[Via SMART MOBS]

MTC Report on the Socio-Economic Impact of Mobile Phones in the Arab World

ستطرح نوكيا جهازين يستخدمان التقنية الجديدة

تعتزم شركة نوكيا تقديم نوع جديد من الهواتف النقالة قادر على إجراء مكالمات هاتفية عبر شبكة الانترنت.

وسيتمكن مستخدمي بعض أنواع الهواتف التي تصنعها نوكيا من إجراء مكالمات هاتفية عبر الشبكات اللاسلكية للاتصال السريع بالانترنت وذلك في حال تواجد الهاتف النقال في المدى الذي تغطيه الشبكات اللاسلكية. أما إذا كان الهاتف خارج نطاق هذه الشبكات فإنه يعود للعمل ضمن نطاق شبكات الهاتف النقال.

وتشهد تقنية الاتصال الهاتفي عبر الانترنت، والتي تعرف باسم تقنية Voip، شعبية كبيرة لدى مستخدمي الهواتف النقالة.

ففي الخريف الماضي قامت شركة DSG العملاقة لبيع المنتجات بطرح أدوات الاتصال الهاتفي عبر الانترنت في متاجرها المختلفة.

وتقوم فكرة تقنية Voip على تحويل المكالمات الهاتفية الى حزم الكترونية من البيانات والتي تنقل عبر نفس الأسلاك التي تستخدمها برامج تصفح الانترنت، مما يؤدي الى مكالمات ذات كلفة أقل من تلك التي تجرى عبر شبكات الاتصالات الاعتيادية.

وفيما تتضمن أغلب وحدات الاتصال الهاتفي عبر الانترنت سماعة هاتف موصولة بالكمبيوتر الخاص بالمستخدم، فإن عملاقة الاتصالات البريطانية BT قد تفوقت على نوكيا في هذه التقنية وذلك بطرحها هاتف نقال جديد مخصص لهذه التقنية يدعى BT Fusion.

هذا ومن غير المعروف حتى الآن ما هي شبكات الهاتف المتنقل التي ستتاح لمستخدم خدمة نوكيا الجديدة أو ما إذا كان يجب على المستخدم أن يختار شركات محددة لتوفير خدمة الاتصال بالانترنت.

تجدر الاشارة الى أن نوكيا أعلنت عن تقنية Voip في الاجتماع السنوي لصانعي الهواتف النقالة الذي عقد في برشلونة والذي يشهد عرض أحدث التطورات التكنولوجية في مجال الهواتف النقالة.

خدمات جديدة ولكن رضاء أقل!

هذا وبالرغم من أن نوكيا ومنافسيها من صناع الهواتف النقالة كشفوا النقاب عن أحدث أجهزتهم وخدماتهم في هذا المجال, فإن بعض المحللين قالوا أن المستخدمين مازالوا غير مقتنعين ببعض هذه الخدمات مثل خدمة عرض الفيديو على أجهزة الهواتف النقالة.

وقال مسئول في بنك دويتشة الألماني، والذي يمتلك حصصا في كل من شركتي دويتشة تيليكوم وفودافون للاتصالات المتنقلة، أن المشكلة تكمن تحديدا في أن معظم الناس لا يرغبون في دفع أموال أكثر من أجل الخدمات التي تقدمها تقنية 3G، وهي تقنية ستتيح الكثير من الخدمات الجديدة لمستخدمي هذا النوع من الهواتف.

وبالنظر الى أعداد مشتركي شركة فودافون حول العالم والذين يبلغون 179.3 مليون شخص, فإن ثمانية ملايين فقط هم من مستخدمي الخدمات التي تقدمها تقنية 3G.

وكان استطلاع حديث للرأي أجرته وكالة YouGov البريطانية للأبحاث قد وجدت أن 79% من الناس في بريطانيا يرون أن خدمات الهاتف المتنقل قد أصبحت أكثر تعقيدا.

