Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Qatar 2012
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The telecoms market is still relatively young in terms of market-driven competition. The market entered a new phase in 2009, when Vodafone Qatar began to operate as the second telecoms provider, bringing an end to Qatar Telecom’s (Qtel) monopoly. The resulting competition has sparked more innovation and brought higher-quality service. Indeed, mobile penetration rates now stand at 142%. Landline network has grown too: between 2002 and 2011 the number of landline telephone subscriptions jumped from 176,519 to 308,655. More recently, this has been useful in propelling the use of broadband internet. However, a new $550m public fibre network initiative is set to provide more than 95% of the state’s population with connection speeds up to 100 megabits per second by 2015.

This chapter includes interviews with Hessa Al Jaber, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR); Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani, CEO, Qatar Telecom; and Rashid Al Naimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Meeza.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Evolving dynamics: A market driven by network enlargement, data growth and two-way competition
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In 1949 Qatar set up its first automatic telephone exchange, a 50-line network that helped the state reach what was then considered a major milestone in telecommunications: eliminating the need for human operators. In the 63 years since, alongside an economic surge fuelled by the energy sector and a growing population, the telecoms industry evolved into one of the region’s most dynamic. In 1976 the country’s first satellite earth station came on-line, and by 1994 the first global system for…

Interview

OBG talks to Hessa Al Jaber, Secretary-General, Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR)
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Interview: Hessa Al Jaber What are the challenges associated with encouraging the private sector to adopt cloud computing technology, and how are they being addressed? HESSA AL JABER: Introducing cloud computing services is a global challenge that is not an issue of investment or development, but rather a problem regarding the lack of universal regulations. Promoting local cloud computing is easy, but at the moment to fully reap the benefits of cloud services companies must be willing to have some…

Analysis

Hard wired: Broadband seeing major investment push and boosts in fixed and mobile demand
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Worldwide, broadband bandwidth is on the rise. Between 2005 and 2010, international bandwidth, measured by bits per second (bit/s) per user grew more than fivefold from 5464 to 28,772, according to the UN’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU). In Arab states, the trend was twice as fast, with bit/s per user growing more than 10-fold. That rise, however, took bandwidth only from 817 to 11,310 bit/s per user, while the average rates per user in the Commonwealth of Independent States,…

Interview

Strengthening connectivity: OBG talks to Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani, CEO, Qatar Telecom
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Intervhiew: Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani With ownership of smartphones higher than the proportion of customers with broadband access, how are services being developed to further penetrate this changing market? SHEIKH SAUDBIN NASSER AL THANI: The smartphone market and the exponential growth in demand for data is driving the development of our industry. We ensure that the latest devices are immediately available in Qatar and promote the development of a range of targeted applications that meet…

Interview

OBG talks to Rashid Al Naimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Meeza
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Interview: Rashid Al Naimi What would you identify as major opportunities for information and communications technology (ICT) services going forward? RASHID AL NAIMI: Opportunities for the ICT sector as a whole will really flourish with the implementation of improved infrastructure, which is currently advancing very quickly. The Gulf Bridge International (GBI) submarine cables and fibre-optic solutions from the Qatar National Broadband Network initiative will add capacity and availability of bandwidth…

Overview

A connected community: State support and private enterprise are spurring ICT development
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Internet usage in Qatar has expanded, with fixed broadband subscriptions enjoying steady growth in the past decade. At the end of 2011, Qatar’s internet user penetration rate clocked in at 81.6%, far ahead of the Arab states’ average of 29.1% and the global average of 34.7%, according to the UN’s International Telecommunications Union. The financial size of the market has been increasing as well, thanks in part to extensive government support and improving infrastructure. The government…

Analysis

Emphasis on creativity: Government programmes are providing opportunities for Arabic content creators
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The use of Arabic on the web has made major gains in recent years, growing by 2500% between 2000 and 2011, according to a study by New York-based app translation firm Smartling. Arabic was the fastest-growing language on the micro-blogging site Twitter between 2010 and 2011, when the volume of Arabic posts grew more than 20 times, according to Paris-based web research firm Semiocast. However, Arabic still makes up just 3% of the web’s content, according to Smartling. In Qatar, the government…

Analysis

Added momentum: Technology education and entrepreneurship are supported by a broad range of organisations
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As part of its goal to nurture innovation and technological development in Qatar, the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) has outlined its plan to build a more digital society. As it pursues this goal, ictQATAR has introduced several initiatives to boost cyber-safety, encourage the use of information and communications technology (ICT) and streamline social services. One of ictQATAR’s major goals, the development of ICT skills in the state, is of unique importance.…