MB for AED35 daily, 1GB for AED 200 weekly

and an incredible monthly Trav-eler pack that includes 1GB data and 1000 incoming minutes for AED 500.All packages start from the first instance of Internet access outside the UAE. Traveller pack is valid for 30 days starting from subscription date. Khaled ElKhouly, Chief Mar-keting Officer at Etisalat, said, “Etisalat is constantly working to bring about service improve-ments and price reductions in all its propositions. Last year, we introduced mobile data roaming packs that offer as much as five times the usage for half the price

through our already extensive preferred roaming partner network. However, we did not stop at that. Knowing well how important it is for our customers to browse the Internet or access their emails and social networks while traveling, we continued our efforts to make the service better. Some of the countries where customers can enjoy full data roaming coverage include Austria, Australia, Bahrain, Bel-gium, Czech Republic, Egypt, Fin-land, Germany, Japan Malaysia, Netherlands Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and United Kingdom.


The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) has signed an MOU with the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority. The agreement is aimed at developing the competencies of Emirati citizens to enable them to work in the UAE ICT sector and participate in its development in addition to boosting the Emiratisation rates in this vital sector. The MOU was signed by Mohammed Al Ghanim, TRA Director General and Mohammed Al Marri, Director General of TANMIA in the presence of Dr. Abdulqader Al Khayat, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the ICT Fund.“The TRA and the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority share common supreme national goals mainly providing employment opportunities for our Emirati competencies and developing these talents in order to contribute to the

development process adopted by our beloved nation. We are pleased to partner with TANMIA by signing this agreement that’s concordant with the strategic vision of the UAE Government particularly Emiratisation and developing human cadres,” said Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim,

TRA Director General.“We are confident that our agreement with TANMIA will have a tangible and profound impact in boosting the Emiratisation rates in the future, due to TANMIA’s broad expertise in this area. We are looking forward to putting this agreement into effect as soon as possible and

moving into a new phase of cooperation in this domain,” he added.The MOU included the launch of “Tomouh” initiative which entails providing a strategic framework for preparing and building UAE citizens’ skills and competencies to enable them to join the ICT

sector and thus contribute to achieving the UAE 2021 vision and the national agenda. The agreement also includes working to provide educational opportunities and offering advanced training courses and supporting all initiatives, programs and cooperation frameworks proposed and agreed upon

by both parties in the same domain. The agreement also aims to gradually increase Emiratisation rates on both quantity and quality levels in the ICT sector in order to contribute in developing and reinforcing social stability in the country.According to the agreement, both parties will provide the necessary funding for training packages and comprehensive programs for developing national competencies and building strategic partnerships with both public and private sectors in this regard.Currently, the TRA has around 300 employees at both Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices, where 250 employees are UAE nationals distributed in all sections and departments. This figure is a strong testament on the strenuous efforts exerted by the TRA to provide an opportunity for Emirati citizens to work in one of the most strategic and vital sectors in the country.

The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) has recently detected several cases where UAE mobile phone users have received scam calls with callers claiming to be an authorized national telephone service provider. The majority of the calls to date seek to illegally obtain bank account and important

personal information – including passwords of both email and social networking accounts – through enticing mobile users with promises of cash prizes.The TRA cautions all mobile phone users of this recent trend and underlines that sharing personal information – via or a telephone call or by

e-mail – should be avoided at all cost. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General said “With the pace of technological advancement we are witnessing today, hackers are able to create a plethora of new and innovative ways to obtain personal information illegally. This modern reality

necessitates extra caution by customers when sharing any personal information with people via unreliable sources. In such situations, we recommend not responding to such requests for information and immediately reporting any incidents of this nature to the relevant emergency contact.”

TRA and Tanmia sign MOU to promote the role of Emirati talents in developing the UAE ICT sector

TRA warns public of scam calls by those falsely claiming to be authorized UAE service providers


With corporate boards and management teams growing ever-more concerned and vigilant about cyber-security, CFOs can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. But what can they do, in practical terms? After all, even those with a fair degree of technological wherewithal are unlikely to understand deeply the technical issues involved in securing systems and databases.But there is plenty that CFOs can do to create an environment in which cyber-security is correctly prioritized and aligned with business needs, says Valerie Rainey, CFO of INTTRA, which provides a technology platform that facilitates dealings among ocean shippers, freight forwarders and cargo owners (for example, Wal-Mart and Home Depot).While many companies focus mainly on securing customers’ credit-card information, that is not a risk for INTTRA, as it doesn’t store such data. “What comes across our network is highly confidential data about global trade, so it’s a very high priority,” says Rainey.Rainey chairs the Business & Industry Executive Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which advises the institute on global business issues and trends. “We’re talking about this topic a lot,” she says.In a recent survey of 1,234 senior executives who

hold the Chartered Global Management Accountant designation, offered jointly by AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, 55 percent of respondents described themselves as highly focused on “IT development and cyber-security.”

CFO Game PlanCFOs should at least be conversant with cyber-security issues particular to their company, notes Rainey. “You need to understand where

attacks are coming or could come from, how the attacks are coming in, and what kind of data hackers are going after,” she says, “as well what mitigations are in place to prevent attacks.”That knowledge enables the finance chief to ask the necessary probing questions

to determine how deeply IT has examined the company’s cyber risks. While the CFO doesn’t have to be a technical expert, he or she should be wary of generalized responses like, “Our firewall has proved very effective at thwarting attacks.” Instead the finance chief should demand detailed descriptions of the various security levels in a multi-level scheme.IT leaders may not have the same appreciation for the company’s business risks that finance executives possess, according to Rainey. “You’ll want to focus on risks that have a high likelihood and a big potential impact on the business, whereas IT people will often say that every risk is important,” she says.It is the CFO’s responsibility to keep cyber-security issues top of mind for the executive team, which is always dealing with other “fires of the day.” Says Rainey: “You have to make sure the company doesn’t lose sight of the fact that this very strategic

enterprise risk needs to be addressed on an ongoing basis. It’s not like you can put a plan in place and you’re done. Hackers are becoming more sophisticated all the time.”Rainey examines cyber risk every other month “to evaluate whether what we have in place is still sufficient,

given the current landscape.” CFOs must understand that today no protection against cyber-attacks can be regarded as absolutely foolproof. “If you look at the high-profile companies that have had issues, like Target, you’d imagine they felt they had the right technologies and processes in place to mitigate the risks, but obviously they didn’t,” says Rainey.That’s why CFOs should insist on having a monitoring system that can identify attacks as they’re happening, so that they’re addressed in real time as well. “You can’t be waiting three or four days to find out while your customers are calling to report fraudulent charges on their credit cards,” Rainey says.It’s also important to have a plan in place for communicating with customers and other affected parties when a security breach does occur. Rainey advocates for transparency. Tell them what happened, what it means and how you’re mitigating the impact to them — and not just in terms of preventing it from happening again. For example, Target offered a year of free credit monitoring for customers whose personal information was compromised.“How you respond is critically important to keeping customer relationships or at least starting to get them back to where they were,” says Rainey.

CFOs can move the needle on cyber securityThey don’t have to be technical experts to play a big role in keeping sensitive data safe, says CFO Valerie Rainey.

Valerie-Rainey

CFOs should at least be conversant with cyber security issues particular to their company


The Middle Eastern countries are very connected and specially the GCC countries including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain are heavily wired and most of their population is online. Even the smallest of businesses are online and actively use the Internet. Even though big organizations in these countries are in the news with their big deals and large PR budgets, the small and medium businesses (SMB) are also a very strong part of the economy. Though largely invisible, the SMB segment generates a tremendous amount of business wealth.SMBs are very exposed and vulnerable to CybercrimeEven though we generally work with larger organizations on their Cybersecurity projects, we still manage to assist some clients who would fall into the SMB category. What we have noticed very clearly is that by and large, these SMBs are not very sophisticated in their IT practices and IT infrastructure. Most don’t have dedicated IT staff. They rely heavily on the initial IT vendor who sold them their PCs, setup their wifi and a shared file folder on a windows server. Generally the IT vendor will sell them the systems and set them up with minimal security. The same IT vendor will provide minimal training and next to nothing documentation. They take their cheque and then disappear, leaving the poor SMB owner with false sense

of security and completely exposed. When we work with SMBs we notice the following. Simple passwords, open ports, unprotected wifi, expired antivirus, wide open internet access, outdated firewall (if any) and plenty of malware and inappropriate material on desktops and laptops. We go in and do our best to secure the SMB clients’ environment and create IT policies and train the staff. We have seen this situation at many SMB clients. We cannot say that it is really the fault of the SMBs. They are very good in their respective trades and do a great job for their clients but Cybersecurity is not their strong point. The rapidly changing way the Cybersecurity threat landscape is evolving nowadays, its difficult for even the full time industry professional to keep up with the latest threat vectors – imagine how difficult it is for the SMB who is focused on their own expertise area and not really into Cybersecurity. Their lack of Cybersecurity awareness hurts their business operations tremendously and has a direct impact on their and the nation’s bottom line. These SMBs are sitting ducks. They are easy pickings for hackers and “bad guys” of all types. Everything from DDoS attack on their sites to malware-blackmail to keyloggers and phishing, you name it we have see it at SMB sites. The owners are very frustrated and confused

and really don’t know who to turn to. Their friendly neighborhood IT company simply installs an antivirus and calls it a day – without addressing the deeper issues on a longer term basis. We really cannot expect that these SMBs to become Cybersecurity experts. They have their businesses to run, bills and salaries to pay and make a living. Its not easy. They are not like the larger enterprises and Government institutions that can afford expensive consultants and cyberec vendors. These SMBs need help – and this help has to come from the national Telcos. National Telcos Have a Moral Obligation To Protect CyberbordersThe national Telcos – you know who these are – are giant organizations that are the gateways to the internet. All traffic goes through their gateways. They control and manage DNS, fiber cables, internet proxies – everything. For the larger companies, they provide Managed Security services, SOCs and consulting etc. but they are sorely lacking in providing a safe and secure environment for their SMB customers. The world today is changing rapidly. There is a invisible cyber war going on. We know it well. We are up to our eyes into it every day. There are cyberattacks everyday on SMB companies that devastate them. “Bad guys” are able to sneak past the Telcos and

attack companies in their countries. The Telcos have to take a higher ground and they have a moral obligation to secure their nation’s cyberborders and make the country safe – for the small guy!They simply cannot go on ignoring the SMB market for Cybersecurity. Telcos here routinely block access to unsafe sites – but need to do a better job there. These Telcos need to monitor traffic in and out of the country and keep it clean, scrubbed and safe by default and not as an additional optional paid service. The Telcos cannot shrug their shoulders and pass the responsibility to the SMB owner or the little IT company. The problem is much too big for them to handle. The Telcos need to do more – they need to provide a safe and secure online and computing environment – as part of their standard service – not an extra and costly option. They have a moral obligation to secure their nation’s cyberborders.If not them, then who? If not now, then when?? The writer is the CEO of a Cybersecurity and cloud services company based in Dubai. In this occasional series of columns he will describe the real issues companies face in these areas and how they can improve their situation. For obvious reasons, he prefers to be anonymous. He may be reached at [email protected].

Will the National Telcos safeguardthe Nation’s Cyberborders?

By The_Blue_Hawk


Sage a global vendor of busi-ness management software has announced that it has won three court cases against pirate companies in Maghreb and in Francophone Africa. In addition to damages and/or fines total-ling several thousand euros, prison terms were handed down.Court decision in CameroonBy judgment dated 6 March 2014, the District Court of Douala Bonanjo, correctional section, found Mrs Monkam, Managing Director of the company Mozale sarl, guilty of software copyright infringe-

ment. She was ordered to pay CFAF 2,031,000 in damages to Sage as well as CFAF 102,225 in court costs and a fine of CFAF 500,000. The court issued a warrant of commitment for 18 months’ imprisonment against Mrs MONKAM in the event of non-payment within the legally prescribed period.Software and brand piracy is a global phenomenon with repercussions for software pub-lishers, businesses and national economies. All of these groups suffer significant losses due to unfair competition by copyright infringers: destruction of jobs,

loss of revenue, impediment to information technology innova-tion, etc.“In spite of our market lead-ership, piracy continues to penalise not only Sage and our business, but also the growth of software publishing in Africa and the economic activity that would result from it”, laments Fabien Poggi, Manager of Sage’s Export division.The deeply concerning statistics on the scope of the problem supply the proof. According to the latest study by The Software Alliance (BSA), a group of international software

publishers, the rate of software piracy in the Middle East and Africa reached 59% in 2013 and is soaring in countries like Algeria (85%), Cameroon (82%) and Côte d’Ivoire (80%). These troubling numbers have shown no signs of dropping since 2009.

The report “Middle East Cyber Security Market by Technolo-gies (IAM, DLP, UTM, IDS/IPS, Firewall, Risk & Compliance Man-agement, Antivirus, SVM/SIEM, Disaster Recovery, DDOS Mitiga-tion, Encryption, Web Filtering) & by Services - Market Forecasts and Analysis (2014-2019)” by MarketsandMarkets, segments the Middle East market into various sub-segments with in-depth analysis and forecasting of market size. It also identifies the drivers and restraints for this market with insights into trends, opportunities, and challenges. MarketsandMarkets has seg-mented the Middle East Cyber Security market by sub markets, by technologies; by types of ser-vices: support and maintenance, by types of verticals: BFSI, gov-ernment and utilities, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, telecom

and IT, and education; by coun-tries in this region. The Middle East region is dom-inated by large industries such as oil and gas and BFSI. Rapid economic development by these large industries in this region has caused it to become a target for hackers and cyber attackers. Cyber attacks to these large industries such as oil and gas sec-tor has caused massive loss of data and damage to the internal network of these organizations. Cyber security involves the collective use of variety of technologies such as antivirus, intrusion prevention systems, data encryption, firewalls and DDoS mitigation to prevent advanced persistent cyber security threats. Such tech-nologies also ensure business continuity in the event of an attack by effectively isolating

systems to prevent the spread of a virus. The modern business organization relies heavily on the internet to reduce geographical barriers and improve business productivity and cyber security ensures security to an organiza-tion’s internal framework from external attacks. Cyber security is becoming an increasingly competitive market with a diverse mix of small and large vendors. The larger ven-dors in this region are focusing on growth through strategic mergers and acquisitions of smaller vendors. Other growth strategy for large vendors in-cludes expanding their distribu-tor’s network base. Major enterprises in this region include energy, utilities, oil and gas which are the major revenue generating industries. These industries are highly dependent

on Networks and industrial Control systems. Since from past few years these systems and networks are exposed to internet, making them more vul-nerable to cyber attacks. These vulnerabilities are enforcing these industries to adopt latest technological solutions, thereby increasing the growth of cyber security in this region. MarketsandMarkets expects that the Middle East Cyber Security Market is estimated to be $5.17 billion in 2014 and is expected to grow to $9.56 billion in 2019. This represents an estimated Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.07%% from 2014 to 2019. In the current scenario, Saudi Arabia is expect-ed to be the largest market on the basis of spending and adop-tion for cyber security solutions and services.

Software piracy in Africa: 3 companies found guilty by a court of law for reproducing and using the Sage Brand illegally

Middle East Cyber Security Market worth $9.56 billion by 2019

Fabien Poggi


Defending the digital frontierCompanies, markets and countries are increasingly under attack from cyber-criminals, hacktivists

and spies. They need to get much better at protecting themselves, says Martin Giles

THE TERM “CYBERSPACE” was coined by William Gibson, a sci-ence-fiction writer. He first used it in a short story in 1982, and expanded on it a couple of years later in a novel, “Neuromancer”, whose main character, Henry Dorsett Case, is a troubled com-puter hacker and drug addict. In the book Mr Gibson describes cyberspace as “a consensual hal-lucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators” and “a graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system.”His literary creation turned out to be remarkably prescient. Cyberspace has become short-hand for the computing devices, networks, fibre-optic cables, wireless links and other infra-structure that bring the internet to billions of people around the world. The myriad connections forged by these technologies have brought tremendous benefits to everyone who uses the web to tap into humanity’s collective store of knowledge every day.But there is a darker side to this extraordinary invention. Data breaches are becoming ever bigger and more common. Last year over 800m records were lost, mainly through such attacks (see chart 1). Among the most prominent recent victims has been Target, whose chief exec-utive, Gregg Steinhafel, stood down from his job in May, a few months after the giant American retailer revealed that online in-truders had stolen millions of dig-ital records about its customers, including credit- and debit-card

details. Other well-known firms such as Adobe, a tech company, and eBay, an online marketplace, have also been hit.The potential damage, though, extends well beyond such com-mercial incursions. Wider con-cerns have been raised by the revelations about the mass sur-veillance carried out by Western intelligence agencies made by Edward Snowden, a contractor

to America’s National Security Agency (NSA), as well as by the growing numbers of cyber-war-riors being recruited by countries that see cyberspace as a new domain of warfare. America’s president, Barack Obama, said in a White House press release earlier this year that cyberthreats “pose one of the gravest nation-al-security dangers” the country is facing.Securing cyberspace is hard because the architecture of the

internet was designed to pro-mote connectivity, not security. Its founders focused on getting it to work and did not worry much about threats because the network was affiliated with America’s military. As hackers turned up, layers of security, from antivirus programs to fire-walls, were added to try to keep them at bay. Gartner, a research firm, reckons that last year

organisations around the globe spent $67 billion on information security.On the whole, these defences have worked reasonably well. For all the talk about the risk of a “cyber 9/11” or a “cyberged-don”, the internet has proved remarkably resilient. Hundreds of millions of people turn on their computers every day and bank online, shop at virtual stores, swap gossip and photos with their friends on social networks

and send all kinds of sensitive data over the web without ill effect. Companies and govern-ments are shifting ever more services online.But the task is becoming harder. Cyber-security, which involves protecting both data and people, is facing multiple threats, notably cybercrime and online industrial espionage, both of which are growing rapidly. A recent esti-

mate by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think-tank, puts the annual global cost of digital crime and intellectual-property theft at $445 billion—a sum roughly equivalent to the GDP of a small-ish rich European country such as Austria.To add to the worries, there is also the risk of cyber-sabotage. Terrorists or agents of hostile powers could mount attacks