The biggest survey ever carried out into the mobile-phone industry in the Middle East has produced a series of astonishing statistics as well as some insightful observations on the social changes it has effected throughout the region, reports Lebanon's Daily Star.

"The industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs inside and outside the sector, boosting economic growth and fostering social harmony and security, according to the report published Wednesday.

... the report analyzes the consequences of mobile-phone penetration across all genres of media. In a case study of Saudi Arabia, where the trend of media convergence was initiated, the show Star Academy spawned SMS interactive television. The revenues from SMS-television marriage now account for at least 70 percent of the annual gross for most music and gaming television channels in the region.

By Lysandra Ohrstrom Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: The biggest survey ever carried out into the mobile-phone industry in the Middle East has produced a series of astonishing statistics as well as some insightful observations on the social changes it has effected throughout the region. The industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs inside and outside the sector, boosting economic growth and fostering social harmony and security, according to the report published Wednesday. It says there are around 75 million subscribers in the MENA, using services offered by 38 mobile operators in 18 countries. With a 2005 penetration rate standing at nearly 25 percent - compared to 15 percent only two years ago - mobile phones have become a "big driver for economic development and job creation," claims the report, in a region where unemployment rates on average are 15 percent. For every job created in the mobile sector in Egypt, up to eight other jobs are created in different sectors of the economy, says the report, "Mobility for One Language, Diverse Cultures." The findings of the report, commissioned by the MTC Group, also show mobile revenues alone accounted for 5 percent of the rise in GDP in Bahrain between 2002 and 2004. In Jordan, the number of employees in the mobile sector increased by 42 percent over the four-year period of liberalization. The industry has also had a big effect on Arab capital markets, with cases where telecom companies represent over 30 percent of capitalization. Telecom company listings have single-handedly jump-started dormant markets with IPOs oversubscribed by as much as 58 times. $1,000 invested since the listing date in Etihad Etisalat, Mobinil, Orascom Telecom and MTC would have generated $14,500, $12,000, $11,500 and $33,500, respectively. MTC published the results of its survey at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona. Saad al-Barrak, chief executive officer of MTC Group, said: "We are very interested by the conclusion that if ICT investment in Egypt were doubled it would create 1.3 million new jobs and the rate of GDP growth would rocket from 4 percent to 8 percent and more." MTC Group has already signaled its intention to apply for Egypt's third cellular license. Based on detailed survey results obtained by ACNielsen, the report outlines usage patterns and creates a profile of typical mobile-phone users in each country. The findings suggest Moroccans tend to call their siblings the most, while in Saudi Arabia 65 percent of interviewees call their friends. The Lebanese - who have a more even spread of calls - tend to call boyfriends or girlfriends the most (38 percent of responses). Mobile-telephone charges in Lebanon, where cellular phone usage has peaked at about a quarter of the population, are the most expensive in the MENA region. Though mobile technology is not correlated with age in Beirut, younger users take advantage of all of a phone's facilities, including its camera, organizer, calculator and Internet capability, while those over 55 use phones only for voice communication. Another theme of the report is the impact of mobile telephones on small and medium businesses. Based on the assumption that mobile phones will soon exceed fixed lines in MENA states, the report concludes that businesses in economically marginalized rural communities will benefit most from mobile-phone penetration. Mobile phones are used for business in Lebanon more than any other MENA country, with one survey concluding that 62 percent of mobile communication relates to business. Respondents from Lebanon said that the ability to make business calls was the one benefit that enhanced their lives the most. The survey reported a 32-percent increase in profitability for business people interviewed in Bahrain and Jordan and a 25-percent gain in Tunisia. Additionally, 62 percent of respondents in Tunisia believed the mobile phone has helped lower costs by reducing travel needs. Finally, the report analyzes the consequences of mobile-phone penetration across all genres of media. In a case study of Saudi Arabia, where the trend of media convergence was initiated, the show Star Academy spawned SMS interactive television. The revenues from SMS-television marriage now account for at least 70 percent of the annual gross for most music and gaming television channels in the region.

