Telecoms & ITC

Bahrain: Online content

Long a leader in the utilization of information technology (IT), Bahrain is working to hone its advantage, further building on its electronic services program at home while spreading knowledge through cyber-space across the Arab world. A recent report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) revealed that internet use in the majority of Arab countries remains below the prevailing global rate of 21 per cent of the population. In part this could be due to the low level of Arabic content on websites - presently around 1 per cent of the total. In its Arab Knowledge report 2009, issued at the end of October, the UNDP said there was an urgent need for further research to understand the interaction of the Arabic language with technological developments and to meet the growing demands of Arab users. In its report, the UNDP cited Bahrain as one of four Arab countries ranked in the top-50 globally as being most ready for investment in the area of information and communications technology (ICT). That readiness, along with Bahrain's strong commitment to ICT, may well have influenced the UNDP to partner with the Kingdom in a new project. On November 2, Bahrain's eGovernment Authority (EGA) and the UNDP formally signed an agreement to establish the Arab Centre for eContent Development, a US$460,000 project that will be based in Bahrain. (source: OBG)

Tata Communications to build new cable in Gulf

Indian telecoms services firm Tata Communications said it had signed agreements with operators in the Middle East to build a new cable system for the region. The telecoms cable will connect the region to the world's major business hubs through the company's existing Tata Global Network, it said in a statement to the Mumbai stock exchange. Financial details were not disclosed. The agreements were signed with Bahrain Internet Exchange, Nawras of Oman, Qatar Telecom, Mobily of Saudi Arabia and Etisalat in the United Arab Emirates.

Ericsson wins contract from Iraq's Korek Telekom

Korek Telecom said it has awarded Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson AB a contract for the deployment of a billing post-paid system in Iraq, TradeArabia News Service reports. The value of the deal was not disclosed. The new system will provide Korek with better reporting capabilities and help it improve billing accuracy, it said. The contract is part of a bigger project for modernization of Korek's billing infrastructure.

Oman: Internet boost

As 2009 draws to a close, Oman's relatively underserved IT sector is preparing for the introduction of competition to the internet-service-provider (ISP) market, as Qtel's local subsidiary Nawras prepares to launch the Sultanate's second fixed-line telecoms service. Currently, internet service provision in the country remains the monopoly of Omantel, the predominantly state-owned national telecoms company. This is not for want of trying by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), the national telecoms watchdog. In 2007 it attempted to open the ISP market to competition by announcing the sale of licenses to newcomers. However, perhaps as a result of the terms offered (which required potential new ISPs to lease infrastructure and bandwidth from the incumbent Omantel), no takers were found in the private sector. As a result, a more ambitious approach towards introducing liberalization and competition to the telecoms network was attempted. In April 2008 the auction of a second fixed-line telecoms license was announced by the TRA, with the eventual winner, Nawras, announced in November of the same year. [source: OBG]

Telecom Egypt to install more fibre networks next year

Telecom Egypt, which launched "triple play" telecoms services last month, said it would roll out fibre networks in at least four or five big residential compounds in the next year. "We would continue to roll out fibre in areas where we see demand for high-speed internet connectivity and content services as well," Chief Executive Officer Tarek Tantawy said..