Contd. on P-41


The ongoing implementation of Smart Dubai Strategy, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has bolstered the escalating growth of the emirate’s foreign trade in mobile phones with the increasing demand for smart phones to keep up Dubai’s comprehensive shift into smart applications and services. The ambitious strategy of turning Dubai into the smartest city in the globe over three years is a major catalyst for the expansion witnessed by the emirate in the use of smartphones. As set by the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the goal of this gigantic project is “To improve and develop the quality of life…through an unprecedented public-private partnership to make a new reality for all and change the concept of city which the human being lives in so as to live with him through his smart phone and who will be its key pivot.”Dubai’s transition into a smart city places it among the planet’s top cities with the highest smartphone penetration. The development of smart government applications is underway in line with the approved methodology announced by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al

Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and General Supervisor of the project, who said: “We want a single interface for all Dubai Government applications as all work under one name and that services should be delivered through one gate. Each Dubai department represents all Dubai and our smart applications have to reflect one interface for the emirate.”Dubai has remarkably boosted its position in the global

telecommunications market, with a massive surge in its foreign trade in mobile and fixed-line telephone devices over the past few years. Trade in telephones scored Dh42.5 billion in the first quarter of 2014, up by 126% compared to Dh18.8 billion recorded in the same period four years ago. Consequently, trade in phones ranked first among other commodities traded in the emirate according to the latest statistics released by Dubai Customs for Q1 of the current year. Dubai’s phones

trade totalled around Dh163 billion in 2013, representing 12% of Dubai’s overall foreign trade volume.“Because of the emirate’s advanced logistics services and great potentials and business opportunities offered by its markets and free zones, Dubai has become a major destination for regional and international telephones trade activity,” said H.E Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs. “Amidst

the global information and communications technology boom, Dubai stands as a leading trading hub through which the growing universal demand for latest phone gadgets is met.” He added that “Dubai Customs significantly contributes to the rise of Dubai’s trade in telephone devices by offering advanced services and facilitations to traders and investors. Due to these streamlined services and expedited customs clearance of consignments,

Dubai customs allows traders of phone commodities to respond to the market needs without delay. These value-added facilities got a boost late 2013 when DC transformed into the first fully smart government department delivering its services 24/7 through smart phones. Most recently DC launched its revamped smartphones website with a new look following a comprehensive upgrade of the web portal. Further, DC’s service offerings are now available on smart watches too, ahead of the emirate’s initiative to become the smartest city in the world within three years.” Mr. Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division at Dubai Customs, stated “We work through continuous development of our IT applications to keep pace with Dubai’s shift to smart technologies, by providing these technologies to our customers in order to give them access to all our services and our facilities in record time; this fast delivery helps augment their business returns. We seek to constantly streamline our smart tools and our website to stay abreast of the latest international standards on smart services, so as to practically contribute to Dubai’s transformation into the smartest city in the world.”

In line with Smart Dubai strategy transforming into the smartest city in the world

Dubai’s foreign trade in mobile phones grows 126% in Q1 over four years & advances to 1st position

Jumaa Al GhaithAhmed Mahboob Musabih


AsiaSat 8 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle successfully lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, U.S.A. at Hong Kong Time 4:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. EDT or Cape Canaveral local time) on the 5th of August.The spacecraft successfully separated from the launch vehicle 32 minutes after liftoff. AsiaSat has acquired the first signals from the satellite in Hong Kong 54 minutes after launch. Over the next few days, AsiaSat 8 will move into the geostationary orbit, some 36,000 km above the Equator.“We are excited that the AsiaSat 8 launch has achieved this significant milestone. This is our first launch with SpaceX, we would like to thank them for their excellent work and effort in making today’s launch a success. In the coming weeks, we will work closely with Space Systems/Loral, our long-term partner, on the post-launch maneuvers and in-orbit testing of AsiaSat 8,” said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.“The addition of AsiaSat 8 to our existing fleet of four in-orbit satellites will expand our fleet capacity and enable us to serve a wider range of customers for advanced satellite services, from DTH, data broadcasting to broadband services.”AsiaSat 8 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300 series satellite,

and has a design life of 15 years. With 24 Ku-band transponders and a Ka-band payload, AsiaSat 8 will co-locate with AsiaSat 7, where AsiaSat has established networks for service since 1990. AsiaSat 8’s powerful Ku-band beams cover China, India, the Middle East and South East Asia, with inter-

beam switching capability to provide flexibility to address market requirements.AsiaSat 8’s powerful Ku-band beams cover China, India, the Middle East and South East Asia, with inter-beam switching capability to provide flexibility to address market requirements and for services including DTH television, private networks and broadband services.Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), the leading satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its five satellites, AsiaSat 3S, AsiaSat 4, AsiaSat 5, AsiaSat 7 and the newly launched AsiaSat 8. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides services to both the broadcast

and telecommunications industries. Over 450 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company’s satellites offering access to over 710 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat also provides telecommunications operators and end users services such as voice networks, private VSAT networks and broadband multimedia. AsiaSat’s next satellite, AsiaSat 6 is scheduled for launch later this month. AsiaSat 9 which is on order from the manufacturer is planned to be launched in 2017. AsiaSat is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited

AsiaSat 8 successfully lifts offAsiaSat 8 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300 series satellite

and has a design life of 15 years

AsiaSatliftedofffromtheCapeCanaveralAirForceStationinFlorida

William Wade President & CEO-AsiaSat

The Asiasat 8 approximately 176 seconds into flight


Space Systems/Loral (SSL) and Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) have announced that AsiaSat 6 has arrived at

the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where it will be launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle in August, following the launch of AsiaSat 8.“AsiaSat, SpaceX and SSL are

teaming on two consecutive launches,” said John Celli, President of SSL. “I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in successfully executing the

logistics of both AsiaSat 8 and AsiaSat 6 at launch base and to thank our customer, AsiaSat for its ongoing confidence in SSL.”AsiaSat 6 is designed to provide broadcasting, telecommunications and

broadband services across the Asia-Pacific region. When launched, AsiaSat 6 will be positioned at 120 degrees East longitude where it will help fulfill the fast growing demand for quality satellite services.“SSL and AsiaSat designed AsiaSat 6 with the flexibility and capability to provide high quality and reliable satellite services across the Asia Pacific,” said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat. “We are pleased that the satellite has arrived safely at the launch base and look forward to making new capacity available to our users and service providers.”Thaicom Public Company Limited (Thaicom) is a partner of AsiaSat on AsiaSat 6 and will be using half of the satellite’s capacity to provide services under the name of Thaicom 7.Equipped with 28 transponders, AsiaSat 6 has two beams, one global beam and one regional

beam, offering region-wide coverage over Asia, Australasia, Central Asia, and the Pacific islands, with enhanced power and look angles over Pacific Rim countries.AsiaSat 6 is based on the highly reliable SSL 1300 platform, which provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances. It is the fourth satellite that SSL has provided to AsiaSat and the company continues to build an additional satellite, AsiaSat 9, which SSL counts among its backlog of 23 geostationary satellites.

SSL delivers Asiasat 6 to cape canaveral launch base

SSL DELIVERS ASIASAT 6 TO CAPE CANAVERAL LAUNCH BASE - P2/3

AsiaSat 6 is based on the highly reliable SSL 1300 platform, which provides the flexibility to

support a broad range of applications and technology advances. It is the fourth satellite that SSL

has provided to AsiaSat and the company continues to build an additional satellite, AsiaSat 9,

which SSL counts among its backlog of 23 geostationary satellites.

About AsiaSat Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), a leading satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world's population with its four satellites, AsiaSat 3S, AsiaSat 4, AsiaSat 5 and AsiaSat 7. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides services to both the broadcast and telecommunications industries. Over 450 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company's satellites offering access to over 710 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat also provides telecommunications operators and end users services such as voice networks, private VSAT networks and broadband multimedia. AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, are now at the Cape Canaveral launch base, under preparation for launch in August. AsiaSat 9 which is on order from SSL is planned to be launched in 2017. AsiaSat is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 1135). For more information, please visit www.asiasat.com. About SSL SSL has a long history of delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As a leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to provide spacecraft for a broad range of services including television and radio distribution, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, mobile communications, and Earth observation. Billions of people around the world depend on SSL satellites every day. For more information, visit www.sslmda.com.

Offloading the SSL-built AsiaSat 6 spacecraft from a transport aircraft at Cape Canaveral

OffloadingtheSSL-builtAsiaSat6spacecraftfrom a transport aircraft at Cape Canaveral

NEC Corporation and the Mexican Space Agency (AEM), under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT), have signed a MoU for the development of advanced satellites.The document was signed by the Managing Director of the AEM (Agencia Espacial Mexicana), Dr. Francisco Javier Mendieta Jimenéz

and by Dr. Nobuhiro Endo, President of NEC Corporation, aiming to strengthen the Earth Observation (EO) and climate change monitoring, global navigation and global positioning systems (GPS) and applications, as well as the satellite communications, control systems and terrestrial networks of Mexico’s space industry.“The field of space science

and technology and the value chain of its applications play a vital role in the socio-economic and industrial development of our territories, making this collaboration and technology transfer a definitive reinforcement of Mexican capabilities for developing satellites,” said Dr. Mendieta Jiménez.“Mexico is undergoing major transformations that

represent new opportunities for space. NEC has a long history of providing products and services in Mexico, including technologies for the TV broadcast of the 1968 Olympic Games. The Mexican Space Agency has already identified projects and activities of mutual interest and we look forward to building on this agreement,” said Dr. Endo.

NEC and the Mexican Space Agency collaboratein satellite development

John Celli, President-SSL


Newtec Dialog is a scalable and flexible multiservice platform which allows operators to build and adapt their infrastructure easily as their business and the satellite market grows and changes. “IBC 2014 marks the European Launch of our Newtec Dialog platform, which is designed to be used for every type of network: from the very smallest, to the very largest,

and from single coverage to multispot High Throughput Satellite (HTS) networks,” said Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec. Newtec Dialog is designed

to give operators optimal modulation and bandwidth allocation regardless of the application it is being used for. Newtec’s engineers have achieved this by inventing a new patented return link technology called Mx-DMA™ or Cross-Dimensional Multiple Access. Together with the new HighResCoding™(HRC), it combines the best of both worlds. It incorporates the

best features of MF-TDMA and SCPC technologies and enables services to run more efficiently than ever before over satellite, while still providing the option to have the platform also run

in either SCPC or MF-TDMA. ReturnonEfficiency:EfficientResource ManagementFor dedicated capacity services Mx-DMA™ typically brings two attractive options when compared to SCPC: save more than 35% bandwidth or serve 54% more customers with the same bandwidth.DVB-S2X Is only a Software Upgrade AwayNewtec’s professional 6000 series of broadcast satellite modulators, modems, OEM boards and hubs are now software upgradeable to the new DVB-S2X transmission standard. DVB-S2X reaches efficiency gains over DVB-S2 of up to 51% for high speed professional applications and up to 20% for Direct-To-Home (DTH) applications. This is much needed as the growing consumption of video and data, and the ever growing consumer demand for higher quality video such as HD and (4K) UHDTV, continue to

squeeze bandwidth. Satellite operators and broadcasters using Newtec’s equipment cut costs or deliver more and higher quality content within the same capacity.Wide Range of Single and Multiservice Applications As a pioneer in the industry, Newtec is dedicated to creating new possibilities for the broadcast, cellular backhaul & trunking, consumer & enterprise VSAT, government & defense, maritime, offshore & mobility markets. Our products and technologies can be applied in a wide range of single and multiservice applications from DTH broadcasting, video contribution and distribution and disaster recovery and backbones for cellular backhauling, to small and medium enterprises, SCADA networks, manned and unmanned aircrafts, border control and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR). `

IBC 2014 marks the European launch of Newtec Dialog®For the first time at IBC, Newtec is showcasing its efficient, flexible and scalable Newtec Dialog® multiservice platform to visitors at its booth in hall 1, A49

Newtec is showcasing its new multiservice platform at IBC2014: Newtec Dialog®, the platform that embraces change


Divona, the Algerian VSAT operator providing telecom services (Internet, voice

and data) in Algeria and the Middle East, has announced that it has selected Eutelsat Communications to consolidate its network connectivity offer to mobile telecom operators and enterprises.

Divona has signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat for a 72 MHz transponder on

the EUTELSAT 21B satellite that delivers optimum coverage of the regions where it concentrates its operations, notably Algeria and Southern Europe.This establishes Eutelsat as a key provider of satellite

capacity to Divona in a market where it has built multiple partnerships with the leading telecom and broadcast players accelerating the deployment of digital infrastructure. This latest contract takes to nine the number of transpondersleased by Eutelsat to Algerian clients.Karim Cherfaoui, CEO of Divona, stated: “This first contract signed with Eutelsat underpins Divona’s strategy to provide network continuity for national and international players operating in fields where we have recognised expertise including mobile telecoms, oil exploration and production as well as industrial integration.”Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial and

Development Officer, added: “Divona’s selection of EUTELSAT 21B highlights our premium coverage of Africa’s largest country. The steady expansion of our activities in Algeria reflects our ambition to support the business of telecom operators who are at the forefront of the transition to digital across the entire country.”

Divona picks Eutelsat to pursue its development in Algeria

www.eutelsat.com – Follow us on Twitter @Eutelsat_SA and Facebook Eutelsat.SA

Divona picks Eutelsat to pursue its development in Algeria

Paris, 23 July 2014 - Divona, the Algerian VSAT operator providing telecom services (Internet,

voice and data) in Algeria and the Middle East, announces it has selected Eutelsat

Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) to consolidate its network connectivity offer to

mobile telecom operators and enterprises.

Divona has signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat for a 72 MHz transponder on the

EUTELSAT 21B satellite that delivers optimum coverage of the regions where it concentrates its

operations, notably Algeria and Southern Europe.

This establishes Eutelsat as a key provider of satellite capacity to Divona in a market where it has

built multiple partnerships with the leading telecom and broadcast players accelerating the

deployment of digital infrastructure. This latest contract takes to nine the number of transponders

leased by Eutelsat to Algerian clients.

Karim Cherfaoui, CEO of Divona, stated: “This first contract signed with Eutelsat underpins

Divona’s strategy to provide network continuity for national and international players operating in

fields where we have recognised expertise including mobile telecoms, oil exploration and

production as well as industrial integration.”

Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial and Development Officer, added:

“Divona’s selection of EUTELSAT 21B highlights our premium coverage of Africa’s largest

country. The steady expansion of our activities in Algeria reflects our ambition to support the

business of telecom operators who are at the forefront of the transition to digital across the entire

country.”

Michel AzibertDeputy CEO-Eutelsat

Eutelsat Communications has appointed Leonard Wapler as Chief Financial Officer of Eutelsat Americas, based in Mexico City. Leonard joined Eutelsat in May 2011 and has been Head of Investor Relations since 2013. As Financial Business Manager, his assignments have also included the Satmex acquisition financing. Prior to Eutelsat, he was a Corporate Relationship Manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland, and worked in auditing and

transaction advisory services at PwC and Ernst & Young. He is a graduate of HEC (Paris), the French business school. Joanna Darlington will become Eutelsat’s Head of Investor Relations on 1 September, reporting to the CFO. She joins Eutelsat from the Corporate Advisory Group of KPMG Makinson Cowell. Previously, she was head of European equity research at BNP Paribas and head of Pan-European

research at ABN AMRO Hoare Govett. Joanna is a graduate of the University of

Cambridge.Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO, commented: “Leonard’s appointment to Eutelsat Americas will further strengthen its management team, led by Patricio Northland, while reinforcing the alignment of the group’s practices. We are delighted to welcome Joanna, whose extensive financial markets experience will enhance our communication with the investment community.”

Leonard Wapler appointed CFO of Eutelsat Americas Joanna Darlington joins Eutelsat as Head of Investor Relations

Leonard Wapler


Eutelsat Communications has announced it has sealed procurement and launch contracts with Airbus Defence and Space and Arianespace for the EUTELSAT 172B satellite.As an early follow-on programme to EUTELSAT 172A, the new triple mission satellite will provide continuity and expansion capacity at Eutelsat’s 172° East orbital position that is a prime gateway for services in the Asia Pacific region.The 3.5 tonne satellite to be manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space will be launched by an Ariane 5 rocket in first half 2017 and will use electric propulsion for initial in-orbit raising and all station-keeping manoeuvres. The reduction in mass will enable this powerful (13 kW) satellite to be launched with the Ariane 5 lower position, offering lower launch costs. In-orbit raising is expected to take approximately four months.EUTELSAT 172B will host

regular C-band and Ku-band payloads. It will also host the Pacific Ocean Region’s first Ku-band High Throughput payload which Panasonic Avionics Corporation has already selected as its key growth platform for in-flight broadband and live TV for commercial airlines on trans-Pacific and Asian routes. The procurement contracts announced with Airbus Defence and Space and Arianespace, two leading players in the European space industry, reflect Eutelsat’s commitment to innovation that contributes to increasing competitivity and improving customer service. In addition to electric propulsion for in-orbit raising, EUTELSAT 172B will be Eutelsat’s first satellite equipped to dynamically distribute power between beams connected to its High Throughput payload. This facility will enable Eutelsat to respond to traffic variations across the eight time zones

covered by the payload’s 11 beams that span from the Western seaboard of North America to South-East Asia. Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO, said: “With the allocation of the contracts to manufacture and launch EUTELSAT 172B awarded to Airbus Defence and Space and Arianespace, we are placing our trust once again in two industry leaders who understand our rigour and high expectations. Through a combination of three distinct payloads, electric propulsion and dynamic power distribution, EUTELSAT 172B reflects our commitment to innovations that benefit our customers and raises the game for the satellite business.”

