Confirms Participation in Arab Spectrum Management Group Meeting in Doha

Doha, Qatar, February 18, 2015 - SAMENA Telecommunications Council has announced its participation in the 19th ASMG (Arab Spectrum Management Group) meeting, which is  taking place currently in Doha, Qatar. At this meeting, senior officials from the Arab region are contributing to crucial discussions centred around the need for allocating additional mobile spectrum in the region, in preparation for the ITU WRC-15 conference later this year.

Industry trends and SAMENA Council's own findings, especially with respect to the adoption of digital services and applications in the region, point to a clear indication that mobile services throughout and beyond the SAMENA region are undergoing rapid growth, causing telecommunications networks to experience unprecedented device connections, which result in high data traffic. This is generating a need for access to more airways among telecommunications operators and highlights the essential nature of efficient spectrum allocation and spectrum harmonization for the future success of global mobile services.

SAMENA Council anticipates that the discussions at ASMG's regional meeting will drive consensus around the spectrum issue ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) during November 2015 in Geneva. At this conference, administrations from around the world will agree on introducing new changes to international spectrum allocations and associated regulatory provisions. With the expected far-reaching effects on the telecommunications industry, the results achieved in ASMG and subsequently in WRC-15 will determine the future of robust, high-speed, and affordable mobile broadband connectivity as well as digital services and applications across the globe.

Decisions made at the WRC-15 will also have a direct impact on the future socio-economic well-being and growth of nations and their citizens. This is supported by the SAMENA Council's projections which point to a US$1.3 trillion opportunity available within the SAMENA region alone, which can be tapped by accelerating digitization, and in the realization of which availability of spectrum plays an integral role.

SAMENA Council's CEO, Bocar BA, said, "With massive growth being experienced in mobile data, the need for additional spectrum, dedicated specifically to International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT), has become severe. Additional spectrum is a mission-critical business requirement that telecom operators simply cannot afford to keep unfulfilled, as both private and public sectors work extensively to bring benefits of advanced connectivity to their people."

Bocar further added, "In many countries, current availability of spectrum may appear to be sufficient for meeting short-to-medium term requirements posed by the increasing connectivity of mobile devices and data flows. As a result, this may not prompt immediate attention from policy-makers to revisit spectral efficiency needs and current frequency allocations, but at the speed in which the industry is transforming along with the challenges to the networks in terms of consumer data consumption, the inevitability of allocating more spectrum to operators will soon become more evident. SAMENA Council simply wants to ensure that this agenda of spectrum allocation is set forth in the policy-makers' mind sooner rather than later."

Mr. BA further clarified SAMENA Council's position on the allocation of more spectrum for operators and said: "In the best interests of consumers and service providers, bands such as Sub 700MHz UHF Band, L-Band, 2.7GHz - 2.9GHz, and C-Band offer the best combination of coverage and capacity, both of which are required to ensure that mobile networks are capable of providing cost-effective, high-speed services in both rural and urban areas. Moreover, with the emergence of a new marketplace, driven by Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies, considerations for more harmonized licensed spectrum at affordable prices must be recognized and applied promptly. SAMENA Council also recognizes that the possibilities of cross-interference in some frequency bands do exist, and thus the decision-making process on spectrum allocation must also focus on this aspect and set harmonization as a top priority."

By allocating sufficient additional spectrum to telecom operators, governments will be able to continue supporting existing services for as long as necessary, while also ensuring they have the flexibility to gradually increase the amount available for mobile broadband. In the absence of new allocations, their ability to react swiftly to make new mobile spectrum available as data traffic rises will be limited, resulting in a degraded user experience and impeding the realization of economies of scale. As it takes several years to assign, re-allocate, re-assign, and re-license spectrum, it is essential that administrations act now rather than react later, when it may be too late to meet the growing consumer demand through market-healthy initiatives. They should also incentivize the telecommunications industry to contribute at escalated levels for further socio-economic development of the region.

About SAMENA Council
SAMENA Telecommunications Council is South Asia - Middle East - North Africa (SAMENA) region's sole operator-driven industry association that represents telecommunications service providers from around the region, and beyond. SAMENA is a not-for-profit organization, with membership comprising more than 90 leading regional and international organizations. Headquartered in the UAE, SAMENA was founded in 2006, is chaired by Dr. Nasser Marafih and led by Mr. Bocar A. BA. SAMENA collaborates with leading non-profit international organizations, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the European Telecom Network Operators' Association. With an expanding member portfolio, the Council is quickly securing strong footing in the region. SAMENA's current network consists of 25 countries from South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. However, organizations from countries of Asia Pacific, Europe and North America also form part of the SAMENA membership.

For SAMENA Council's membership inquiries please contact:
Mr. Izhar Ahmad
Director, Industry & Membership Affairs
SAMENA Telecommunications Council
Email: izhar@samenacouncil.org  

For more information, please contact:
Ani Bazdekian
TRACCS
Tel: +9714 3672530
TRACCS Media Hotline: +97150 9448389
Email: ani.bazdekian@traccs.net

Press Release 2015