Mobile phone users in Iran have snapped up 6.5 million highly sought-after SIM mobile cards in under a month during a mass sale that left banks and post offices swamped, reports the AFP.

"Post offices and banks have been swamped with customers for the 395-dollar cards used to operate a mobile phone, which otherwise retail for twice this price.

In a deeply complex process, subscribers will have to wait at least over a year more before receiving their new cards.

... Since the start of mobile phone services in Iran some ten years ago, six million mobile phone lines have been introduced. But the new lines will be confronting a network already overloaded and in desperate need of investment.

Even in the capital Tehran, it can be difficult to place a call or find a strong enough signal to do so.

Public demand has, however, put the Islamic republic under pressure to open up its state monopoly on telecommunications to private sector consortiums."

The Israeli occupation has been the most significant obstacle to the development of the telecommunications sector in the Occupied Territories, reports TerraNet, but paradoxically has increased the necessity of reliable communication, according to a landmark survey released Wednesday.

"The survey of mobile phone usage in the MENA region, which was sponsored by MTC Group, includes case studies of the telecom sectors in the Occupied Territories and Iraq. Both cases highlight the social significance in politically unstable countries of mobile phones, which link communities and families who have no other means of regular communication and help to ensure security.

"... In Palestine, mobile phones are indispensable communication tools, linking residents to displaced family members and the diaspora population, especially since the construction of Israel' s separation barrier. The Palestine Telecommunications Company and its mobile subsidiary Jawwal officials reported that mobile phones and supporting products - such as SIM cards, headsets, and chargers - are frequently held at the border for three to 12 months, meaning that by the time they reach Palestine they have lost market appeal. Also Jawwal is unable to provide consistent service to subscribers since it must get Israeli approval before constructing new mobile towers to improve reception.

... In Iraq in 2004, nationwide mobile service was provided by three companies for the first time, stimulating a mobile penetration rate unprecedented in the MENA region, with the level of mobile subscription reaching 3.45 million in March 2005. Mobile penetration has now reached 12.5 percent of the populace."

The Israeli occupation has been the most significant obstacle to the development of the telecommunications sector in the Occupied Territories, but paradoxically has increased the necessity of reliable communication, according to a landmark survey released Wednesday.

Meanwhile the security situation in Iraq has prompted rapid telecom penetration, since restricted mobility coupled with daily violence produces the need to remain in contact with family members.

The survey of mobile phone usage in the MENA region, which was sponsored by MTC Group, includes case studies of the telecom sectors in the Occupied Territories and Iraq. Both cases highlight the social significance in politically unstable countries of mobile phones, which link communities and families who have no other means of regular communication and help to ensure security.

In Palestine, mobile phones are indispensable communication tools, linking residents to displaced family members and the diaspora population, especially since the construction of Israel' s separation barrier. The report explains that despite progress made by the Palestinian Authority - which retains nominal control of the market through the Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) and its mobile subsidiary Jawwal - the terms of the Oslo Accords preclude further growth of the mobile sector without Israel' s assent.

Paltel is most constrained by Article 36 of the Interim Agreement of Telecommunications, which allots the PA a frequency level adequate to support only 100,000 subscribers - an allotment based on 1993 market growth estimates. The market grew much faster than expected, however; there are now over 600,000 underserved Jawwal subscribers.

Furthermore, the customs stipulations of Oslo provide Israel with lawful methods of disrupting the Palestinian mobile market, since the PA is unable to control the flow of goods and services across its borders. Under the terms of the " customs envelope," imported products must pass Israeli inspections at the Kami border crossing before they can enter Palestine. Paltel and Jawwal officials reported that mobile phones and supporting products - such as SIM cards, headsets, and chargers - are frequently held at the border for three to 12 months, meaning that by the time they reach Palestine they have lost market appeal. Also Jawwal is unable to provide consistent service to subscribers since it must get Israeli approval before constructing new mobile towers to improve reception.