EUTELSAT 172B payloads:• A C-band payload of 14 physical transponders delivering increased power and broader coverage to enhance service and tap into new growth markets in South East

Asia.• A regular Ku-band payload of 36 physical transponders that will more than double capacity at 172° East. Transponders will be connected to five improved service areas: North Pacific, North East Asia, South East Pacific, South West Pacific and South Pacific.• A High Throughput Ku-band payload specifically designed for in-flight broadband, featuring multiple user spots optimised to serve densely-used Asian and trans-Pacific flight paths and interconnected to gateways operating in the Ka band. This new payload will be the first customised for in-flight connectivity over the Pacific Ocean Region, delivering an overall throughput of 1.8 Gbps to an underserved market forecast to enjoy sustained growth over the coming years.EUTELSAT 172B will be based on the Eurostar E3000 platform of Airbus Defence and Space.

Eutelsat ties up procurement and launch contracts for EUTELSAT 172B Asia-Pacific Satellite


Eutelsat Communications andMultiChoice Africa, one of Africa’s most prominent media companies, have inked a far-reaching agreement that will ensure the continuing expansion of the DStv pay-TV platform over the coming 15years. The multi-transponder contract also further anchors Eutelsat’s neighbourhood of high-power satellites at 36° East as the point of reference for broadcasting in sub-Saharan Africa.To live up to its brand promise of delivering a television experience marked by quality and choice, MultiChoice Africa will take advantage of the entire payload of 15 Ku-band transponders connectedto the African service area of the EUTELSAT 36C satellite that will be launched next year.In advance of the launch, MultiChoice has also booked two transponders on the

EUTELSAT 36A broadcast satellite that provides reach of the 38 countries in sub-Saharan Africa served by the DStv platform.Following the launch of EUTELSAT 36C, MultiChoice Africa will be leasing a total of 36 Eutelsat transponders. In addition to securing bandwidth for new Standard

Definition and HighDefinition channels and services, the agreement equips MultiChoice Africa with in-orbit back-up capacity that will increase network continuity.Nico Meyer, CEO of MultiChoice Africa, said: “We are delighted to make this announcement with Eutelsat who have partnered with us to meet the needs of our growing business in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is exciting to be planning this new expansion with a company that is not only committed to ensuring we are able to provide the best television experience to our subscribers, but a company that, like ourselves, is committed to making a difference in Africa through investing in developmental projects. We look forward to being able to provide new and exciting services to

our DStv subscribers in the future.”Michel de Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Eutelsat, responded: “Our sustained investment over 20 years in high-power broadcast satellites for Africa has anchored Eutelsat as a key infrastructure provider supporting the transition to a digital environment and delivering viewers both diversity and quality. With the agreement announced, we are extending our longstanding relationship with one of Africa’s most go-ahead media companies over the coming 15 years. It is a privilege to be MultiChoice’s chosen partner in 38 African countries and to demonstrate our broader commitment toAfrica via the annual DStv Eutelsat Star Awards that sparks scientific thinking by school children across Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Eutelsat America Corp., the US affiliate of Eutelsat Communications has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force to support the deployment of future US Government payloads (hosted payloads) on its satellites.Eutelsat America Corp., joins a limited number of prequalified companies eligible to provideHosted Payload Services to the US Government for a five-

year ordering period. Eutelsat will compete for future orders up to a maximum combined value of US$494,900,000 under this firmfixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract managed as part of the US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Hosted Payload Solutions (HoPS) programme.In addition to the space and

ground systems, the HoPS mission will also include related on-orbit support for data transfer from a hosted payload to government end-users.The purpose of the multiple awarded HoPS IDIQ contract is to provide a rapid and flexible way for the US government to place government payloads on commercial satellites.David Bair, President of

Eutelsat America Corp., commented, “This award validates the high technical standards and quality work of Eutelsat and builds on over ten years of successful support to the US Government by Eutelsat America Corp.. We are very proud to be part of thisexciting new approach for government’s access to space.”

MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat strike new long-term multi-transponder agreement

Eutelsat America Corp. eligible to provide Hosted Payload Services to US Government

Nico Meyer CEO-Multichoice Africa


Abu Dhabi’s YahSat has accumu-lated 30,000 global customers for its satellite broadband service YahClick as it finalises plans to award a contract for the design and manufacture of its third satellite.Between 60 and 70 per cent of

the service’s subscribers are in African markets, according to the company’s chief executive Masood Sharif Mahmood.YahClick, which launched com-mercially in 2012, had 20,000 subscribers at the end of last year. The service is available in 14 countries across the Middle East, Africa, central and south-west Asia.The company is in the process of

rolling out the service across the remaining 14 countries in its satel-lite footprint, said Mr Mahmood.Yahsat has recently announced that it would launch its third sat-ellite, Yah 3. The new satellite will expand the company’s Ka-band coverage – which offers satellite

broadband and backhaul, or data distribution, services for tele-coms networks – to an additional 17 countries and 600 million users across Africa and Latin America, including coverage for more than 95 per cent of the population in Brazil.Ka-band provides increased spectrum compared with other frequency ranges such as C-band and Ku-band, enabling greater

volumes of traffic to be trans-mitted.Mr Mahmoud said a contract for the design and manufacture of the third satellite, scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2016, will be announced in the coming months.“We’re in the final stages of making a decision,” he said. “I’d say the decision has pretty much been made, we’re just going through the final formalities.”In addition to Astrium and Thales, which together built the company’s two existing satel-lites, YahSat has held discussions with Boeing, Loral and Orbital Sciences for the design and man-ufacture of the new satellite.The company’s first satellite, Y1A, was launched in April 2011, followed by Y1B a year later.YahSat, a wholly owned subsid-iary of the Abu Dhabi Govern-ment’s strategic investment vehicle Mubadala Development, offers satellite services to the UAE Government in addition to its commercial services.While the majority of the company’s revenues come from government, the commercial segment is expected to grow to

match those revenues in the coming years, said Mr Mahmood.“We’ve seen commercial rev-enues ramping up in a healthy way over the last years,” he said, declining to give further details.“I think within five years the commercial business will be on par with the government business.”In addition to YahClick, the company offers HD satellite TV services, satellite links for corpo-rate data networks and mobile phone operators, together with managed communications ser-vices for both government and commercial players.

30,000 global customers on board for YahSat satellite broadband service

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar, Inc. has announced that FindMySheep AS, the pioneering M2M animal tracking firm, has purchased 12,000 Globalstar STXII simplex transmitters and associated data services for its

revolutionary animal tracking collars. The firm has already activated all 12,000 M2M tracking collars– mainly on sheep and cattle in Norway.Findmysheep is also involved in trials where the collar is used to monitor cattle in Brazil and endangered species in North

Africa.FindMySheep chose Globalstar’s widely deployed M2M STXII chipset for its size, ruggedness, good battery life, ease of integration and competitive price point. The company is also trialing Globalstar’s new STXIII chipset,

which is a third of the size of the STXII and delivers the lowest power consumption in the M2M industry. FindMySheep plans to migrate to the STXIII chipset, which will result in a more sleek design, in time for the 2015 grazing season.

Globalstar equips FindMySheep with 12,000 transmitters for satellite-based M2M animal tracking

Masood Sharif MahmoodCEO-YahSat


ABS has expanded its global presence in Johannesburg, South Africa and formed a new Sales liaison office to support

its growing business in the Africa continent.This new office will house the sales and technical members of the Africa team, which will work alongside the regional Middle East office based in Dubai. ABS Africa will be responsible for business development, local sales

liaison services and customer support throughout this region.“Expanding our presence in

Africa enables us to develop closer relationships with our customers and engineering teams, ensuring we deliver faster local service and support in helping customers to optimize their growth and successes,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “With the launch of ABS-3A satellite at the end

of this year/early 2015, we will provide additional capacity to serve this dynamic growing market.”ABS is a young, dynamic and fast growing global satellite operator. ABS offers a complete range of tailored solutions including broadcasting, data and telecommunication services to broadcasters, service providers, enterprises and government organizations.ABS operates a fleet of six satellites; ABS-1A, ABS-3, ABS-4/Mobisat-1, ABS-6, ABS-7 and the recently launched ABS-2. The satellite fleet covers 80% of the world’s population across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, CIS and Russia.ABS has also procured two Boeing 702SP satellites (ABS-3A & ABS-2A) planned for launch in late 2014 and 2015 with the options to add more

satellites over the next 2-3 years to its growing satellite fleet.Headquartered in Bermuda, ABS has offices in the United States, Dubai, South Africa, Germany, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. ABS is majority owned by funds managed by the European Private Equity firm Permira. The Permira funds acquired ABS in 2010.

The Africa team for Garmin Sub-Saharan Africa will be hosting meetings in Lusaka, Zambia to meet with buyers, potential resellers and business partners on 26-29 August. The purpose of the Garmin trade delegation is to engage and meet with prospective buyers, resellers and businesses partners who are involved in the fishing, farming, agriculture, oil and gas, land development, surveying, navigation, and health and wellness industries.

Garmin’s Outdoor GPS products or tools are suited to developing economies where infrastructure requirements are extensive and mapping out of new boundaries, roads, waypoints are key to the countries expansion. Sustainable farming and the information required to plot out a field, calculate the area for planting seedlings or determining the land gradient of your farm to select the most suitable pump are just some key uses of our

products.Garmin Navigation devices come preloaded with full map coverage for ten (10) countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. With more than 1.2 million km of roads, including motorways, national and regional thoroughfares and local roads and over 378,300 points of interest allowing you to find restaurants, petrol/gasoline stations, lodging,

attractions, railways and more.Marine Echo range of fish finders make use of GPS and sonar technology to map and view fish under water, so fishermen can see where the fish are, and mark the exact waypoint so they can keep record of their fishing spots.Garmin’s range of Fitness watches track time, speed, distance, calories, cadence and even heart rate, perfect for runners, cyclists and gym goers.

ABS expands its operations in Johannesburg, South Africa

Garmin, the Global Leader in GPS Satellite Technology, is calling on buyers in Southern Africa

Tom Choi, CEO-ABS


The Arab Advisors Group team has analyzed the Arabic series broadcast on satellite Pay TV channels during Ramadan, 2014. The analysis encompassed forty eight Arabic series broadcast on satellite Pay TV providers that cater specifically to the Arab region. Arab Advisors Group analysis revealed that the main focus of satellite Pay TV channels was on drama Arabic series, as they constituted 37.5% of total Arabic series aired. Out of the 18 satellite Pay TV channels covered in the report, three channels did not air any drama Arabic series during Ramadan, 2014.

The new report, “Arabic Series on Satellite Pay TV Channels during Ramadan 2014” was released to the Arab Advisors Group’s Media Strategic Research Service subscribers on July 23, 2014. report, which has 17 detailed exhibits, provides analysis of the Arabic series broadcast on satellite Pay TV channels targeting the Arab world. The report includes analysis of forty eight Arabic series on eighteen satellite Pay TV channels during Ramadan 2014. The report also covers the production houses involved in the production of the analyzed Arabic series.

Satellite Pay TV channels aired 41 new Arabic series during Ramadan 2014

Arabsat has awarded a contract to GMV to provide a complete Satellite Control Centre (SCC) for its existing and upcoming fleet of satellites.Arabsat has been using a heterogeneous SCC solution for the past ten years to operate its satellite fleet but has recently decided to establish a more direct and long partnership with a specialised SCC vendor and move to a homogenous, flexible and robust system that enables seamless operations of various satellite platforms with an increased level of operational reliability.The agreement calls for procurement of a turnkey solution comprising of RTS (Real Time System based on GMV hifly product) and FDS (Flight Dynamics System based on GMV focusgeo product) along with all auxiliary and support applications that incorporate Arabsat’s existing fleet of six satellites with option to include two more satellites before the end of 2014. The agreement also includes provisions for addition of more satellites from different known platforms in the long term.“This partnership with GMV further highlights Arabsat’s drive to remain a global leader in telecom satellite operations. The GMV solution will increase reliability of our monitoring and control operations through system homogeneity and automation. It will also enable us to better optimise our operations and engineering resources in order to deliver the best service to our customers,” said Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO of Arabsat.Jorge Potti, GMV’s General Manager of Aerospace commented: “This new contract award will help forge an even closer partnership between GMV and Arabsat, a relationship that now dates right back to ten years ago; and will consolidate our leadership worldwide as Ground Systems supplier for commercial telecommunications operators.”

Arabsat selects GMV for monitoring

Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems will build the Intelsat 35e high-throughput telecommunications satellite scheduled for launch in 2017 under a contract El Segundo, California-based Boeing.The contract continues Boeing’s run as a favored supplier for Washington- and Luxembourg-based Intelsat. The company won a four-satellite order in 2009, of which the last one became Intelsat 29e, the first of Intelsat’s Epic line of high-throughput satellites using Ku-band frequencies. It is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2015.In May 2013, Boeing and Intelsat agreed on a second four-pack order. Intelsat 35e will follow the Intelsat IS-903 satellite at 34.5 degrees west longitude for coverage of the Americas, Africa and Europe. Intelsat has three more Epic-class satellites planned for launch between 2017 and 2019.

Boeing to build Intelsat 35e High-throughput Satellite


MEASAT Satellite Systems has announced an agreement with Pilipinas Global Network Limited (“PGN Limited”) for capacity on MEASAT-3.Under the terms of the agreement, PGN Limited will use MEASAT-3’s global beam to distribute the Aksyon TV International and Kapatid TV5 channels to over 120 countries across Asia Pacific, Australia, the Middle East and Eastern Africa.Kapatid TV5 is a 24-hour general entertainment Tagalog

language channel and prides itself in its ability to capture

the pulse of the Filipino people. AksyonTV International is a 24-hour Tagalog language channel dedicated to bringing the latest in News and Philippine Sports.“PGN Limited will leverage on MEASAT-3’s excellent coverage to expand international distribution of Kapatid TV5 and AksyonTV International,” said Claro Carmelo “Ito” Ramirez, President & CEO, PGN Limited. “MEASAT-3’s established orbital location is already accessible to many

pay TV operators and we look forward to bringing our homegrown content across to more Filipinos all over Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.”“MEASAT is pleased to welcome PGN Limited to Asia’s premier video neighbourhood,” said Raj Malik, SVP – Sales and Marketing, MEASAT. “We wish PGN Limited much success in bringing high quality Filipino programming to audiences across Asia and Africa.”

PGNL chooses MEASAT for International distribution

Raj Malik, SVP-MEASAT

Steering the next wave of connected vehiclesWhile the connected car concept is not new, satellite technology has the potential to significantly broaden the possibilities for the next generation of connected vehicles.

New developments in connected vehicles have transformed the automotive industry as we know it today. By enabling connectivity for drivers on the move, connected vehicles can help enhance traffic safety, reduce travel time, as well as improve fuel efficiency. According to a report by GSMA, the global connected vehicle market is expected to grow threefold to reach an estimated value of EUR39 billion in 20181. Consumer expectations for connectivity in the car have evolved beyond GPS route-mapping — and are shifting towards high-speed internet availability and the deployment of smartphone integration systems. At the same time, new developments in the connected car market are on

the rise to meet the increased demand among car owners for safety and security features. For instance, it has been reported that the United States is exploring a regulatory framework to make machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity mandatory to achieve auto safety improvements2. Driving change with satellite communications Satellite technology has the potential to significantly broaden the possibilities of connected vehicles, and Thuraya is now working closely with car manufacturers to take on the challenge of extending M2M connectivity. Currently, M2M depends mainly on GSM networks, which can be limited in terms of network coverage, especially for vehicles that are required to

cross international borders or be deployed in remote locations. Backed by our congestion-free satellite coverage, Thuraya is able to provide solutions that address mission-critical needs in rural and remote areas — such as border patrol units that need reliable coverage to transmit video images back to their headquarters, or an emergency response vehicle requiring communications anywhere. The Thuraya IP Voyager, our new vehicular satellite terminal, is designed to connect at broadband speeds of up to 444kbps while on the move. Beyond this, Thuraya is stepping up its efforts to address customer requirements for connectivity in the commercial vehicle arena. The challenge here is to source antennas that are

available at a cost that would be viable for a commercial car. Existing vehicle antennas are mounted on the vehicle roof, which is feasible for the non-commercial sector. But how many car owners would want to have an antenna mounted on the roof? Thuraya is seeking opportunities to work with developers to create flat panel antennas that are aesthetically pleasing to customers and are affordable. Another key concern that needs to be addressed is security. With recent incidents such as NSA hacking making the headlines, many car owners may still be uncomfortable with the idea of opening up their vehicles to mobile connectivity in general. For connected cars to gain commercial traction,

Contd. on P-36

By: Asher Faredi, Product Manager of Land Data and Marwan Joudeh, Product Manager for M2M and Product Lifecycle Management at Thuraya


Satellite fleet operator SES said it had selected Airbus Defence and Space to build a large Ku-/Ka-band broadcast satellite for East Asia that will use electric propulsion both for in-orbit station-keeping and initial orbit-raising.The satellite, SES-12, will carry a backup chemical propellant system but nonetheless puts Luxembourg-based SES firmly on the still-small list of companies that are using electric propulsion to shave hundreds of kilograms of launch weight from large-capacity satellites. The lightweight electric propulsion systems replace chemical thrusters for the orbit-raising phase between a satellite’s separation from its launch vehicle and its arrival in geostationary position.SES-12 will be based on Airbus’ Eurostar E3000 satellite platform. It is scheduled for launch in late 2017 on a rocket yet to be selected. Operating at 95 degrees east, SES-12 will both add new capacity to this SES slot and replace the NSS-6 satellite there now. SES-8, also at that orbital slot, will be co-

located with SES-12.Airbus said the new satellite would weigh about 5,300 kilograms at launch. An SES official said the same satellite — carrying 68 high-powered Ku-band transponders and eight Ka-band transponders, with 19 kilowatts of power to the payload and eight antennas — would weigh well over 6,000 kilograms if it used only chemical propellant. Lowering a satellite’s launch mass usually affords savings in launch costs.Airbus said that depending on which launch vehicle is selected, it will take SES-12 between three and six

months to climb from the rocket’s drop-off point to final geostationary position, compared to just a couple of weeks using chemical propellant.“We have been using electric propulsion for station-keeping for 10 years now and have equipped 10 Eurostar E3000 satellites with this technology, which we are now also offering for initial orbit raising,” Airbus Space Systems Director Francois Auque said in a July 17 statement. “The resulting weight savings will enable us to combine two high-capacity missions equivalent to two

conventional satellites into one satellite.”The satellite will combine a conventional direct-to-home television broadcast mission with a high-throughput mission employing frequency reuse with multiple spot beams in both Ku- and Ka-band.SES said the wide-beam mission includes 54 transponders — measured in 36-megahertz equivalents, rather than in physical transponders — to replace NSS-6 and allow for growth in the satellite television business in India, Indonesia and other markets in the Asia-Pacific region.A second mission of the 70 Ku-band spot beams and 11 Ka-band spot beams, with a total throughput capacity of more than 14 gigahertz, will be enterprise broadband, mobility and government services. For these applications, the satellite will employ a digital transparent transponder to permit SES to move bandwidth around to avoid signal jamming and to allocate capacity depending on customer demand.

