Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Kuwait 2013
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With the introduction of 4G, the highly competitive telecoms market is likely to see growing use of smartphones and data services. The future development of the sector would be greatly aided by a new telecoms law and the emergence of an independent regulator. The need for this is clear and the Ministry of Communications has a plan to address this. In IT, state spending remains the primary growth driver, alongside the wealthy, young and tech-savvy consumer base.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Firm foundations: Advanced infrastructure and a liberalised mobile market augur well for the sector’s prospects
OBG
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In many respects, Kuwait has established itself as a telecoms innovator in the region, becoming the first GCC country to license a second mobile operator (in 1999) and thereafter overseeing a new era of competition in the mobile segment. The government continues to play a dominant role in the fixed-line sector and has yet to follow its regional neighbours in establishing an independent telecommunications regulator. Recent announcements, however, suggest that the regulatory environment may soon…

Analysis

Fast four: New mobile technologies offer competitive advantages
OBG
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In October 2012 the Kuwaiti Ministry of Communications (MoC) issued a decree authorising Kuwait’s three mobile providers to roll out their long-anticipated fourth-generation long-term evolution (4G LTE) high-speed data services. The nation’s increasingly data-hungry consumer base will have a much smoother experience streaming video on handsets and tablets, and data usage limits imposed by operators will be more generous and competitively priced. A FEW TECHNICALITIES: The MoC’s announcement…

Overview

Strategic strength: Government and consumer spending buoy growth as the sector waits for a new law and an independent regulator
OBG
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The IT sector has gained much ground over the last decade, witnessing a dramatic rise in internet penetration – from a negligible rate in the year 2000 to levels of access comparable to Europe by 2013. Substantial government investment in e-services and infrastructure have boosted the nation’s network readiness and gone some way towards mitigating the absence of a dedicated regulator for the sector. Accessing the internet, storing data online and utilising an increasing array of IT services…

Analysis

Rising profile: Governmental reforms and promotional efforts aim to boost sector performance
OBG
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The headline statistic of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) annual “Global Information Technology Report” for 2012 brought good news for Kuwait: the country jumped 13 places above its 2011 position to reach a ranking of 62nd out of 144 on the IT Networked Readiness Index, which assesses economies on their IT usage, acceptance and efficiency. The result brought the nation an honorary mention as the only significant mover in the WEF’s 2012 survey, a more favourable summation than that…