Paltel' s autonomy is further undermined by illegal competition from Israeli mobile providers, the report said. Jawwal is the only licensed mobile service provider in Palestine, but consumers are offered the choice of purchasing SIM cards from four Israeli operators who do not adhere to the taxation or consumer protection regulations of Palestine' s telecom sector. Jawwal officials also complain of Israeli " dumping," in which companies flood the market with cheap SIM cards around the holidays. The illegal competitors do not pay licensing fees to the PA and purposefully interfere with Jawwal frequencies in order to lure disaffected subscribers to their networks, the report said.

Despite the many obstacles stemming from the Israeli occupation, the report concludes that Paltel is a competitive regional player. However, the only way for Paltel to cater to the rising demand for mobile technology in Palestine is to improve telecom infrastructure - a goal that can only be realized, the report says, through foreign investment for which the " minimum precondition is the faithful implementation of the Oslo Accords."

In Iraq in 2004, nationwide mobile service was provided by three companies for the first time, stimulating a mobile penetration rate unprecedented in the MENA region, with the level of mobile subscription reaching 3.45 million in March 2005. Mobile penetration has now reached 12.5 percent of the populace. The results of one survey show that neither gender nor income-level influence mobile phone usage, with Iraqis across the socioeconomic spectrum jumping on the mobile bandwagon. Age proved to be the only influential factor.

The report ultimately concludes: " The high insecurity situation in present-day Iraq has proved to be the best promoter for mobile services." Mobile phones are primarily used to inquire about the safety of friends and family members in light of daily security incidents and travel restrictions. Sixty-four percent of survey respondents said that mobile phones " allow users to better handle emergencies," with 91 percent saying they used mobiles mainly to make sure their family was safe.

How mobile telecommunications in the MENA region are creating jobs and improving everyday life

(Al Bawaba Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)The mobile phone industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs inside and outside the industry, boosting economic growth and fostering social harmony and security, according to a new report released today.

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MTC, the fastest growing mobile operator in the region, published the results of a first-of-its-kind detailed survey of the industry, "Mobility for One Language, Diverse Cultures" at the 3GSM World Congress at Barcelona.

The report highlights both economic and social effects of mobile communications usage on the MENA region. Its results show that mobile revenues alone accounted for five percent of the increase in GDP in Bahrain between 2002 and 2004. In Jordan, the number of employees in the mobile sector increased by 42 percent over the four-year period of liberalization. Elsewhere, the data produced in this extensive report revealed that some mobile operators represent more than 30 percent of a total stock market such as Egypts Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange (CASE) and can result in a return of around $33,500 for each $1,000 invested, as was the case on the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

According to Dr. Saad Al Barrak, Chief Executive Officer of MTC Group, "The report shows the potential of mobile communications to enhance not only the economic position of countries and people but also to change the social fabric of our communities. At MTC, we have always believed that mobile communications are part of the framework of societies and the daily lives of people and this report attests to that fact." Al Barrak added, "We are very interested by the finding that in Egypt for every job created in the mobile sector, eight other jobs are created in different sectors of the economy, as well as the conclusion that if ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) investment in Egypt were doubled it would create 1.3 million new jobs and the rate of GDP growth would rocket from 4 percent to 8 percent and more. This makes us ever keener on winning the third mobile license in Egypt and contributing to that growth potential, as we did in Iraq and other countries of the region." The report conducted by independent research firm Zawya is divided into five major segments, including an overview of the regions mobile sector, economic and social impacts of mobile phones, the impact of the mobile phone in Iraq (analyzed through a survey done by Dubai-based Money Line) and a thorough MENA survey carried out in six different countries by Nicosia-based ACNielsen.