SES jumps on Electric-propulsion Bandwagon with latest satellite order

satellite operators and car manufacturers need to collaborate closely to address these security concerns. In the Middle East, for instance, many governments closely regulate vehicular telematics service providers to provide the assurance that user privacy is safeguarded.An important advantage

that satellite operators have over GSM service providers is their ability to provide an affordable, uniform and optimized cost for their connectivity, even across international borders, as opposed to expensive roaming charges under cellular coverage. This helps facilitate new business models

for the car manufacturers that are currently not possible with cellular data, as well as enables Thuraya to leverage its unique position in being able to offer satellite-enabled cellular roaming. Towards a truly connected vehicle The growing demand for connected vehicles promises massive business potential

for many sectors, from satellite operators and product developers to vehicle manufacturers. As satellite technology plays a critical role in enabling connectivity for vehicles, Thuraya will continue to develop and deliver innovations that will drive the future of connected vehicles.

Steering the next wave.....Contd. from P-35


Inmarsat boss Rupert Pearce explains the firm’s mission.Walking past Inmarsat’s imposing head office on Old Street roundabout is probably the closest the average Londoner will ever come to travelling through space. Inmarsat oversees 11 satellites in orbit. The 35-year-old company is light years ahead of the government’s proposal, unveiled last week, to establish a spaceport in Britain some time in 2018.The “flying room” at Inmarsat’s headquarters had just two men tracking the six-tonne vessels when City A.M. visited, with both quietly concentrating on screens filled with flickering data cells.Next door is Inmarsat’s vast data wall, with hexagons plotted across a world map flashing when a user taps into a satellite’s service. Some regions are fixed in blue, warning engineers not to interfere with the signal: Brazil during the World Cup; Ukraine, where political unrest makes satellite calls particularly important; and the ocean around Perth, where the search for Flight MH370 continues. Inmarsat became a major part of the hunt for the Malaysia Airlines plane in March, when one of its satellites picked up an empty “ping” signal from the plane’s interaction with a ground station, helping dramatically narrow the search area.For a company that typically deals in government and maritime communications, becoming the focus of public attention, with thousands of phone calls a day asking for information, came as a shock.“There was a huge media interest in this extraordinary story about a Boeing 777 just disappearing almost completely off the radar screen, literally. And we were very conscious that we weren’t the story, and we should never be the story,” says chief executive Rupert Pearce, looking back at Inmarsat’s involvement in the search.The FTSE 250 company has offered to track all commercial flights for free, in the hope that these types of tragedies can be avoided. It also sells a more sophisticated “black box in the cloud” service, enabling

airlines to pull data from an aircraft, or even access cockpit cameras, as soon as it veers off course or otherwise acts unusually. “I think airlines are finding that their customers are saying, ‘How can this happen? How can you guarantee that your aircraft will be tracked?’” says Pearce, adding that around 11,000 planes already carry some sort of Inmarsat equipment.Inmarsat, formed by the International Maritime Organization in the 1970s and privatised in the 1990s, has long played a part in aviation safety. Pearce aims to broaden the firm into a more everyday side of air travel, by linking commercial planes across Europe to its broadband internet connection via a new Europasat satellite in 2016.British Airways has agreed in principle to be its first customer, and the firm is in talks with around half a dozen others. It’s been five or six years in the making, since Europe passed laws enabling terrestrial and satellite networks to work in tandem, and follows the advent of in-air Wi-Fi in the US.Pearce is slightly apprehensive about introducing endless phone calls to the skies. “Obviously as a human being, the answer is to a degree,” he says. “I think the utility of being able to be connected massively outweighs the down-side.”Another big project on Pearce’s desk is Global Xpress, its first new satellites in five years, which will offer 50 megabit-per-

second broadband for everything from steering drone ships across oceans to tweeting in the Sahara.The first Global Xpress satellite was fired into space in December, and two more are edging their way towards launch, which Pearce says is “a huge relief” after three years of planning.Inmarsat has spent $2bn (£1.17bn) in four years on capital-intensive projects, and while the firm has also increased its dividend eight years in a row, Pearce said that in the past it has been tough to explain the company’s mission.“Inmarsat listed in 2005 and I remember at the time it was a big challenge to explain how the satellite world works, how we grow, and what our business model is. But I think since then, Inmarsat has grown and diversified and we’ve carried with us a story that’s matured as we’ve gone.”The company has also had some hair-raising moments on shareholder votes in recent years, though this May’s annual shareholder meeting saw all resolutions passed comfortably. Andy Sukawaty, the firm’s executive chairman, is due to step back into a non-exec role by the end of the year following a three-year handover of power to Pearce, who joined in 2005 as the firm’s legal counsel. “I think come what may, some shareholders will not have wanted to see that kind of evolution, and some might have supported it but felt voting in favour of it for corporate governance reasons would have created a precedent that they didn’t want to create.”Pearce is otherwise complimentary about London’s support for the firm, and the government’s efforts to encourage aerospace companies in Britain. He has been keeping tabs on another British space company, Virgin Galactic, as it works to launch commercial space flights – not least because the firm’s operations chief lives next door to him. However, Pearce adds that he’s “not yet” used his connections to get a ticket on the first flight.Still, he’s closer than most of us will ever get to reaching space.

Inmarsat: The London firm leading the race into outer spaceInmarsat: The London firm leading the race into outer space


In wake of telecom consolidation, few deals are left

Inmarsat to Host IRG Workshop

Telecommunications bankers are running out of deals to pitch.

Over the past three years, a rush of multibillion-dollar acquisitions has reshaped the United States wireless market. Now, with Sprint and T-Mobile zeroing in on an agreement to join forces, one of the last big deals for the industry may be nearing an announcement.Some of the deals that have led up to this moment were foregone conclusions. Verizon always planned to take full control of Verizon Wireless, but waited until the debt mar-kets could support its $130 bil-lion purchase from Vodafone, its partner in the venture.Others had been long rumored and finally came to fruition. AfterAT&T was blocked by regulators in its attempt to acquire T-Mobile, it was expected that T-Mobile would try to grow on its own. That’s why it merged with MetroPCS.Others were surprise moves that set off a chain reaction that is still playing out. AT&T, unable to buy more wireless

customers, has turned its at-tention to television, agreeing to buy DirecTV.The lines separating tele-phone, Internet and television companies, meanwhile, con-tinue to blur, as each muscles into the others’ territory.But between these an-nounced deals and the impending announcement by Sprint and T-Mobile, it is hard to see what meaningful assets telecommunications companies can set their sights on next. In the wake of all this consolidation, there are only a few potential targets remaining.Dish Network, the satellite television provider, has lucrative customer relation-ships and a trove of spectrum. With AT&T buying DirecTV, an acquisition of Dish could be a reasonable counterpunch by Verizon or a combined Sprint/T-Mobile. But Charles Ergen, Dish’s chief executive and controlling shareholder, is notoriously unpredictable. And it is not clear that rivals

plan to mimic AT&T’s strategy, especially with Dish’s market capitalization of more than $26 billion.Another potential target could be U.S. Cellular, a small wireless carrier based out of Chicago. With a market capi-talization of about $3.5 billion, U.S. Cellular is small enough that most of the big telecom-munications companies could easily acquire it.But with about four million customers, the company doesn’t provide much addi-tional scale. What is more, U.S. Cellular is family con-trolled, complicating any deal.Another takeover target could be CenturyLink, a Louisiana-based provider of Internet, landline and televi-sion services. But CenturyLink already is a reseller of Veri-zon’s wireless services and DirecTV’s satellite television offerings. And with a market value of more than $20 billion, the company is not cheap.“It’s hard to see many more megadeals without further

blurring the lines,” said Jeffer-son Wang of IBB Consulting. Instead, Mr. Wang said, the big wireless providers were likely to pursue content deals that layered media services on top of basic telephone service. For example, Sprint has struck a deal with Spotify that gives friends and family a discount on the streaming music service.Of course, Sprint’s deal for T-Mobile hasn’t yet been an-nounced, let alone approved. And AT&T and DirecTV, and Comcast and Time Warner Ca-ble, are still seeking approval for their tie-ups.But if the current crop of deals are approved, the wire-less industry — having shrunk from six major carriers to three in a matter of years — is unlikely to change much more anytime soon.Combining ForcesT-Mobile’s planned merger with Sprint would be about the 18th-largest deal in the telecommunications industry since 1984.

The Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) has announced that its next workshop will be hosted by Inmarsat at its London Headquarters from 21st - 22nd October.The workshop will focus on the next steps in interference mitigation, such as using commercial interference initiatives applied to the military environment; VSAT Interference from TDMA/Burst

Mode Systems, Geolocation and the “spin-off” technology ideas derived from the detection developments of Carrier ID.Participants will gain valuable insight into the current initiatives and the next steps, as well as having the opportunity to input into the discussion around new technology and what else the industry and IRG, in particular, should be doing to reduce

satellite interference.“We are pleased to be holding our next workshop at Inmarsat’s HQ,” commented Martin Coleman, Executive Director; the Satellite Interference Reduction Group. “Inmarsat has been, and continues to be, a valuable supporter and contributor to all interference initiatives.” “Interference is an issue that affects the entire industry,” commented Mark Steel,

Director, User Terminal Development. GX, Inmarsat. “We are pleased to be hosting this important workshop, which we are certain will once again be filled with positive and interesting discussions, helping us, as an industry, to progress those initiatives further.”IRG is currently seeking speaking proposals for the workshop, which can be emailed to [email protected].

By DAVID GELLES


Intelsat has announced that it has entered into a new, multi-year agreement with MSTelcom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Angolan national oil & gas company, Sonangol E.P. MSTelcom will leverage Intelsat’s satellite and network expertise to offer high quality, reliable and cost-efficient broadband service to consumers and corporations operating in the oil and gas and banking sectors within Angola. Under the agreement, Intelsat will deliver a fully managed broadband service that provides Internet access into and out of Angola. The network will leverage C- band capacity on Intelsat 14 at 315º East and on Intelsat 22 at 72º East, as well as the company’s IntelsatOneSM terrestrial network.

MSTelcom initially will provide point-to-point Internet broadband service, and the design of the Intelsat network will enable the transition to a point-to-multipoint service that allows MSTelcom to share bandwidth among multiple sites to best serve

customer needs. Intelsat’s satellite solutions will facilitate network services such as the termination of IP traffic and connectivity between remote sites and corporate headquarters.“Intelsat has been an important partner for MSTelcom in providing communications throughout Angola,” said Oldemiro Diogo Cundo Napoleão, Head of Marketing for MSTelcom. “Intelsat’s satellite capacity combined with its technical support helps ensure that our employees continue to provide high quality, reliable and responsive services to our customers. We renewed our agreement with Intelsat as we believe that they are the best satellite operator to support our goal of satisfying the

growing broadband demands of the Angolan business sector and the country as a whole.”“By working closely with our customers and having a strong understanding of connectivity needs in the regions they serve, we are able to provide satellite and terrestrial services that best meet their end-users’ demands,” said Grant Marais, Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Africa Sales. “We look forward to providing MSTelecom with a broadband network that incorporates our satellite and terrestrial solutions, as well as operational support that will help MSTelcom deliver and expand both its geographic reach and the services provided to corporate enterprises and communities within Angola.”

Intelsat, the world’s leading provider of satellite services, has announced that Orange Niger, part of the Orange Group, is utilizing Intelsat capacity to expand its cellular network to the rural regions of Niger.Under the new, multi-year agreement, Intelsat will provide C-band broadband capacity to Orange Niger on Intelsat 903 at 325.5º East to support its deployment of cellular backhaul services in Niger. Orange Niger plans to use its expanded network reach to offer high-quality, reliable broadband services to corporate

enterprises and provide mobile telecommunications services to customers within Niger. When the Intelsat 35e satellite enters service, scheduled for 2017, Orange Niger will be able to seamlessly transition to the new satellite.“By partnering with Intelsat, we are now able to introduce mobile telecom services to corporations and communities in the most remote regions of the country,” said Brelotte Ba, CEO of Orange Niger. “Intelsat’s robust satellite services will support the rapid expansion of our service territory, much of which

includes challenging terrain. And the satellite-based solution will allow us to add new subscribers and introduce new services in a cost-efficient manner. More importantly, it will provide much needed reliable broadband connectivity, which will have a positive economic impact on the businesses and the communities we look to serve.”“Interior developing regions of Africa, where access to reliable terrestrial connectivity is limited or non-existent, derive strong economic benefit from our satellite-enabled solutions,” said Grant Marais, Intelsat’s

Regional Vice President, Africa Sales. “Orange Niger has experienced first-hand how satellite backhaul solutions complement its existing infrastructure and support the broadband connectivity needs of its customers. Our partnership with Orange Niger further illustrates Intelsat’s long-standing commitment to Africa and to delivering the benefits of mobile telephony and broadband connectivity via satellite. Orange Niger will also be well positioned to take advantage of the next generation Intelsat Epic satellite, Intelsat 35e.”

MSTelcom extends agreement with Intelsatto expand satellite broadband services in Angola

Extending the reach of its cellular network in rural ariasOrange Niger expands relationship with Intelsat

Grant Marais


Telstra launches new low latency service from Australian Liquidity Center to Aurora Data Center

Speedcast listed on the Australian Stock Exchange

Telstra launched new low latency connectivity to CME Group’s Aurora data center, providing local financial services organisations with fast and reliable connectivity into other major financial centres including the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in Sydney, Australia. Matthew Lempriere, Telstra’s Global Head of Financial Services Market Segment, said that the new Point of Presence (PoP) at CME Group’s data center will help address customer demands from around the world, by providing enhanced market data and the lowest latency

possible when accessing the US market. “Financial institutions are increasingly facing diverse challenges relating to speed, resilience and integrity of data. At the same time they are looking for higher bandwidth and reliable low latency connectivity, to drive agility and flexibility in existing and emerging markets.“This new PoP combined with Telstra’s award-winning network, means we are well positioned to provide a consistent service experience and a one-stop-shop for our customers’ low latency global connectivity needs.

“It will also enable our US customers to mitigate risks and scale quickly to meet changing business and bandwidth demands, whilst taking advantage of growth opportunities in the Asia Pacific region,” Matthew said. Telstra’s new low latency connectivity is backed up by comprehensive Service Level Agreements, while Low Round Trip Delay makes it a safer option for businesses operating globally or in diverse geographies. “The service is highly scalable and can easily handle rapidly changing bandwidth demands, which are characteristic of low latency

financial trading and cloud-based services,” Matthew said. “It also offers customers single point accountability and responsibility, as well as access to diagnostics capabilities, and builds on the momentum of previous PoP placements in both the Singapore Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2013.” Telstra is an approved carrier of the CME Group’s co-location facility and due to the open access model for telecommunication providers, this service is made available to all CME Group customers trading out of the Aurora data center.

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast) started trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) under the ticker SDA, following strong demand in its initial public offering (IPO).The shares were offered at a price of A$1.96 each, implying a market capitalisation for the Company of A$235.5 million. It is a major step in the evolution of our Company, following the establishment of SpeedCast as a leader in the provision of satellite services in the Asia-Pacific region and our global expansion, particularly in the maritime sector,” said Pierre-Jean (PJ) Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast. “This listing will enable us to continue

executing on our growth plans and on our focus to deliver unsurpassed service reliability and customer support.”“We have been greatly encouraged by the institutional and retail shareholder response to the IPO and the strong demand for shares,” Beylier added. “I want to thank all our employees, customers, shareholders and partners who have made this new milestone possible.”“Working with PJ and the management team at SpeedCast, we have completed a tremendous amount of work to build the Company to the point that it can become a listed

company,” said John Mackay, Chairman of the Board of SpeedCast. “We are confident this will be one of many milestones to come for SpeedCast.”At the time of the listing, new investors are expected

to hold approximately 63.7% of the shares, with the remainder being held by investment funds affiliated with TA Associates, management and Non Executive Directors. Investment funds affiliated with TA Associates, the majority shareholders before the IPO, will remain the largest shareholders with a combined stake of approximately 24.6%.SpeedCast staff, board members, and advisers joined Beylier and ASX General Manager of Listings Issuer Services, Max Cunningham, at the ASX to ring the bell and to celebrate this momentous milestone in the Company’s history.

Pierre-Jean BeylierCEO-SpeedCast


Defending the digital frontieron companies and systems that control vital parts of an economy, including power stations, elec-trical grids and communications networks. Such attacks are hard to pull off, but not impossible. One precedent is the destruc-tion in 2010 of centrifuges at a nuclear facility in Iran by a computer program known as Stuxnet, the handiwork of American and Israeli software experts.In another high-profile sabotage incident, in 2012, a computer virus known as Shamoon wiped the hard drives of tens of thou-sands of computers at Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabian oil and natural-gas giant.Look for the crooks and spooksBut such events are rare. The biggest day-to-day threats faced by companies and government

agencies come from crooks and spooks hoping to steal financial data and trade secrets, so this special report will focus mainly on cybercrime and cyber-espio-nage. Smarter, better-organised hackers are making life tougher for the cyber-defenders, but the report will argue that even so a number of things can be done to keep everyone safer than they are now.One is to ensure that organ-isations get the basics of cyber-security right. All too often breaches are caused by simple blunders, such as failing to separate systems containing sensitive data from those that do not need access to them. Companies also need to get bet-ter at anticipating where attacks may be coming from and at adapting their defences swiftly in response to new threats.

