MTC chief elaborates media-communication link at even in Amman

(With photos)

AMMAN, June 4 (KUNA) -- Visiting Kuwaiti Mobile Telecommunications Company's (MTC) CEO Saad al-Barrak said here Monday technological advancement would inevitably lead to partnership between the media and communications sectors.

Barrak expressed the belief during a session of the 4th Annual Conference for Amalgamation between Media and Communications, which kicked off here Monday.

The gathering was held under the sponsorship of the MTC and its affiliate Fast Link of Jordan.

Growth and development have become the sole option for mobile phone providers in light of Arab orientations towards an end to the monopolization of the communication sector, he said.

The sector has seen a notable advancement in the Arab region and Middle East, and now it has major future growth potential, he said. The MTC achieves an annual growth of 50 percent in the region.

Subscribers to mobile phone lines can adapt themselves to new technologies swiftly, Barrak said, predicting that they would also interact with fresh future services aiming to link media and communications, he noted.

Concerning swift growth achieved by the MTC in Africa, he said the company was present in 15 African nations, and tangibly contributed to economic growth in these countries.

The MTC said in May that it had fully owned the shares of the key mobile communication player in Africa, Celtel, at a total value of USD 3.34 billion.

The conference, meanwhile, attracted some 400 representatives from communication and media corporations to explore the relationship between both communication and media sectors and impacts of amalgamation between them on economic growth opportunities in the region as well as Arab communication markets.

Addressing the inaugural session of the gathering, Jordanian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Basem al-Rousan hailed the event as a good opportunity for communication providers to boost regional growth in the field.

The amalgamation of media and communications would provide excellent opportunities for companies working in this area to grow and raise their profits, especially with the emergence of fresh income sources, the minister said.