Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Qatar 2014
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Qatar’s telecoms sector has put itself on a sound footing, thanks to ongoing investments in domestic and global operations. With a solid fixed network, a growing satellite market and sprawling 3G coverage, residents enjoy high connectivity. The ever-rising demand for mobile data has already fuelled a drive for 4G coverage and could prove lucrative to providers even as the use of voice and SMS decreases. One of Qatar’s telecoms companies has launched mobile financial services in the last three years to woo customers, especially the expats who make up more than 85% of the population and often need to transfer money to their home countries, and both firms are looking for ways to expand abroad.
This chapter contains interviews with Hessa Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Information & Communications Technology; Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman, Ooredoo; and Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari, CEO, Es’hailSat.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Gathering speed: New technologies are driving value-added services, data consumption and new revenue streams
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A third of a century after Qatar launched its first public phone service in 1953 with a modest 150 lines, Law No. 13 created a state-owned company to run the sector. When Qatar Telecom (Qtel), now known as Ooredoo, moved into mobile services in 1994, its Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) was among the first in the Middle East. Only after the ascent of the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in 1995 did Qatar’s authorities begin to let more market forces steer the economy.…

Interview

OBG talks to Hessa Sultan Al Jaber, Former Minister of Information and Communications Technology
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Interview:Hessa Sultan Al Jaber Why did the government develop a nation-wide broadband plan, and why now? AL JABER: We know that high-speed, high-quality, affordable broadband is the foundation of an innovative, secure ICT sector that can enrich the quality of life for individuals and propel our nation forward. Ten years ago, Qatar’s leadership made the decision to invest in building the infrastructure that would provide the capacity and speeds to set the country apart from others in the…

Interview

OBG talks to Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman, Ooredoo
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Interview:Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani To what extent is the long-term sustainability of the industry, particularly revenue growth, reliant on a steady stream of technological innovation? SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN MOHAMMED BIN SAUD AL THANI: Technological innovation has always played a very significant role in the fast-paced communications industry, and it is only going to increase in importance. Currently, approximately 30% of the world’s youth are digital natives, meaning…

Analysis

Pageload payload: Qatar joins its regional neighbours with the launch of a 4G LTE mobile broadband network
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Since its first commercial launch in 2001, the spread of third-generation, or 3G, mobile networks has redefined how people use the web, providing broadbandvelocity access to consumers on the go. Global uptake mushroomed in response: subscriptions rose from 268m in 2007 to 2.1bn in 2013, an annual increase of 40%, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The latest iteration, fourth generation long term evolution (4G LTE), has been spreading just as quickly since its own commercial…

Overview

Revved up: Continuing development of web infrastructure and support for tech innovation are pushing the sector forward
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A quiet revolution has been taking place in Qatar over the last decade. While the gas-gushing Ras Laffan Industrial City and its trebling exports were seizing headlines, other government enterprises were concentrating not on pipelines but phone lines. A more connected Qatar, the logic went, could boost technology literacy and help form a robust information technology (IT) sector. Results so far show promise: in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Development Index, an International…

Interview

OBG talks to Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari, CEO, Es’hailSat (Qatar Satellite Company)
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Interview:Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari What are the benefits of having a satellite focused on the Middle East and North Africa region as opposed to using existing infrastructure? ALI AHMED AL KUWARI: Es’hail 1 is positioned at 25.5 East. In this region, we have two hot-spots: 7 West and 25.5 East. 7 West’s Ku band spectrum is almost fully utilised. Everyday in the region there are new TV channels and radio channels being launched. These new channels need additional bandwidth or spectrum to be…

Overview

Byte out of crime: The government, private sector and research institutions join forces to stem the rise of cyber threats
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Qatari authorities have for years touted the importance of information technology (IT) as a driver of growth in knowledge-based sectors. They see IT as foundational to the country’s economic future, able not only to grow as an industry it its own right but to drive growth in other brain-heavy sectors like health, government and education, and boost efficiency by leaps and bounds. The explosive growth of all things digital, however, has brought with it issues of cyber security. Cyber Sieges Recent…