Technology can help, as can in-dustry initiatives that allow firms to share intelligence about risks with each other.This report will also argue that there is a need to provide incentives to improve cy-ber-security, be they carrots or sticks. One idea is to encourage internet-service providers (ISPs), or the companies that man-age internet connections, to shoulder more responsibility for identifying and helping to clean up computers infected with malicious software (malware). Another is to find ways to en-sure that software developers produce code with fewer flaws in it so that hackers have fewer security holes to exploit.An additional reason for getting tech companies to give a higher priority to security is that cyber-space is about to undergo an-

other massive change. Over the next few years billions of new devices, from cars to household appliances and medical equip-ment, will be fitted with tiny computers that connect them to the web and make them more useful. Dubbed “the internet of things”, this is already making it possible, for example, to control home appliances using smart-phone apps and to monitor medical devices remotely.But unless these systems have adequate security protection, the internet of things could easily become the internet of new things to be hacked. Plenty of people are eager to take advantage of any weaknesses they may spot. Hacking used to be about geeky college kids tap-ping away in their bedrooms to annoy their elders. It has grown up with a vengeance.

Iridium Communications—The next steps for product debuts (satcom—broadband)US based Iridium Commu-nications Inc. is on track to facilitate a new portfolio of broadband subscriber products for aviation, maritime and land mobile markets, expected to be available as early as 2016.Iridium issued a request for proposals (RFP) to more than 30 companies for the design, development, production and distribution of new broadband subscriber products, leveraging the higher data speeds and enhanced capabilities enabled by Iridium NEXT. Iridium will select and contract with an exclusive group of suppliers that have demonstrated engineering expertise and extensive distribution

capabilities, and work with them to develop Iridium NEXT-compatible products.Iridium’s 2gen broadband subscriber technology approach is a first for the Company. Iridium is developing a new technology platform to be the cornerstone of a diverse set of new subscriber products to be manufactured and distributed by industry partners. The product architecture enables flexibility in product and antenna form factors and integration with other communication technologies and services by terminal manufacturers. Whether in the air, at sea, or on land, this new class of products will

provide fully global broadband connectivity for Iridium’s growing customer base.The Iridium NEXT constellation, which is scheduled to begin launching in 2015, will be core to the future of Iridium® broadband services with a number of new and expanded capabilities. This new service will enable data speeds of up to 1.5Mbps, with the expectation that these products and services will be used for commercial, government, and safety communications. Iridium expects that the products to be developed through this process will be compatible with both the current constellation and Iridium NEXT, allowing earlier

introduction and adoption by customers.Proposals will be provided to Iridium in the coming months, and Iridium anticipates that the manufacturing partners will be selected by the end of 2014. Initial products are expected to be introduced to the market in 2016, to align with the launch of the second-generation broadband service.With 66 low-earth orbiting (LEO), cross-linked satellites and multiple in-orbit spares, the Iridium network is the largest commercial satellite constellation in the world and is the only constellation that provides truly global coverage.

Contd. from P-22

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4G LTE network has reached to a whole new level in the UAE. Soon, for the very first time in the Middle East, customers of du in the UAE will be able to simultaneously access the Internet at 4G LTE speeds while making a crystal-clear voice call, made possible by Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology. du has announced the successful completion of its network’s first VoLTE call. This makes the company not only the first to install and test VoLTE on a live network in the region, but also the world’s fastest – at just 80 days.VoLTE empowers 4G LTE operators to transfer voice traffic over an LTE network. It improves customers’

experience by delivering high definition (HD) voice with a high quality of service; richer multimedia services such as video share and call, multimedia messaging, chat, file transferring and more, as well as reducing call setup

time – the time it takes to establish a call – down to just 1-2 seconds. Saleem AlBalooshi, Executive Vice President, Network Development and Operations, du, said: “With VoLTE, we will be exploiting the full potential of 4G LTE. Our commitment to our customers has been reconfirmed with this fastest installation and testing of VoLTE on a live network. VoLTE will significantly enhance the call experience for customers using our 4G LTE network, adding more value through the use of the latest technology innovations.” According to the TRA’s Mobile Networks Benchmarking survey on Quality of Service

(QoS) in 2013, du leads on several key performance indicators. The report is available on: du launched HD Voice on mobile in 2012, which received a tremendous response from customers – with 200% growth in HD voice traffic in the last six months – and is the only operator to offer the service at no extra cost! Today, du offers HD voice on both its 3G mobile and fixed line networks. du’s 4G LTE network now also offers HD Voice over LTE thanks to VoLTE technology. According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, du is the only mobile network to deploy HD Voice on 3G voice.

In the ultimate summer surprise, lucky Phaphama T S from South Africa is now a millionaire after winning AED1 million from du! Phaphama was chosen by random draw during a ceremony held at du’s headquarters at Dubai Media City, in the presence of Dubai Department of Economic Development representatives, and the organizers from du.Ahmad Mokhles, Executive Vice President, Consumer and Digital Business, du, said: “What a privilege to make someone a millionaire this

summer! We offer our sincere congratulations to our grand prize winner, as well as to all of the winners throughout

our summer promotion. Through this promotion, we

have added life to so many lives this summer, by bringing more value into day to day communications.”

Throughout du’s summer promotion, customers had the

chance to win every day. 111 winners received daily prizes including iPad Minis, gold iPhone 5S 16 GB smartphones, and Asus laptops, while 18 weekly winners received an AED 10,000 gift voucher to spend in Virgin stores across the UAE. To be eligible to win, all customers had to do was recharge their du prepaid mobile line. For every dirham used to recharge, customers received one ticket in the raffle draw to win daily and weekly prizes, plus the grand prize of AED 1 million.

du announces first-in-the-region VoLTE technology, talk and browse the Internet simultaneously at blazingly-fast 4G LTE speeds

Lucky winner from South Africa becomes a summer millionaire after winning with du’s promotion!

VoLTE was successfully installed and tested on du’s network in just 80 days – the world’s fastest on a live network


Zain Group selects ‘ResponseTek’ to power customer experience program across 8 countries

Saudi Prince Faisal Bin Khaled honors Mobily for Abha Festival Sponsorship

Zain Group has selected ResponseTek Listening Platform™ to power its multi-channel, multi-country customer experience program throughout its eight countries of operations. Zain is the first operator in the region to implement such a dynamic customer experience listening tool.ResponseTek is the global leader in customer experience management (CEM) software with clients in over 40 countries serviced by offices in North America, Europe, India, and Australia. The ResponseTek Listening Platform™ collects and analyzes feedback and sentiment in real-time from customers interacting with a company’s website, call

centers, retail or branch locations and mobile/social platforms. Based on customer feedback analysis, Zain will be able to provide concrete actions to both front-line staff and executives to improve the brand experience that leads to increased revenue and reduced customer churn. “Improving our relationship with, and the experience of,

our customers is a key strategy at Zain. We have over 7000 employees that work hard every day to improve our customers experience across our business. We will continue to challenge ourselves and set new performance standards by investing in the future of our customers and seeking knowledge and innovation in order to exceed expectations in serving our communities,” states Scott Gegenheimer, Group CEO of Zain. “Our commitment to the customer is deeply rooted in our brand values and our partnership with ResponseTek to drive our customer experience program is a testament to our continued dedication.” In addition, all Zain operations will rely on ResponseTek to

standardize key customer metrics for benchmarking across the business through collection, analysis and reporting of all customer feedback to identify areas for operational improvement. “We are proud to have been selected by Zain as the software to power their customer experience program,” states Syed Hasan, President and CEO of ResponseTek. “Throughout our discussions, we witnessed Zain’s deep understanding of, and a commitment to, enhancing the customer experience. We now look forward to working with the team to collect feedback and monitor improvements to how customers interact with Zain.”

Prince Faisal bin Khaled, the Governor of Asir region in KSA, has honored Mobily for its official sponsorship and support of Abha Shopping Festival as part of its social responsibility. Humoud Al Ghobaini, Mobily’s EGM Corporate Communication & PR received the honorary trophy on behalf of Mobily.Mobily said that it sponsors Asir shopping festival for the 8th year running. The event takes place on a large area where it witnesses a significant mass turnout of more than half a million visitors from inside and outside the kingdom to enjoy

the activities and weather.Al Ghobaini expressed his appreciation and pleasure for the partnership with Abha shopping festival which lasted for 8 years in the

speech he delivered at the ceremony. He said that Mobily would make more efforts to provide services to the visitors in cooperation with all governmental and private organizations for the sake of tourism development of Asir.Mobily has set aside a number of prizes of up to 100 thousand gifts, in addition to 30 I Pads to be distributed during the event. The company has also covered the event with free Wi-Fi internet.The company’s sponsorship of many events and summer mega festivals is

stemming from the pursuit of consolidating its leadership position through social responsibility and national duty. Mobily’s participation reflects its positive role to support the economy as it previously has sponsored Buraidah, Onizah, Hail, Madina, Najran summer festivals, in addition to many other religious, health and sport events and activities in the country.It is worth mentioning that Mobily is the main sponsor of Abha summer festival for the eighth time.

Scott GegenheimerGroup CEO-Zain


Zain launches ‘Hassa’, Sudan’s first Mobile Financial Service with Bank of Khartoum

Zain Group, a pioneer of mobile telecommunications in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, has announced that its mobile operation in Sudan has launched the country’s first ever mobile Mobile Financial Service called ‘Hassa’, in partnership with the Bank of Khartoum.The service allows all Zain customers in Sudan to complete a wide range of financial transactions and operations, including money transfers and various other transactions, including paying bills and withdrawal of cash from Automated Teller Machines (ATM) without the requirement of opening a bank account.At a launch ceremony held in Khartoum, Sudan’s Minster of Sciences and Telecommunications, Dr. Tahani Abdallah offered her support to the new service, stating that the extension of financial services to the unbanked in Sudan will have a huge impact on the economic development and social enhancement of many communities across the country. Mr. Elfaith Erwa, Zain Sudan’s CEO and Managing Director commented, “’Hassa’ represents a true partnership between the banking and telecommunications sectors, and has the potential to make a positive impact on the lives of many Sudanese. Zain has cooperated successfully with the Bank of Khartoum for many years, and our mutual understanding and support has led us to being able to offer this

much needed mobile banking service together.” Mr. Erwa continued: “This service extends the use of mobile phones beyond only communications, contributing even further to the enrichment of people’s lives and fulfilling the potential we always knew

existed for our services. In addition, ‘Hassa’ boosts the status of Sudan as a pioneer in mobile banking services and I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Minister of Sciences and Telecommunications, Dr.

Tahani Abdallah, and the entire Ministry for their vision and support in helping us bring this service to commercialization.”The Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan, Mr. Abdel Rahman Hassan, expressed his enthusiasm over the economic and social gains that are likely to

accrue from extending banking services to the unbanked, as well as for the potential ‘Hassa’ possesses in attracting more national savings through formalized channels. Mr. Fadi Al Faqih, CEO of the Bank of Khartoum expressed

his confidence that Hassa will result in many benefits for the users of the service, as well as for society in general, and would be available in 95% of Sudan’s populated areas. Mr. Al Faqih added, “’Hassa’ is a secure, easy and instant service, which does not have any operational complications and is available around the clock. In addition, it simplifies financial operations to the masses at all times as well as providing a low cost service to suit all users.”According to Mr. Omer Omarabi, Manager of the Electronic Banking Services company (EBS) in Sudan,

‘Hassa’ is a leap forward for Sudan as amongst other things it permits easy and fast payment means that assist electronic government projects and can be a tool in paying salaries for both governmental and private sectors.


Grand Bazar

If you’ve heard of hiroshi miki-tani,it’s probably by the moniker he’s acquired over the years: Japan’s Jeff Bezos. It’s not hard to see why the 49-year-old CEO of Tokyo-based Rakuten is often compared to Amazon’s Ameri-can founder. Mikitani pioneered online shopping in Japan just as Bezos did in the U.S. Like Ama-zon, Rakuten has become one of a small number of truly global e-commerce companies, with operations stretching from Brazil to France and Indonesia. Mikitani even has his own version of the Kindle—the e-readers produced by his Kobo unit.But over the past two years, Mikitani has done everything to disprove the comparison, going on a global shopping spree that is transforming the empire overseen by Japan’s third richest billionaire. In 2012 he surprised Silicon Valley by leading a $100 million investment in popular scrap- booking site Pinterest. Last year he snapped up video-streaming site Viki, a Hulu for the rest of the world. And in February, Mikitani pur-chased Cyprus-based messaging app Viber—a competitor to Facebook’s WhatsApp and Ten-cent’s WeChat—for $900 million. “I don’t think we should chase after Amazon,” says Mikitani. “We should have a very unique strategy.”That strategy is turning Rakuten into Japan’s most interesting—and unusual— Internet giant. Its 550 million users world-wide turn

to the company to buy diapers, get a credit card, read an e-book or send messages to friends. In Mikitani’s mind, all these varied businesses will turn Rakuten into a grand bazaar in which customers browsing one stall become prospects for another. “The synergy effect of Internet companies is huge, more than any other business,” he argues.More than the future of Miki-tani’s company is at stake. Each year, more and more people around the world go to the Internet,In Japan, the site operates less like a superstore and more like an online shopping mall rather than the supermarket or depart-ment store, to purchase their laundry detergent or refrigera-tor. Research firm Euromonitor predicts that consumers will spend some $1.2 trillion buying goods online by 2018. Mikitani and cohorts like Bezos largely helped answer the question of how the Internet would revolutionize shopping. But how social media and ubiquitous smartphones will impact online shopping firms is still up for de-bate. Whether Mikitani’s project of bulking up Rakuten— making it not only into one of the world’s biggest stores but also a place to watch TV and chat with friends—works or fails will provide a crucial part of the answer.

Breaking TraditionBucking Convention has always been part of the Mikitani trade-mark. He had both the right

pedigree-his father wasa well-respected economist—and degree to succeed in traditional Japanese business circles. Mikitani attended Tokyo’s Hitotsubashi University, one of the country’s most elite, where he was captain of the tennis club. After graduating in 1988, he landed what for most young Japanese elite would be a dream job—at the Indus-trial Bank of Ja-pan, or IBJ (since absorbed into Mizuho Financial Group). In 1993 he earned an MBA from Harvard.But Mikitani was dissatisfied with the preordained track ahead of him. In 1995 a devastating earth-quake rocked Kobe, a city near his hometown. Mikitani found himself frantically searching the rubble for a missing aunt and un-cle. He discovered their corpses at a local school converted into a makeshift morgue. “It was at that moment that I realized just how tenuous life really is,” he wrote in his book Principles for Success. “We only have one life to live, so we should live it to the fullest.” Later that same year, he resigned from IBJ to become an entrepreneur.In mid-1990s Japan, that decision made Mikitani a rebel. “There were not many people with his background who left” the bank, says Yoshihisa Yamada. a former colleague of Mikitani’s at IBJ and now Rakuten’s CFO. “He was one of these rare species to start his own company.” Mikitani was attracted to a new concept at the time—e-commerce. “Every-body thought people would nev-

er buy products online,” he re-calls. “But I thought the Internet was the best medium to connect seller and buyer and this is going to create a huge opportunity.” In 1997, three years after Bezos launched Amazon, Mikitani and five colleagues (one of them his wife Haruko) pooled their savings and opened Rakuten In mid-1990s Japan, that decision made Mikitani a rebel. “There were not many people with his background who left” the bank, says Yoshihisa Yamada. a former colleague of Mikitani’s at IBJ and now Rakuten’s CFO. “He was one of these rare species to start his own company.” Mikitani was attracted to a new concept at the time—e-commerce. “Every-body thought people would nev-er buy products online,” he re-calls. “But I thought the Internet was the best medium to connect seller and buyer and this is going to create a huge opportunity.” In 1997, three years after Bezos launched Amazon, Mikitani and five colleagues (one of them his wife Haruko) pooled their savings and opened Rakuten in a small Tokyo office.Mikitani’s vision for e-commerce was different from Bezos’, how-ever. Amazon was built in large part to replace stores by deliv-ering a wide array of products with clinical efficiency at bargain prices. Rakuten, in contrast, resembles a bazaar. For “rent,” individual retailers, many of them small shops, can set up on Rakuten’s site, which re-creates the marketplace com

Japan’s e-Commerce Pioneer, Hiroshi Mikitani, is assembling one of Asia’s most diverse internet conglomerates. But can it succeed?

MICHAEL SCHUMAN


mon to most Japanese towns. Unlike Amazon, which looks the same from click to click, each seller can custom-design its page on Rakuten as it would a storefront. “Amazon is basically a super-Walmart,” Mikitani says. “Our thinking is by creating a more collaborative platform, they can together compete against what we call the gigantic vending machine.”That has also given Rakuten some unusual characteristics. Shortly after Mikitani’s launch, a farmer asked if he could sell eggs through Rakuten. Mikitani was skeptical. Eggs are not only fragile to ship but also readily available. The farmer, however, marketed his eggs as organic and fresh from the farm, and started a diary about his chickens on his Rakuten webpage. Soon he was shipping eggs all around Japan—and charging a premium.Today, nearly 42,000 merchants market everything from bottled water to golden Buddhas through the company’s Japanese online marketplace, Rakute-nIchiba. Rakuten’s worldwide revenues have more than dou-bled in five years to $5.3 billion in 2013, while its value on the Tokyo stock market is about $17 billion. Amazon’s revenues are much larger, at $74.5 billion in 2013, since it sells more goods directly to customers, but Rakuten is more profitable.