"The undertaking of this report was a challenging task, especially for a region largely lacking in essential statistics," said Tarek El Zein, the Project Manager at Zawya. "The results have shown how, when and where mobile phones have affected the lives of the many people and economies of the MENA region." On the social side, MTCs report reveals how the mobile phone has become the Arab worlds most commonly used leading-edge technology. From research by a sociologist in Beirut, to a fact-finding report by a journalist in Jordans Wadi Rum, passing by the Palestinian Territories, this side of the report shows how the mobile has become an integral part of life in the MENA region. Even television has not been spared by the ever growing influence of the technology, according to another part of the research.

In the Iraqi section, a survey conducted in three major cities (Baghdad, Basra and Najaf) by Money Line showed how 95 percent of Iraqis use their phone to ensure the safety of their loved ones and 43 percent consider it as their best friend. What is most surprising is that although the widespread use of mobile phones has only recently been introduced in Iraq, 83 percent see it as a necessity in life and 77 percent said it made life easier. "This indicates the positive role that mobile communications has provided to Iraqi society both on an economic and social level," said Al Barrak.

Finally, a survey conducted in six countries by ACNielsen shows in detail how the people of the region use their phones. The findings suggest that Moroccans tend to call their siblings the most, while in Saudi Arabia 65 percent of interviewees call their friends. The Lebanese who have a more even spread of calls tend to call boyfriends or girlfriends the most (38 percent of responses).

On the micro-business level, the survey found that the mobile phone has become a vital tool for businesses with a reported 32 percent increase in profitability for those interviewed in Bahrain and Jordan and a 25 percent gain in Tunisia. Additionally, 62 percent of respondents in Tunisia believed the mobile has helped lower costs by reducing travel needs.

The list of contributors to the report includes corporate and academic names such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Global Investment House, United Nations, American University of Cairo, Connexus Consulting, Lebanese University, Palestine Monitor, Journal of Middle East Broadcasters, and the BBC.

AL Barrak concluded, "with over 14 million customers, we at MTC consider the commissioning and findings of this report as a further step to understanding the needs of our customers and the potential of mobile communications. We hope that all who read it will benefit and will find it interesting." The 140-page report, "Mobility for One Language, Diverse Cultures The socio-economic impact of mobile phones in the Arab world," is available in its entirety on www.mtctelecom.com Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) is the pioneer of mobile services in the Middle East and now a major player in Africa. We began life in 1983 in Kuwait as the regions first mobile operator, and since the initiation of our "3x3x3" expansion strategy in 2002, we have expanded rapidly.

As a leading mobile and data services operator in five Middle Eastern and 14 sub-Saharan African countries with 6500 employees, we provide a comprehensive range of mobile voice and data services to over 13 million individual and business customers.

We operate in Kuwait and Bahrain as mtc-vodafone, in Jordan as Fastlink, in Iraq as mtc atheer, in Lebanon as mtc touch, and in 14 sub-Saharan countries in Africa as Celtel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia and most recently Madagascar.

Listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Code; Tele), MTCs market capitalization exceeded US$13 billion as of December 31, 2005. For more visit: www.mtctelecom.com 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Norway's Telenor has become unexpectedly involved in the ongoing controversy over the "Islamic Cartoons" after their Pakistan subsidiary was attacked in protest over the publication of the cartoons, reports Cellular News.

"The company has been forced to close down its offices in Karachi and significantly step up security at their Islamabad head office. The company has also withdrawn advertising hordings to prevent them being damaged.

... Last week, a crowd of some 5,000 protesters pelted stones at the Telenor office in Attock and set it on fire. Some customers have also started boycotting the network and are urging other Telenor customers to switch from the network to other mobile operators. "

Telenor Pakistan's Official Press Spokesperson said "We are stunned to be a target of violence in the recent days. We thank God that there have been no casualties."

"Telenor is NOT involved with the caricature incident in any way and so we have kept quiet as it was not our place to speak on this very sensitive issue. However, we have considered it utterly deplorable.

