Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Kuwait 2015
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Access to the internet, especially via mobile devices, has accelerated rapidly in Kuwait since the government liberalised the telecoms and IT sector in the early 2000s. The nation now has one of the highest smartphone penetration rates in the region, at 69% of the population in 2014 after seeing 40% growth on the previous year. As one of the first GCC nations to embrace competition by allowing private sector participation in the provision of telecoms services, Kuwait has lately moved to extend oversight of private operations, approving a bill in April 2014 to create an independent telecoms regulator, a move expected to yield fresh momentum for the industry going forward. Meanwhile, despite new challenges in cybersecurity, there is optimism in the industry surrounding the opportunities for new businesses to help protect against cyberthreats.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

High frequency: Privatisation has led to significant competition
OBG
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The ICT market in Kuwait has grown at a rapid pace over the past decade. Access to the internet, and mobile communications technology in particular, has accelerated rapidly since the government liberalised the sector in the early 2000s, adopting policies and regulations to encourage greater competition and private sector participation in the market. In 2008 the addition of a third mobile operator catalysed a wave of market changes that have benefited end users. However, the government is still a…

Analysis

An eye online: Cybersecurity gets more attention in the region
OBG
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Regional and global trends indicate people are conducting an increasing number of transactions over digital networks and storing more of their data online. This has shifted the security requirements of governments, corporations and citizens alike, as high-profile security breaches at large corporations and government offices around the globe have brought the issue of securing digital content into focus over the past decade. Kuwait, which depends heavily on its oil and gas industry, is particularly…