Higher GearsMikitani wanted to create a different kind of enterprise. Many traditional Japanese firms suffer from staid, risk-averse bureaucracy, but Mikitani— known simply as Mickey inside the company—intends to keep Rakuten entrepreneurial. Among his “Five Principles for Success” posted throughout the firm’s headquarters are “Always

Improve, Always Advance” and “Speed!! Speed!! Speed!!” Every Tuesday morning, Rakuten’s 11,000 employees worldwide are required to clean their desks Mikitani included—a ritual he believes fosters a do-it-yourself spirit. In 2010, Mikitani mandated his employees learn and speak English in the office. The edict was designed to make his staff think of Rakuten as a global, not Japanese, company. Without the switch to English, Mikitani says, “we wouldn’t be here.”Mikitani’s ambitions haven’t been confined to his company. He is part of a small class of Jap-anese corporate leaders trying to shake up the old Japan Inc. There is Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank and a Mikitani rival, who has become an aggressive player in the U.S. wireless busi-ness with his purchase of Sprint. Tadashi Yanai, the outspoken CEO of retailer Uniqlo, is bringing

Japanese cool toglobal apparel. “We are trying to create a new system so that Japan will be competitive,” Miki-tani says of Rakuten.Mikitani seems to enjoy slaying sacred cows. He raised eye-brows when he withdrew from Japan’s powerful big-business association, Keidanren, in 2011, complaining that the group was reluctant to press for economic reform. He’s trying to do that himself as a member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Industrial Competitiveness Council, an advi-sory body. “He’s trying,” Mikitani says of Abe. “But there are a lot of old-fashioned people who do not have a vision for the future, who are afraid of change.”Perhaps most important, Mikitani has been an inspiration to others in lapan who want to start their own businesses, still a practice somewhat frowned upon in the conservative business culture. He

is one of the founders of the Japan Association of New Economy, a business group that promotes innovative industries, and several Rakuten staffers have gone on to launch their own startups, including Yoshika-zu Tanaka, founder of social-net-working site Gree. Says William Saito, a venture capitalist and fellow Abe adviser: “Mikitani undemonized the word entrepre-neurship in Japan.”

Shop Beyond BordersMikitani wants to be disruptive on an international scale too. He envisions an age when retail transforms as manufacturing and finance already have—into a borderless business. “You need to be global or else you’d be in big trouble,” Mikitani says. He launched his first online shopping business outside Japan in Taiwan in 2008, and since then Mikitani has ramped up his global pres-ence at a brisk pace by acquiring e-commerce sites in countries as far-flung as Thailand, Germany and the U.K. In 2010, Mikitani entered Amazon’s stronghold by purchasing US an line retailer Buy.com for $250 million Two years later, he began investing in :he Grommet, which offers small businesses an opportunity to launch new or nine-known products to a wide audience “We need to be everywhere,” he savs. That strategic in:ugh, has yet to pay off. Mikitani earns .ess than 12% of his revenues outsiie lagan, and his international shopping sgree may be denting his bottom line. Newly acquired Viber, for instance, lost $29.5 million in 2013 on revenues of 1 mere si.5 million. Mikitani has been busy refashioning his sites in the U.S ana elsewhere into Japan-style marketplaces in the hopes of re-creating his success

Contd. on P-48

Hiroshi Mikitani


SAMENA Telecommunications Council has proposed that administrations pursue all necessary efforts in making the 1452-1492 MHz band available for SDL in timely manner to allow the mobile network operators to offer innovative mobile broadband services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The proposal is in line with a year-on-year increase of up to 3 times in the data traffic over mobile broadband networks between 2012 and 2013 in some countries located in the MENA region. The rise is marked by a particular evolution towards asymmetrical traffic due to mobile multimedia usage leading to an increasing demand for downlink capacity.

According to Plum Consulting, the downlink traffic is growing very fast due to more and more important mobile multimedia usages and the ratio measured on some live mobile networks can reach a 10:1 downlink/uplink ratio. In order to address the traffic asymmetry, Europe has decided to harmonize the 1452-1492 MHz (L-band) for Supplemental Downlink (SDL). L-band SDL will help to increase the capacity of mobile broadband networks by aggregating the 1452-1492 MHz band in the downlink with other IMT FDD bands (800, 900, 1800 or 2100 MHz for example) using HSPA+ and LTE standards.“The ecosystem for Supplemental Downlink (SDL) in 1452-1492MHz (L-band) has

matured with the development of the appropriate regulatory framework, the technical standardisation and the expected availability of commercial equipment by 2015. Therefore, SAMENA supports the harmonization and the use of the L-band for SDL in the Middle East and North Africa,” said Mr. Bocar Ba, Chief Executive Officer, SAMENA

Telecommunications Council. “This approach is of particular relevance for MENA countries where downlink data traffic is booming and where the harmonization and use of L-band SDL can generate substantial economic and social benefits reaching $26bn, as elaborated in a report by Plum Consulting,” he added. SAMENA Telecommunications Council’s decision to encourage spectrum harmonization and the use of the L-band for SDL in MENA offers a sound solution to meet the growing increase in downlink traffic. Further, SDL provides the required additional downlink capacity to the mobile broadband networks to cope with the massive mobile broadband data increase.

SAMENA Telecommunications Council proposes harmonization and use of L-band for SDL in the MENA

at home. But Sucharita Mulpu-ru.e - business analyst at Forrest-er Research, warns that ‘Rakuten has a lot of hard work ahead c: them in the U.S.” Overall, Rakuten trails miner e-commerce competitors. Alibaba’s Chinese shopping sites handled $248 billion of merchandise in 2013 and Air.a: an a a. estimated $110 billion; only $18.5 billion worth of stuff passed through Rakuten if Mikitani is to compete on a global scale, he has to find inventive ways to draw in customers and persuade them 1: spend. Every major Internet player, from Facebook to Yahoo, is trying to do the same—woo more users, then find ways to make money from them. In Ja-pan Mikitani has proved a master at this. He’s lured the 92 million

Japanese who shop on his site into all sorts of other lucrative businesses. Shoppers can link from Mikitani’s marketplace directly to some of his other of-ferings, while the “Super Points” earned through the firm’s loyalty program can be cashed in across Rakuten’s businesses, even to pay commissions on financial services. “Everyone thinks the Internet is cheap, but getting the customer to your site and transacting some buying or use is extremely expensive these days,” Mikitani says. “Cross-sell-ing many different services makes sense.”That’s where Mikitani’s forays into social media may pay off. Pinterest, for instance, is becom-ing a major online thoroughfare connecting scrapbookers with

retailers. Mikitani is most excited about Viber, which he calls his “next big thing.” With more and more people socializing and communicating through smart-phones and tablets, Mikitani sees messaging apps like Viber as the email of the future—and an indispensable tool for pushing content and attracting custom-ers into Rakuten’s other services. (Auction giant eBay had similar dreams when it purchased Skype in 2005, which never panned out.) At Amazon, “they think the Kindle is the platform for their content distribution. We feel Viber will be our platform,” Mikitani says. Owning Viber “is going to be a huge advantage for us in our global ambition.”Whether Mikitani’s grab bag of businesses will ever combine

to make a worldwide Internet powerhouse is an open question. Perhaps Mikitani will discover, like so many other acquisitive CEOs, that the potential syner-gies of the disparate pieces of his empire don’t materialize as he had hoped. A service like Viber “is not built for e-commerce,” says Claus Mortensen, director of Asian emerging-technology research at consulting firm IDC, and controlling it “doesn’t nec-essarily mean you can make that into a platform that interacts and works together with Rakuten.” But Mikitani has committed him-self to coming out on top. “We would like to create Rail men as one of the great companies,” he says. “That’s my lifetime project. This is my life.”

(With thanks to TIME)

Grand Bazar....Contd. form P-47


Riding the Mobile Ticketing Wave

Telecom & Transportation Convergence Viewpoint

A Challenge for Transport Operators

The advent of mobile ticketing services provides new challenges and opportunities for transport operators. In this Viewpoint, Arthur D. Little highlights five key questions transport operators need to answer to maximize the benefits of mobile ticketing.

Mobile ticketing services enable multi-modal ticketing platforms

In today’s era of increasing mobility, multi-modal transport platforms are increasing in importance (see the Arthur D. Little report, The Future of Urban Mobility), and passengers are expecting more convenient ticketing options. Airlines have already embraced mobile boarding passes and are now taking further steps towards NFC (Near-Field Communication) smartphone-enabled ticketing services. Railway and bus operators have also begun to introduce NFC-enabled, mobile ticketing services and are even moving towards Digital Multimodal Mobility Assistants (DMMAs). A key trigger for this trend is the uptake of smartphones with embedded NFC chips. We expect a rapid uptake of NFC contactless ticketing applications, which will complement paper-based tickets and contactless card solutions.

Operators that have already implemented contactless card platforms (SmartCity cards) are moving quickly towards mobile ticketing services, which enable passengers to book and validate their tickets on a (multi-modal) journey. Key customer benefits lie in reduced queuing time, a richer travel experience and access to adjacent services.

DMMAs are taking mobile ticketing services even one step further. While mobile ticketing is strictly speaking just functiona-lity, DMMAs are holistic, intermodal platforms. They represent the “over-system” for mobile ticketing services across multiple transport operators.

We are convinced that transport operators can either embrace mobile ticketing services proactively – or stand beside and watch others do so. IT-integrators, transport aggregators or web players are starting to move into operators’ value chains by offering mobile ticketing platforms. Worse, new competitors such as privatized train operators or long-distance bus companies may leap frog and reap the full benefits of mobile ticketing.

Global uptake of multi-modal mobile ticketing services

Airline operators are already regularly providing mobile boarding passes via 2D barcodes. The worldwide airline alliance, IATA, is now taking this a step further with its Fast Travel initiative; the objective is to establish a worldwide airline mobile ticketing service standard for NFC smartphones. IATA’s ambition is to ensure that 80 percent of passengers worldwide can use a self-service suite by 2020 on NFC-enabled smartphones as a key lever to accelerate passenger flows through airports.

Railway operators are following this trend, led by mass-passenger urban transport systems. Many have already adopted contactless ticketing solutions as these decrease queuing and validation times, key to efficiently carrying a myriad of passengers during commuting times. The next step is to deploy mobile ticketing services via applications on smartphones, NFC enabled or otherwise. National long-distance train operators are following this trend. Figure 1 (overleaf) illustrates several examples.

Riding the Mobile Ticketing Wave


A Challenge for Transport Operators

The advent of mobile ticketing services provides new challenges and opportunities for transport operators. In this Viewpoint, Arthur D. Little highlights five key questions transport operators need to answer to maximize the benefits of mobile ticketing.

Mobile ticketing services enable multi-modal ticketing platforms

In today’s era of increasing mobility, multi-modal transport platforms are increasing in importance (see the Arthur D. Little report, The Future of Urban Mobility), and passengers are expecting more convenient ticketing options. Airlines have already embraced mobile boarding passes and are now taking further steps towards NFC (Near-Field Communication) smartphone-enabled ticketing services. Railway and bus operators have also begun to introduce NFC-enabled, mobile ticketing services and are even moving towards Digital Multimodal Mobility Assistants (DMMAs). A key trigger for this trend is the uptake of smartphones with embedded NFC chips. We expect a rapid uptake of NFC contactless ticketing applications, which will complement paper-based tickets and contactless card solutions.

Operators that have already implemented contactless card platforms (SmartCity cards) are moving quickly towards mobile ticketing services, which enable passengers to book and validate their tickets on a (multi-modal) journey. Key customer benefits lie in reduced queuing time, a richer travel experience and access to adjacent services.

DMMAs are taking mobile ticketing services even one step further. While mobile ticketing is strictly speaking just functiona-lity, DMMAs are holistic, intermodal platforms. They represent the “over-system” for mobile ticketing services across multiple transport operators.

We are convinced that transport operators can either embrace mobile ticketing services proactively – or stand beside and watch others do so. IT-integrators, transport aggregators or web players are starting to move into operators’ value chains by offering mobile ticketing platforms. Worse, new competitors such as privatized train operators or long-distance bus companies may leap frog and reap the full benefits of mobile ticketing.

Global uptake of multi-modal mobile ticketing services

Airline operators are already regularly providing mobile boarding passes via 2D barcodes. The worldwide airline alliance, IATA, is now taking this a step further with its Fast Travel initiative; the objective is to establish a worldwide airline mobile ticketing service standard for NFC smartphones. IATA’s ambition is to ensure that 80 percent of passengers worldwide can use a self-service suite by 2020 on NFC-enabled smartphones as a key lever to accelerate passenger flows through airports.

Railway operators are following this trend, led by mass-passenger urban transport systems. Many have already adopted contactless ticketing solutions as these decrease queuing and validation times, key to efficiently carrying a myriad of passengers during commuting times. The next step is to deploy mobile ticketing services via applications on smartphones, NFC enabled or otherwise. National long-distance train operators are following this trend. Figure 1 (overleaf) illustrates several examples.

Telecom & TransportationConvergence Viewpoint



2 Mobile Ticketing

Across the globe, new mobile ticketing services are being launched frequently. Recent examples include a service in Krakow (Poland), which enables consumers to buy and validate tickets with a tap of their NFC phone or by scanning a QR code. In London the mobile phone can now be used to pay for travel on the Underground System. Valencia (Spain) has also launched an NFC ticketing service which is to be expanded to further cities.

A range of DMMA implementations are taking these initiatives one step further, aiming at providing a convenient intermodal travel experience, including mobile ticketing across multiple operators. Austria, for example, plans to introduce a nationwide multimodal mobility assistant (Project SMILE). Deutsche Bahn has introduced the DMMA platform, qixxit, in 2013. Non transport operators are also entering the scene; Daimler has launched a DMMA platform, moovel.

Who will dominate the mobile ticketing value chain?

As mobile ticketing services proliferate, transport operators do not need to decide if, but rather how and when, they want to embrace mobile ticketing services. First, operators need to establish which role they want to adopt; operators can either become providers of an integrated mobile ticketing platform or focus on their core competence of transporting the passengers and outsource steps in the value chain to other players. The mobile ticketing value chain, illustrated in Figure 2, is more

complex than traditional travel and many (new) players want to take a role in it.

Mobile ticketing services enable passengers to plan a trip anytime from anywhere on their smartphone. Further, they can use ancillary services, such as integrating their travel plan into their calendars or receiving real-time information about their pending journey.

After having searched online for the best ticket price across various transport alternatives, passengers can then use their smartphone for ticket booking, immediate payment and other value-added services, like booking follow-up transit (taxi, bus, etc.) or hotels at their destination.

When starting a journey, passengers can manage their ticket bookings on their smartphones. Typically, the transport operator provides these services, as he has proprietary access to the booking system. However, operators can also outsource these functionalities to IT system integrators or travel aggregators.

For ticket validation, the ticket information on smartphones is typically being read out by gateways or by a special reading device of the train controller. The technical challenge for train operators lies in the link of the controlling device to their real-time booking systems to make sure that the booked ticket is still valid, has the right price and is not fraudulent. This requires continuous connectivity of the controlling devices, which is often a challenge when underground or during long distance travel.

Country Hong Kong UK Netherlands Germany Austria

Railway MTR Various

Public Transport National Rail Various

NS Hispeed Bus Connexxion All public transport in NL

Deutsche Bahn Various local operators

Verkehrsverbund Ostregion incl. Wiener Linien (Public transport)

Service Name Octopus Card Oyster Card OV-chipkaart Touch & Travel Wiener Mobilitätskarte**

Form Contactless Card Contactless Card Contactless Card mobile ticketing Contactless Card

Technology RFID* RFID NFC NFC 2D barcodes

To be defined

NFC mobile ticketing services

Not yet MultiPass initiative to introduce NFC-enabled mobile ticketing by 2015

Goal is for the service to be NFC smartphone compatible

NFC smartphone capable since 2012

To be defined

Remarks Since 1997 Adopted by 95% of the population

Since 2003 80% of travel occurs via over 40 m cards

Since 2011 Objective to fully replace paper tickets

Since 2011 on all national long-distance routes

Launch planned for 2015

Examples Figure 1: Contactless/mobile ticketing systems at railway operators

Notes: *) RFID stands for Radio-frequency identification; **) Will replace the annual tickets used for about 30 years Source: Arthur D. Little, company webpages

Planning Booking Travelling Post-

Travelling

Checking schedule

Checking ticket option

Topping up

Purchas-ing Payment Ticket

Issuing Ticket Storing

Cancel-lation

Access- ing

Validation (Stationary

& mobile) Billing Using

VAS

Ticket adminis-tration

Checking availa-bility of

transport

Figure 2: The mobile ticketing travel value chain

Source: Arthur D. Little



3 Mobile Ticketing

Billing the ticket and providing ancillary Value-Added Services, such as location-based services, weather information or store finders can be enhanced by mobile ticketing services. Operators can target passengers much more precisely as they receive detailed travel and contact information via the passenger’s smartphone.

Transport operators need to manage the complexity of the mobile ticketing value chain and to be aware of new players seeking to take over parts of it.

Complex decisions for transport operators ahead

Mobile ticketing is complex. It requires the establishment of a full ecosystem with a variety of players, decisions on which of the mobile ticketing standards and technologies to embrace and significant up-front investments.

The mobile ticketing service value chain ideally requires a platform integrator as an umbrella for the (multi-modal) mobile ticketing ecosystem. Again, operators need to decide if they want to play this role.

Transport operators also need to decide between the numerous mobile ticketing technologies available, illustrated in Figure 3. Operators will have to continue to provide multiple mobile ticketing technologies to address different passenger segments. These will be a mix of smartphone applications using various transmission technologies for the ticket information and of Contactless Card solutions.

Transport operators then have to decide which mobile ticketing application standard to adopt. Calypso (used by SNCF and SNCB), ITSO (UK) and VDV Kern (Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB) are open, interoperable standards. The Mifare standard is a proprietary solution used by ÖBB and NS Hispeed. It thereby remains a particular challenge to ensure that mobile ticketing solutions are interoperable nationwide and across borders.

Finally, the profitability of mobile ticketing business cases is uncertain. Therefore, new mobile ticketing implementations often benefit from initial public subsidies. Necessary investments include the establishment of a mobile ticketing platform, upgrades of vending machines, training of sales and train personnel, as well as the upgrade or replacement of ticket validation systems. Naturally, a mobile ticketing service also generates ongoing operating and maintenance costs.

There is an upside potential for mobile ticketing, but it only materializes over time. First, mobile ticketing services reduce operational costs as much shorter ticket validation times (from about ½ minute for paper-based tickets to split-seconds) could enable staff to be reduced or shifted to other customer service activities. The mobile distribution of tickets and increased self-care can lead to a further reduction of sales staff and of ticket vending machines. Revenue upsides lie in increasing customer satisfaction and the possibility to offer adjacent services via targeted advertising campaigns, resulting in significant cross-sell opportunities. Also, mobile ticketing can lead to less fraud, by reducing “free riding” and fake-proof mobile ticketing applications.