He added "Telenor has a long term commitment in Pakistan. We have shown that by building the fastest growing network in the country. We have also shown it through our commitment to help victims of the earthquake when disaster struck our fellows. We are committed to our fellow Pakistanis and stand by them."

Last week, a crowd of some 5,000 protesters pelted stones at the Telenor office in Attock and set it on fire. Some customers have also started boycotting the network and are urging other Telenor customers to switch from the network to other mobile operators.

Norway's Telenor has become unexpectedly involved in the ongoing controversy over the "Islamic Cartoons" after their Pakistan subsidiary was attacked in protest over the publication of the cartoons. The company has been forced to close down its offices in Karachi and significantly step up security at their Islamabad head office. The company has also withdrawn advertising hordings to prevent them being damaged.

In Uganda, political candidates are using the Internet extensively, marketing candidates through websites while their campaign agents bombard voters with text messages on mobile phones. Nation Media reports.

Party agents say the short text messages have been effective in mobilising people to attend campaign rallies.

The ICT manager for the NRM, Ibrahim Kaliisa, said they sent out 500,000 messages during nominations and many people turned up at Kololo airstrip, saying the president had sent them personal texts inviting them to the function.

Mr Kaliisa said the NRM intends to send out over one million text messages to its campaign agents this week and more messages to voters.

Teddy Mugote, the public relations officer for independent candidate Dr Abed Bwanika, said they were sending out at least 3,000 messages daily.

Sam Akaki of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) said the party plans to send out text messages to all people who own handsets in Uganda. According to the Uganda Communications Commission, there were about 1.4 million mobile phone subscribers by September 2005.

Uganda's election campaigns are taking place in cyberspace as well, with all candidates spending handsomely on information communication technologies to mobilise votes and gain feedback from the public, especially the diaspora.

Candidates are using the Internet extensively, marketing candidates through websites while their campaign agents bombard voters with text messages on mobile phones.

The websites are a reflection of the new era of multipartyism that Uganda is embracing for the first time after 20 years of single-party politics. They have the parties' colours, symbols, catchphrases and e-albums of candidates' photos at campaign rallies.

Party agents say the short text messages have been effective in mobilising people to attend campaign rallies.

The ICT manager for the NRM, Ibrahim Kaliisa, said they sent out 500,000 messages during nominations and many people turned up at Kololo airstrip, saying the president had sent them personal texts inviting them to the function.

Mr Kaliisa said the NRM intends to send out over one million text messages to its campaign agents this week and more messages to voters.

Teddy Mugote, the public relations officer for independent candidate Dr Abed Bwanika, said they were sending out at least 3,000 messages daily.

"We want to make Uganda an IT workstation when we come to power," said Mr Mugote. Many people have been getting messages from Bwanika and wondering how he got their mobile phone numbers when they are not his supporters.

An IT consultant in Kampala said the text messages are an effective tool for mobilisation because most people assume the candidates know them and their phone numbers, hence the personal messages.

Sam Akaki of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) said the party plans to send out text messages to all people who own handsets in Uganda. According to the Uganda Communications Commission, there were about 1.4 million mobile phone subscribers by September 2005.

Joseph Ochieno of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), said the party was actively considering reaching out to voters before they went to the polls, even with their meagre resources.

Besides text messages, candi-dates have also embraced the Internet. Most have websites to keep voters abreast with what is happening in their camps. The websites are www.bwanika.org, www.nrm.ug, www.upcparty.net and www.fdcuganda.org for Dr Bwanika, the National Resistance Movement Party, UPC and FDC, respectively.

The Democratic Party (DP) remains the only party without a website. The party's officials said their website became dysfunctional last year after they encountered problems with the company that used to host it.

John Bosco Mayiga of DP said they were trying to put up the website again, but lamented that they had missed out on the forum to mobilise votes.

The websites are regularly updated and have comprehensive information, including candidates' manifestos, speeches delivered around the country and a schedule of their campaign rallies. Most urge visitors to the websites to join their mailing lists and discussion groups as well as to post their comments.

