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GSM > 3G Middle East 2007 Post Conference News
The 12th GSM>3G Middle East conference and exhibition boasted 2100 attendees who also had the opportunity to discuss and express their opinion with a new polling system.
A live poll conducted among the delegates and attendees at the event revealed a lack of confidence over whether regulators have been successful in promoting competition in local markets. The vast majority, 59 per cent, said "no", with only 37 per cent saying "yes".
Click here for the full poll results.
What is clear is that pent up demand for mobile communications is very high across the region and there is a willingness to spend, but in order to get subscribers to spend, carriers need to deliver premium service and attractive offerings, which the panellists argued is only achievable under a light touch regulatory framework. Samir Satchu, general council and head of government affairs for Roshan in Afghanistan, highlighted the difficulties of driving growth in a market known for its tough terrain and a lack of infrastructure for utilities as simple as electricity. "There needs to be an incentive for carriers to invest in the rural areas and this process needs to be determined by the market," he said.
Ross Cormack, CEO of Nawras in Oman, supported the idea that a less intrusive regulatory model is the way forward for the Middle East. "The model that regulators in Europe and the US follow is not about the free market, it's more about piling regulation on regulation. When I worked at AirTouch, the biggest team in the company was the lawyers, because they had to deal with the regulatory bodies on a day to day basis," he said. "In the Middle East, the regulators are largely getting it right with a light touch approach."
The event closed on Monday with 3 new streams focusing on In-Buliding, Fixed To Mobile Convergence and Marketing thus tailoring the learning needs of this year's delegates.
With the number of prepaid mobile subscriptions in the Middle East crossing the 100 million mark in the second quarter, reaching 101.7 million at the end of June, we are expecting next year's programme to delve in with more depth on prepaid and also focus more on regions where new licences are being issued such as Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq.
We look forward to welcoming you again to Dubai in December 2008.