QR-Code Bluetooth Near Field Communication

(NFC) WLAN

Ad

van

tag

es

Dis

adva

nta

ges

Established technology Supported by all major mobile

OS systems Many QR-Readers available

on the market

No data exchange possible Needs battery power Easily duplicable No

guarantee of authenticity M-Payment can only be used

with payment provider applications

Established technology Supported by all mobile OS

systems Can communicate with

several devices at a time No need for direct contact of

devices (long range)

Since data is transferred over radio waves, data exchange is insecure

Bluetooth uses the battery power of the device in order to operate

Secure technology Fast and convenient to use Upgradability of smart-phones

with NFC-stickers Works when battery is off

Delayed hardware standardization of NFC

Necessity to have a secure element, for which numerous players compete

Currently low, but accelerating, adoption of NFC smartphones


systems Fast exchange of large data

volumes possible Allows mobility and availability

Since an open WLAN has to be used, data exchange is insecure

Very expensive infrastructure costs (large number of routers needed)

Su

mm

ary Inconvenient when it comes

to mobile payment (need for a scanner app)

No guarantee of authenticity Focus of use: scanning links

to websites

Reaches a wide market Insecure No established services for

payment available Focus of use: Data transfer

Secure technology Clear trend in various industries

to use NFC Focus of use: mobile payment,

mobile ticketing and many services beyond

Insecure (open WLAN) Inconvenient when used for

mobile payment (need to connect to the WLAN)

Focus of use: data exchange, internet surfing

Figure 3: Comparison of mobile ticketing transmission technologies



3 Mobile Ticketing

Billing the ticket and providing ancillary Value-Added Services, such as location-based services, weather information or store finders can be enhanced by mobile ticketing services. Operators can target passengers much more precisely as they receive detailed travel and contact information via the passenger’s smartphone.

Transport operators need to manage the complexity of the mobile ticketing value chain and to be aware of new players seeking to take over parts of it.

Complex decisions for transport operators ahead

Mobile ticketing is complex. It requires the establishment of a full ecosystem with a variety of players, decisions on which of the mobile ticketing standards and technologies to embrace and significant up-front investments.

The mobile ticketing service value chain ideally requires a platform integrator as an umbrella for the (multi-modal) mobile ticketing ecosystem. Again, operators need to decide if they want to play this role.

Transport operators also need to decide between the numerous mobile ticketing technologies available, illustrated in Figure 3. Operators will have to continue to provide multiple mobile ticketing technologies to address different passenger segments. These will be a mix of smartphone applications using various transmission technologies for the ticket information and of Contactless Card solutions.

Transport operators then have to decide which mobile ticketing application standard to adopt. Calypso (used by SNCF and SNCB), ITSO (UK) and VDV Kern (Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB) are open, interoperable standards. The Mifare standard is a proprietary solution used by ÖBB and NS Hispeed. It thereby remains a particular challenge to ensure that mobile ticketing solutions are interoperable nationwide and across borders.

Finally, the profitability of mobile ticketing business cases is uncertain. Therefore, new mobile ticketing implementations often benefit from initial public subsidies. Necessary investments include the establishment of a mobile ticketing platform, upgrades of vending machines, training of sales and train personnel, as well as the upgrade or replacement of ticket validation systems. Naturally, a mobile ticketing service also generates ongoing operating and maintenance costs.

There is an upside potential for mobile ticketing, but it only materializes over time. First, mobile ticketing services reduce operational costs as much shorter ticket validation times (from about ½ minute for paper-based tickets to split-seconds) could enable staff to be reduced or shifted to other customer service activities. The mobile distribution of tickets and increased self-care can lead to a further reduction of sales staff and of ticket vending machines. Revenue upsides lie in increasing customer satisfaction and the possibility to offer adjacent services via targeted advertising campaigns, resulting in significant cross-sell opportunities. Also, mobile ticketing can lead to less fraud, by reducing “free riding” and fake-proof mobile ticketing applications.

QR-Code Bluetooth Near Field Communication

(NFC) WLAN

Ad

van

tag

es

Dis

adva

nta

ges

Established technology Supported by all major mobile

OS systems Many QR-Readers available

on the market

No data exchange possible Needs battery power Easily duplicable No

guarantee of authenticity M-Payment can only be used

with payment provider applications


systems Can communicate with

several devices at a time No need for direct contact of

devices (long range)

Since data is transferred over radio waves, data exchange is insecure

Bluetooth uses the battery power of the device in order to operate

Secure technology Fast and convenient to use Upgradability of smart-phones

with NFC-stickers Works when battery is off

Delayed hardware standardization of NFC

Necessity to have a secure element, for which numerous players compete

Currently low, but accelerating, adoption of NFC smartphones


systems Fast exchange of large data

volumes possible Allows mobility and availability

Since an open WLAN has to be used, data exchange is insecure

Very expensive infrastructure costs (large number of routers needed)

Su

mm

ary Inconvenient when it comes

to mobile payment (need for a scanner app)

No guarantee of authenticity Focus of use: scanning links

to websites

Reaches a wide market Insecure No established services for

payment available Focus of use: Data transfer

Secure technology Clear trend in various industries

to use NFC Focus of use: mobile payment,

mobile ticketing and many services beyond

Insecure (open WLAN) Inconvenient when used for

mobile payment (need to connect to the WLAN)

Focus of use: data exchange, internet surfing

Figure 3: Comparison of mobile ticketing transmission technologies


August 201452 www.teletimesinternational.com www.adl.com/MobileTicketing


Arthur D. Little

As the world’s first consultancy, Arthur D. Little has been at the forefront of innovation for more than 125 years. We are acknowledged as a thought leader in linking strategy, technology and innovation. Our consultants consistently develop enduring next generation solutions to master our clients’ business complexity and to deliver sustainable results suited to the economic reality of each of our clients.

Arthur D. Little has offices in the most important business cities around the world. We are proud to serve many of the Fortune 500 companies globally, in addition to other leading firms and public sector organizations.

For further information, please visit www.adlittle.com

Copyright © Arthur D. Little 2014. All rights reserved.

How should transport operators embrace mobile ticketing?

Once transport operators have made the decision to embrace mobile ticketing, they need to make several decisions. First, operators should fine-tune their role along the mobile ticketing value chain and help develop the ecosystem. The realization of mobile ticketing can be entirely operator driven, or handled by a separate entity, which can act more independently in developing the required partnerships with system integrators, mobile operators, Trusted Service Managers, mobile application providers, NFC chip providers, etc. Such entities can be managed in the form of a Public-Private Partnership.

Secondly, transport operators need to decide which technology and standard to adopt for their mobile ticketing service.

Finally, transport operators need to implement mobile ticketing services, initially with a pilot and friendly-customer tests before rolling-out the system entirely. As a rule of thumb, the implementation of a mobile ticketing system takes about 9-12 months for pilots and 2-3 years for system-wide deployment.

It’s not about if, but how to launch mobile ticketing services

Passengers increasingly expect transport operators to provide mobile ticketing services given smartphone uptake, long-established similar services at airlines and multiplying mobile ticketing implementations worldwide. Transport operators therefore need to answer five questions:

1. Have we made clear decisions whether to be a leader or a follower in the mobile ticketing wave, and which role we want to have in the value chain?

2. Are we prepared to gather mobile ticketing experiences now, e.g. by running pilots?

3. Are our ongoing investments into our ticket systems future proof, i.e. compatible with mobile ticketing solutions or even with holistic Digital Multimodal Mobility Assistant platforms?

4. How can we ensure that others do not eat deeply into the mobile ticketing value chain?

5. Are we sufficiently taking advantage of upside opportunities from mobile ticketing implementations, i.e. shopping, advertising or location-based information services?

Arthur D. Little’s global team of telecom and travel and transportation management consultants has supported railway, airline and other transport operators to solve their most complex connectivity and mobile business issues, including mobile ticketing implementation projects.

Contacts

Karim TagaGlobal Practice Head [email protected]

Ralf BaronGlobal Practice Head Travel & [email protected]

Authors

Christian Niegel, Nicolai Schättgen

Ovum and Informa Telecoms & Media research (ITM) have announced the completion of the merger of the two companies under the Ovum brand. The merger creates the leading analyst firm for telecoms research and fourth largest technology research firm globally, providing the most comprehensive research view across the converging worlds of IT, telecoms, and media.Since the announcement of the merger plan on April 7, 2014, the two companies have brought together all the analysts and consulting teams and combined all the content from both companies onto a new mobile-optimized, online delivery platform, delivering 34 research channels and 36 data tools.The new company has also launched new research products: Digital Media, Music, Telecoms IT, Enterprise Technology, Enterprise Mobility, and Customer Engagement.Over the coming weeks, Ovum will be delivering new research in convergent technology areas as a result of the merger, such as telecoms IT spending forecasts, M2M forecasts, and monetizing telco Big Data.Steve Hotham, previously Managing Director of Ovum, is now CEO of the combined company and is supported by a new management team, consisting of senior directors from both ITM Research and Ovum. These include:• Ian Charlesworth, Managing Director – IT Research• Tim Jennings, Chief Research Officer, IT• Martin Hill, Managing Director – Telecoms, Media & Entertainment Research• Mark Newman, Chief Research Officer, Telecoms, Media & EntertainmentSteve Hotham believes that the combination of the two companies represents a new force in the technology industry research market and commented;

“This merger combines two highly complementary businesses that together now provide our customers with superior and comprehensive research, data, and consulting services globally to meet the increased strategic challenges of the converging technology market. We do not believe any other analyst firm provides such inclusive coverage of the IT, Telecoms and Media markets as Ovum.” The newly merged company will be an important part of Informa’s Business Intelligence division which has also just announced a re-structuring and will see Patrick Martell, formerly of St Ives Group, take over as CEO.

Ovum and Informa Telecoms & Media

Research complete merger


Jeffrey Hedberg appointed as CEO of MobilinkRashid Khan retires after 14 illustrious years in various leadership roles

Mobilink, part of VimpelCom Ltd.- a leading global provid-er of telecommunications services, has announced that Jeffrey Hedberg has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Mobilink, Pakistan. Jeffrey Hedberg succeeds Rashid Khan, who has decided to retire after tenure of over 14 years in leading positions with Mobilink and Banglalink. Jo Lunder, VimpelCom CEO, said: “Jeffrey has very strong operational telecoms experi-ence with specific experience of emerging markets. He has held a number of leading roles including CEO of Telkom South Africa and of Cell C, prior to which he was Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Telekom USA. I am very pleased he will be leading Mobilink through the next phase of the Com-pany’s development. I would like to thank Rashid Khan, who has made a significant contribution to Mobilink and Banglalink over the past

decade, in particular estab-lishing Mobilink as the leading operator in Pakistan.”Rashid Khan, Mobilink’s outgoing CEO and President said, “It has been an honour being a part of Mobilink and the VimpelCom Group. It is a privilege to lead an incredibly talented group of employees with whom I have shared the commitment and dedica-tion of business excellence. Jeffrey’s in-depth knowledge of the cellular industry, proven leadership, and business acumen makes him the ideal choice to lead Mobilink from the front. I am confident that under his leadership Mobilink will continue to prosper and lead the industry in Pakistan”. Rashid Khan is a veteran of the telecommunication indus-try and has held several man-agement positions within the cellular business arena in the emerging markets for the past 20 years. Rashid Khan was appointed the CEO of Mobilink

in 2008, upon his return from Bangalink where he led the business as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to that, for almost 15 years, he worked in Silicon Valley for various international companies where he acquired extensive working experience in the technology sector and was awarded patents for his inventions. Jeffrey Hedberg’s previous responsibilities include acting CEO of Telkom South Africa and CEO of Telkom’s Nigerian subsidiary, Multi-Links Nigeria. Prior to joining Telkom he was CEO of Cell C, in South Africa. From 1999 to 2002, Jeffrey was Executive Vice President and Member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG where he developed the strategy for the International Division and in 2002 he was appointed CEO and Chairman of Deutsche Telekom USA. Jeffrey joined Deutsche Telekom from Swiss-

com, where he became Execu-tive Vice President of Swiss-com International in 1997. Jeffrey commented: “The opportunity presented by Mobilink—as a market leader in a dynamic, growing, and highly competitive market—is intriguing and exciting. I look forward to the challenge of improving our performance while increasing our positive impact on the market and on Pakistani society as a whole”Mobilink, under the supervi-sion of Rashid Khan as CEO and President, maintained its position as the leading tele-communication service provid-er. Mobilink’s subscriber base grew from 30 million to 38 million as it launched 3G ser-vices in all major cities across Pakistan. Other major achieve-ments include re-branding to reflect a youthful and fresh business ideology and winning the GSMA Global Mobile Award for its SMS Based Liter-acy program.

Jeffrey-Hedberg,incomingCEO-Mobilink Jo Lunder, CEO - VimpleCom Rashid Khan, Outgoing CEO - Mobilink


Ericsson has signed a 3-year managed services agreement with Vodafone Egypt, to deliver network field maintenance services and improve the quality of its network in the greater Cairo area.The agreement is the first of its kind for Vodafone Egypt, which has chosen to outsource its network field services, and enhance the quality of its network in an attempt to bring the latest services to Vodafone subscribers. Osama Said, CTO Vodafone Egypt, said: “Ericsson has proved a steadfast partner throughout our years of partnership. With this agreement, we aim to achieve world class network quality with the most innovative

solutions that best serve our customers’ needs.”With more than 36.3 million customers subscribed to its services, Vodafone Egypt’s newest partnership with Ericsson will see the company support the National ICT

Strategy. Vodafone Egypt will improve the quality of its network in the greater Cairo area using Ericsson’s state-of-the-art technologies and innovations to achieve operational efficiency and boost network availability.

Rafiah Ibrahim, President, Ericsson Region Middle East, said: “Globally, Ericsson has signed more than 300 managed services contracts in more than 100 countries. By offering Managed Services to Vodafone Egypt, we aim to improve Vodafone’s network availability and quality through the use of our innovative technologies, enabling the Egyptian community to advance into the Networked Society future where everything that can benefit from connectivity will be connected. It is our privilege to handle this project for Vodafone Egypt.”Ericsson Egypt is Vodafone Egypt’s incumbent supplier and initial turnkey provider, with a partnership that dates back to 1998.

Analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments reached over 290 million in Q2 2014, representing 26% y-o-y growth and 2% q-o-q growth. Both Apple and Samsung witnessed a decline in their global market share as other vendors including Huawei, LG and Lenovo made gains at their expense.Samsung accounted for 26% of all smartphone shipments globally, with an estimated 75 million shipments during the quarter. While the company’s market share declined y-o-y

and q-o-q, shipment volume were estimated to be up 4% when compared to Q2 2013. The company does not disclose shipment numbers.Apple posted its best ever second quarter, shipping over 35 million iPhones, representing a y-o-y growth of 13%. However, Apple’s market share slipped from 15% in Q1 2014 to 12% in Q2 2014. A significant proportion of iPhone sales came from emerging markets, recording 55% y-o-y growth in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).Huawei & Lenovo Gains

Huawei sold some 34.3 million smartphones in H1 2014, with the second quarter shipments reaching 20 million representing a market share of nearly 7%. The company is expected to meet its full-year target of 80 million smartphones.Lenovo is estimated to have shipped 15.6 million smartphones for the second quarter, representing an increased market share of 5.5%.LG meanwhile shipped a record 14.5 million smartphones in the second quarter, representing a 20% y-o-y growth and 5% market

share.Emergence of the Emerging MarketsThe growth in economies of scale, innovation and the ‘trick-le-down’ effect of technology opened up the market to a far wider variety of low-end, low-er-priced smartphones which, in turn, facilitated their entry into emerging/developing mar-kets. Juniper anticipates that emerging nations in Far East & China, Indian Subcontinent, Latin America and Africa & Mid-dle East will account for over 50% of the global smartphones shipped this year.

Vodafone Egypt chooses Ericsson to enhance network quality in Greater Cairo

Smartphone shipments reached over 290 million in Q2 2014: Juniper Research

RafiahIbrahimPresident-Ericsson ME

Osama Said CTO-Vodafone, Egypt


Mobile business enlarged following CSL acquisitionHKT reports solid interim financial results

The directors of HKT Manage-ment Limited (in its capacity as the trustee-manager of the HKT Trust) and HKT Limited have announced the unaudited consolidated results of the HKT Trust and of HKT Limited together with HKT Limited’s subsidiaries for the six months ended June 30, 2014. Some key figures are as follows:• Total revenue increased by 13% to HK$12,520 million• Total EBITDA increased by 15% to HK$4,425 million• Profit attributable to hold-ers of Share Stapled Units increased by 18% to HK$1,400 million; basic earnings per Share Stapled Unit were 21.84 HK cents• Adjusted funds flow

increased by 7% to HK$1,590 million; adjusted funds flow per Share Stapled Unit was 24.78 HK cents before the Rights Issue and 21.00 HK cents after the Rights Issue• Interim distribution per Share Stapled Unit of 21.00 HK cents, on an enlarged basis of 7,571,742,334 Share Stapled

Units in issue after the Rights IssueHKT reported another set of solid financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2014. These results reflect the robust performance of HKT’s various lines of business and have consolidated the results of CSL New World Mobility Limited (now known as CSL Holdings Limited, “CSL”) since the completion of HKT’s acquisition of CSL in May 2014.The board of directors of the trustee-manager has resolved an interim distribution of 21.00 HK cents per Share Stapled Unit for the six months ended June 30, 2014. This distribution is based on the total number of

Share Stapled Units that is currently outstanding after the completion of the Rights Issue in July 2014.Mr. Alex Arena, HKT’s Group Managing Director, said, “Following the successful acquisition of CSL, HKT has immediately embarked on an integration exercise in order to offer customers an enhanced mobile experience via the combined retail channels and commencement of the network integration.”“Meanwhile, the broadband business and international connectivity are expected to remain key contributors to HKT’s financial results, as we continue to monetize on the growing demand,” he said.

