GCC telecommunication regulators to share experiences at CONNECT telecoms summit

The inaugural day will feature an important panel discussion on telecom deregulation moderated by Essam Al Tamimi, Managing Partner of Al Tamimi & Company. Panel members will include H.E. Mohammed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General, TRA, UAE, A. Andreas Avgousti, Director General, Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), Bahrain, Eng. Naashiah Bint Saud Al Kharusi, Member, TRA, Oman, and Saddig Ibrahim Al Tayeb, General Manager Licensing, Communications & Information Technology Commission (CITC), Saudi Arabia.

Among the key topics will be the impact of competition and full liberalisation in regional markets, challenges of convergence and a roadmap for the GCC telecommunication sector.

"CONNECT will be the right forum to discuss the process of liberalisation and regulation," said Avgousti, who will share Bahrain's experience of telecom liberalisation. "The main challenge is to raise awareness of the new liberalised environment, for both operators and consumers, and dispel myths related to competition. It is also important to raise awareness about the rights of consumers."

"As Bahrain experience has shown, liberalisation can bring several advantages, including greater choice of services, better customer care and competitive pricing. And then there are indirect gains such as creating of jobs, specialised training and more direct investment in telecoms. In Bahrain, we can already see the gains. Bahrain is the only country in the region that has 3G coverage, and we expect more innovative services with the arrival of new players," added Avgousti.

In the complex world of telecommunications, one needs to give a lot of thought to the concept of liberalisation before adopting the right model. CONNECT participants will gain fresh insights into how the telecom sector could be improved for the general benefit of consumers, while protecting the interest of operators.

Sabine Enthammer, Executive Director, IIR Middle East said: "The telecom scenario in the Gulf is certainly set for a change, as liberalisation and competition become an accepted part of global business. Also, the fast evolving technology demands that in order to provide the most advanced technology and services, changes are certainly needed. But governments need to introduce deregulation in a phased manner, after taking into consideration all aspects of the issue."

"Telecom liberalisation will expose a host of legal and local issues that may impact proper rules and regulations that ensure quality services. CONNECT plays a major role in throwing light on controversial issues and highlighting case histories of countries that have successfully migrated to a fully liberalised telecom environment," she added.

The summit is being sponsored by Etisalat, Mobile Telecommunication Company (MTC), Motorola, NCR Teradata and Al Tamimi and supported by Mobile Entertainment Forum and Mobile2win.