The directors of PCCW Limited have announced the unaudited consolidated results of PCCW and its subsidiaries for the six months ended June 30, 2014. Some key figures are as follows:• Core revenue increased by 13% to HK$14,440 million; consolidated revenue (including PCPD) increased by 10% to HK$14,664 million• Core EBITDA increased by 13% to HK$4,457 million; consolidated EBITDA (including PCPD) increased by 11% to HK$4,376 million• Consolidated profit attributable to equity holders of the company increased by 24% to HK$1,058 million; basic earnings per share amounted to 14.57 HK cents

• Interim dividend of 6.99 HK cents per ordinary sharePCCW reported a set of healthy financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2014 which was attributable to solid performance of our core businesses.Core revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2014 increased by 13% to HK$14,440 million and core EBITDA also increased by 13% to HK$4,457 million, with a strong contribution from HKT and continued growth of the IT solutions business.The board of Directors has resolved to declare an interim dividend of 6.99 HK cents per ordinary share for the six months ended June 30, 2014.Mr. BG Srinivas, who joined

PCCW as the Group Managing Director in July 2014, said, “The Media business will continue its efforts to strengthen its leadership position in the pay-TV market in Hong Kong while developing its OTT strategy and international content distribution business which has seen initial success. Apart from a strong customer base of over 1.26 million households, we have achieved

an OTT user base of over 3.2 million. And our footprint of now branded content is in seven countries. We shall continue to invest in creating content assets that will deliver value to our business.”“The Solutions business will look to retain its leadership in the IT services sector in Hong Kong as well as expanding its presence in the mainland China market. As it consolidates its strengths, it will explore global opportunities. We shall continue to invest in building solutions and stay relevant to our client needs. With our delivery capabilities in Hong Kong and mainland China, we have a strong foundation to build on as we aspire to go global,” he added.

PCCW reports healthy interim financial results


it.” Ahsan Aziz Khan, EVP BSS and ESS Applications, PTCLLTE Asia incorporates pre-event Signalling and Antenna Evolution Focus Days. The Signalling Focus Day will bring together signalling experts from across the APAC region, representing both operators

and the most innovative service providers. It will be an opportunity to discuss the challenges of signalling in the big data era, and what operators can do to maximise quality of service, while minimising costs and the risk of a signalling storm. New for 2014,

the Antenna Evolution Focus Day will provide RAN engineers and senior management the opportunity to discover and share innovations at cell sites which are essential in the move towards LTE-A.2014 will also host the first ever LTE Asia Awards on the evening

of 24 September. The Awards ceremony will be held in the Marina Bay Sands to celebrate the best of APAC’s LTE market and recognise excellence amongst the most innovative products, services, solutions and applications driving the market forward.

Prysmian Group has been awarded a new contract worth approximately 95 million euro by IPTO (Independent Power Transmission Operator), the Transmission System Operator of the Greek electricity system, for the interconnection between the island of Syros (Cyclades) and the mainland power transmission System in Lavrion, Greece.The project involves the design, supply and installation of a turn-key High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) cable system designed to transmit a power of 200 MVA and consisting of 150 kV extruded cables and associated fibre optic cable system along a total route of more than 110 km (108 km submarine and 2 km land) for the interconnection between the two landfalls that will enable integration of Syros into the Greek network system and future expansion to the other Cyclades Islands (Paros, Mykonos, Tinos).The submarine cables

for the Lavrion-Syros link will be manufactured in the Arco Felice plant (Naples), the Group’s centre of technological and manufacturing excellence. Production of both submarine and land cables will be during 2015. Cable installation and protection will be completed within 22 months in 2016.“This new project confirms Prysmian’s leadership in the Mediterranean region and in ‘deep water’ cable installation projects” states Massimo Battaini, Prysmian Powerlink CEO. “The Cyclades project further highlights Prysmian’s strategic role in supporting the realization of the important development plans in the field of power grid interconnections”, he adds.Prysmian has a long-standing track record in the development of submarine interconnection milestone projects in the entire Mediterranean region, such as Italy-Greece, Sardinia-Italian Peninsula (SA.PE.I.), two interconnections between Spain and Morocco, two

projects in the Balearic islands (Spanish Mainland to Majorca and Ibiza to Majorca) and the Dardanelles in Turkey. The Group is also a founding member of the industrial partnership Medgrid, launched to study the feasibility of a high-voltage direct current interconnection project to transmit electricity from solar or wind power plants to load centres on either rim of the Mediterranean.These achievements again demonstrate Prysmian’s know-how and technologies validity in the development of state-of-the art cables for power transmission and the commitment to support smarter and greener power grids worldwide. In Europe, Prysmian is playing a key role in the development of power connections for offshore wind farms, with projects either completed or on-going in Denmark, Holland, UK and in Germany. With an extended worldwide industrial footprint of 17 plants dedicated to High Voltage cables and 3 plants mainly dedicated to submarine

cables, the Group has timely invested to meet the ever growing challenges of the industry. Prysmian Group is world leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry. With more than 130 years of experience, sales of €7 billion in 2013, about 19,000 employees across 50 countries and 91 plants, the Group is strongly positioned in high-tech markets and offers the widest range of products, services, technologies and know-how. In the Energy sector, Prysmian Group operates in the business of underground and submarine power transmission cables and systems, special cables for applications in many different industrial sectors and medium and low voltage cables for the construction and infrastructure industry. In the Telecom sector, the Group manufactures cables and accessories for the voice, video and data transmission industry, offering a complete range of optical fibres, optical and copper cables and connectivity systems.

Asia continues to ....

Prysmian, contract worth 95M Euros for the connection of the Cyclades Islands to the Mainland, in GreeceThe submarine cable system will enable integration of the islands into the Greek power transmission system

Contd. from P-8


Using 3G and 4G in PakistanIf you can read Urdu, read the text on the accompanying picture and imagine (in case you can’t read the text, even then imagine!) how would it be if same information is conveyed to the agriculturists using VIDEOS! And imagine if these videos could be seen on cellphone screens of the targeted growers of the targeted area, timed according to relevance and usefulness! Helping the growers and educating them about the latest methods of improving productivity in this manner has the potential of bringing an agricultural revolution in the country! This is the power of wireless broadband – like 3G and 4G!The accompanying picture is a real-life example where an international donor agency, a provincial government and a cellphone service provider have teamed up to convey important information to peach growers, through SMS. But the text itself acts as a barrier because most farmers are unable to read. Even if they can read, Urdu is not understood in most rural areas. And even if the language is changed to the local one, any text is prone to misinterpretations.On the other hand conveying information with the help of short video clips helps bridge all these issues. Such potential benefits of broadband do not end with agriculture, rather these extend to all vital sectors – e-education, e-health, e-governance, e-commerce, and much more.In developing countries the greatest impact that broadband makes is in semi-urban and

rural areas – in areas where it is difficult to physically deliver pubic services and people have to travel to nearby big cities. Access to e-Services like e-Agriculture not only leads to economic uplift of citizens of those areas, rather it has several side-benefits too, for instance reduction in migration to large cities.

With the handing over of the long awaited licenses for 3G and 4G technologies, wireless broadband is now being rolled out in the country. The handing over of the licenses was a great occasion, although it would not have been such a big deal if the previous administration had not failed – thrice! But now that it has been done (credit to MoIT and PTA) we must remember that if we rest on our laurels, then we are surely wearing those at the wrong place! This is the time to start taking those next steps, so that the new technologies are not just used to download movies and Bollywood songs (although there is nothing wrong with doing that as well) but also to educate and make people

more productive. The country as a whole should be able to reap the benefits of an inclusive growth.Therefore what we require next are those videos that we just mentioned – the “Content” – dubbed in local languages. Such video-clips can be produced either with the help of real actors or with animations (just like those safety videos shown aboard the airliners now-a-days). Content that is meant for every sector of the economy. No doubt that there is a huge amount of very useful content available on the net, but there are several other issues with that. Firstly language would be an issue again, secondly rural folk will find it difficult to search in the vast ocean of internet, and finally (hopefully temporarily) the main source of such content, YouTube, stays blocked in Pakistan!Sooner than most people think, smartphones are going to be the access devices. Big global players are already working hard to make the smartphones affordable, particularly for the large populations of developing economies. Google announced last month at it’s annual developers conference in San Francisco that it was working on a low-cost smartphone aimed at emerging markets as part of an initiative called ‘Android One’. Earlier, Mozilla announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, that they will help develop a $25 smartphone, which will start selling by next year in India and Indonesia. According to a June 2014 report by Ericsson, globally smartphones accounted for

around 65% of all mobile phones sold in first Quarter of 2014, compared to around 50% during same period last year.With the passage of time, cellphones will be used less and less for voice and more and more for data communications (it is already true in case of those of us who are active users of broadband via cellphones). Kids of the future will be amazed to know that the cellphones were originally created for voice! International Data Corporation (IDC). Worldwide report shows that already 1.5 times more smartphones are being sold than PCs + Laptops + Tablets combined since 2012. By 2017 this figure will be two-times. According to a Nokia study, in most of the world 30% of the cellphones are now smartphones, which is rapidly increasing. In Pakistan it is around 10%. But that should not be seen as low because in Pakistan we are only in the introductory phase of wireless broadband.Thus all that spending on providing free laptops and tablets by the federal and provincial governments may be saved! Instead the efforts should focus on creating that all-important, urgently needed, local content, and making it available to the citizens in a way that they do not have to pay for it (already one-of-the-highest taxes on ICTs in the world, is causing enough harm). But unfortunately on the content front, there are no signs of any activity by the government. We, as a nation,

Contd. on P-60

Parvez Iftikhar


are missing out on a unique opportunity to leapfrog and catch up with many of the developing economies who are galloping ahead riding the broadband wave – including our friends in Africa. When I got invited to the pan-Africa ICT4Ag conference in Rwanda late last year I had the astonishing opportunity to see firsthand the deep and impactful use of ICTs in Agriculture in some of the African countries.So here is what the federal and provincial

governments need to do (with MoIT providing necessary guidance):1. Bringing the enormous experience related to Agriculture, Education and Health, etc. available in various ministries, and enormous experience of content creation available in the private sector together, and usefully employing all that to create wonderful content!2. Simultaneously using the funds available with USF, helping the telcos speed up roll-out of broadband in

non-lucrative areas by investing in two infrastructure components: (a) Optic Fiber Cables to villages, to provide backhaul for wireless broadband, and (b) the last-mile access of wireless broadband for the villagers.Unless the true potential of wireless broadband is understood, and steps taken to use it – just like several other develop-ing countries are doing – the huge oppor-tunity presented by 3G, 4G, etc. is going to be nothing but a terrible waste…

Sending money home will soon be as easy as sending text messages, for the 180,000 Indonesians living here.Through SingTel’s mRemit service, funds can be sent directly to more than 80 Indonesian banks, including Bank Danamon, Bank Negara Indonesia and Bank Mandiri from Sunday. This is done via

SingTel’s mWallet smartphone app or by sending the word “remit” via SMS to the number 77766.mRemit is also available to StarHub and M1 subscribers. Customers must first open a SingTel-managed mCash digital stored value system, as funds will be drawn from this account. mCash is set up via the

mWallet smartphone app, which can be downloaded from the iTunes and Google Play online stores.mCash’s value - capped at $999 at any one time - can be topped up at more than 800 AXS machines, 150 FairPrice Xpress and Cheers outlets, and 80 SingTel retailers islandwide using Nets or cash.

The Indian government proposes to set up a Telecom Finance Corporation (TFC) in the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-17) which will be registered as a non-banking and non-deposit infrastructure finance company. “It would be registered as non-banking finance company and non-deposit infrastructure finance company. The Telecom Finance Corporation would be a public sector unit under the administrative control of Department of Telecom,” Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. He added the time frame to set up proposed TFC is up to March 31, 2017, that is within 12th five year plan. Prasad said the main sources of funds for TFC shall be through issue of taxable and tax-free bonds.The other source of funds include term loans from banks/financial institutions and off-shore borrowings and borrowings from multilateral agencies such as Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other sovereign funds.

SingTel offers instant fund transfers to Indonesia bank accounts via mobile

Indian Government plans Telecom Finance Corp by 2017

Using 3G and 4G in PakistanContd. from P-59

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad


Warid Telecom and Bank Alfalah Limited formally launch “Mobile Paisa” – hits over 10,000 agents across 500 cities

Warid Telecom and Bank Alfalah Limited have announced the launch of their marketing cam-paign for Branchless Banking Services under the brand name “Mobile Paisa” in Pakistan. The launch of Mobile Paisa was announced earlier this year with the promise of trust and convenience. The service is launched in collab-oration with Monet (Pvt.) Limit-ed as the technology provider, who are using the technology of Visa International, to offer branchless banking solutions to banks and telcos nationwide.Both Warid Telecom and Bank Alfalah Limited aim to bridge the gap between banking services and consumers while providing state of the art mobile financial services, bringing convenience, reliability and security all togeth-er for their customers.The available services include Money Transfer, Bill Payments and Customer Mobile Wallets while more services are in the pipeline for consumers, cor-porates and G2P which will be launched soon. The companies understand the importance of

timely payments of bills and transfer of money and other financial needs of custom-ers, hence intend to provide convenience to its consumers accordingly.Speaking on Mobile Paisa hitting over 10,000 agents for branch-less banking, Warid Telecom’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Muneer Farooqui said, “We are constantly growing in every aspect, With one of the top ARPUs, our brand is acknowl-edged as the most reliable and transparent in the Industry. Our branchless banking brand, Mobile Paisa, is aimed at making

Mobile Financial Services ef-fortless task for our consumers. In this era of modernization and technical development, it is essential to digitize and en-hance transacting convenience through a secure and swift system. With the strong backing of the Abu Dhabi Group, we are constantly putting every effort to ensure that we remain un-matched in providing innovative services to our valuable custom-ers. Bank Alfalah is one of the biggest banking institutions in Pakistan and this is the edge that Mobile Paisa enjoys over its com-petitors in this telecom-banking collaborative product.”Commenting on Mobile Paisa, Warid Telecom’s Director Mobile Financial Services, Mr. Faisal Khan Sadozai said, “As we hit over 10,000 agents in a very short span of time, I call it the beginning. With aggressive ex-pansion plans, we have a sound strategy towards making Mobile Paisa brand evolve and thrive in coming times. I am looking at Mobile Paisa hitting another 30,000 agents across 1,000 towns in the very near future.

Pakistan is surely a good market for branchless banking. Our key objective is to make things easier for the people while add-ing more possibilities through Mobile Paisa with strong focus on financial inclusion of the un-banked population of Pakistan. Mobile Paisa is set out to revolve around customer convenience and trust and we are continu-ously working to bring in new and exciting products for our valuable customers.”Mehreen Ahmed, Group Head Retail South and New Initia-tives who leads the branchless banking team at Bank Alfalah, commented, “Bank Alfalah is ag-gressively pursuing the creation of a financial ecosystem that supports innovation through technology. Mobile Paisa is yet another reiteration of our com-mitment to enhancing financial access and inclusion in order to reduce the gap between the ‘banked’ and the yet-to-be-banked’ in Pakistan.”Mobile Paisa service is currently available on all Warid Business Centres, franchises and Mobile Paisa shops.

Muneer Farooqui, CEO - Warid


Telematics China Summit 2014 4 - 5 Sep Shanghai, China Big Data Worls Show 8 - 9 Sep Kuala lumpur, Malaysia CTO Forum 2014 8 - 10 Sep Dhaka, Bangladesh IEEEP 9 - 11 Sep Karachi, Pakistan Critical Communications ME 14 - 16 Sep Dubai, UAE NigeriaCom 16 - 17 Sep Lagos, Nigeria Managed Services World Congress 16 - 17 Sep London MVNOs Industry Summit LATAM 16 - 17 Sep Sao Paulo, Brazil Turkmentel 17 - 18 Sep Ashgabat, Turkeminstan MVNOs Industry Summit Middle East 22 - 23 Sep Dubai, UAE Middle East Com 22 - 23 Sep Dubai, UAE Cloud World Forum Public Sector 23 - 24 Sep Germany WiFi and Small Cells World Summit 23 - 24 Sep Barcelona, Spain LTE Asia ‘14 23 - 25 Sep Suntec, Singapore Telecoms World Middle East ‘14 29 - 30 Sep Dubai, UAE

Webit Global Congress 1 - 2 Oct Istanbul, Turkey LTE Voice Summit 7 - 8 Oct London, UK Telco Cloud World Forum North America 7- 8 Oct USA Pricing Mobile Data 8 - 9 Oct London, UK GITEX Technology Week ‘14 12 - 16 Oct Dubai, UAE GSMA M360 Series Conference 13 – 14 Oct Dubai, UAE Enterprise Mobility World 15 – 16 Oct London Monetising OTT Communications Asia 16 – 17 Oct Thailand MVNOs Industry Summit Asia 16 – 17 Oct Thailand Broadband World Forum 21 - 23 Oct Amsterdam Myanmar Mobile Services 29 - 30 Oct Yangon Iraq Telecom 29 - 30 Oct Istanbul, Turkey

Cloud World Forum Asia 3 – 4 Nov Hong Kong, Asia TV Connect MENA 4 – 5 Nov Dubai, UAE Global Milsat Com 2014 4 – 6 Nov London Telco Energy & Infrastructure Efficiency 11 – 12 Nov London, Uk Africa Com 2014 11 – 13 Nov Cape Town, South Africa LTE Africa 2014 11 – 13 Nov Cape Town, South Africa Telco Big Data Summit 12 – 13 Nov Barcelona, Spain Big Data World Show 17 – 18 Nov Melbourne, Australia LTE North America 18 – 20 Nov USA MVNOs Industry Summit USA 19 – 20 Nov USA Big Data 1 -2 Dec Germany, Europe Roaming World Summit 2 - 3 Dec London Bakutel 2014 2 - 5 Dec Baku, Azerbaijan ITU Telecom World 7 - 10 Dec Doha, Qatar Safe Cities 2014 9 - 11 Dec Madrid, Spain


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