Managers of the websites say the public is most responsive and they are recording thousands of hits per day. Mr Kaliisa said the party website records an average of 300,000 hits per day. The site has a provision for informing a friend that you support the party – typing NRM plus a phone number – then sending the message through one of the mobile phone companies.

The party, through the media centre, has also come up with a website for posting election results that will be constantly updated as the results are announced by the electoral commission.

Robert Kabushenga, director of the government Media Centre, said the website will complement the efforts of the electoral commission and provide a service for Ugandans living in the diaspora.

A record 50,000 visitors and nearly 1,000 exhibitors crammed themselves into the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona. Is this year really going to be as big for mobiles as the industry seems to believe?

Everyone at the 3GSM show was desperate to push their product

Our handsets have been slowly turning into PCs, with almost one in six now running on Windows Mobile.

And a new system, iMate, means you can hook up to your desktop wherever you are and access all the documents on your hard drive.

"It'll make lives easier because when you've forgotten something at home or in the office you can go and get it", says iMate CEO Jim Morrison.

"Whether it's that PowerPoint presentation you're working on, that Word document you're working on, or a photograph you took of your last holidays that you want to show people, you can actually go and get it where it is."

And, if you happen to lose your phone, you can back-up the information and then wipe the contents remotely, providing it is turned on.

Big brand internet portals are getting more interested in the mobile market too.

IN PICTURES Barcelona 3GSM show

Yahoo! Go offers user-friendly e-mail and instant messaging services, so you can see who else is connected if you fancy a chat. Already in the US, the service rolls out across Europe in March.

This is all part of an industry trend towards more high profile content providers, says Thomas Husson, from Jupiter Research.

"We'll see more and more strong brands offering their own content directly to consumers, instead of mobile operators, because consumers do want trusted content they know."

Internet inspired

The latest trends on the web are now being mirrored on our mobiles too.

Phone love: the new way to date

Mobile blogging sites like NewBay's FoneBlog encourage us to use multimedia messaging to upload pictures to a website. It saves sending it to your friends individually, and helps create a sense of community.

"We've actually seen a doubling of traffic in the last three months", says Newbay's Mark Ward.

"This is mainly being driven by the fact that people are using their camera phones, they're realising that mobile blogging is a cost-effective way for them to share their photos with friends and family while they're on the move."

Internet dating has proved a big hit and, with more video phones on the market, the voice technology company Intervoice expects some networks to start carrying its new mobile dating service this year. Just make sure you look the part before you press send.

Expect that blog or website you are searching for on your mobile to look a lot smarter with the launch of the new Apple Safari-style S60 browser. It ships on some new phones within the next six weeks.

It is hoped the popularity of RSS feeds online can be switched to the mobile too.

Critical Path is one of several launched at the show. It pushes updates as MMS messages, whereas others automatically go and fetch updates over the net when you go online.

Many of these ways of using more data services work on more basic handsets as well.

Next big things?

Other new services include barcode ticketing: why wait to be sent or collect tickets for events when you can get them via your phone?

A barcode scanner will read the ticket on your phone

Moqiba was showing off its mobile ticketing system, and this year the buyers' picture is included for added security.

Music downloads to mobiles are being joined by mobile radio stations offering music-style channels without the DJs or the ads.

This is likely to be based on a subscription model so you know how much you will be paying. Two on display at Barcelona were Visual Radio and MobiTV.

Clearly in the mobile world, video has not killed the radio star, but this year video downloading could be pushed aside by what many people here see as the next big thing: mobile TV.

Sporting events and big brand channels are expected to drive demand for live TV this year.

As well as streaming video over the net to individual 3G phones, there are a number of competing over-the-air broadcast systems, most of which require us to buy new handsets with receivers but promise a more reliable service.

People are going to snack on content, they're not going to sit down and watch a movie for an hour and a half. It has to be short and quick Mark Newman, Informa

British Telecom is leading the pack in Europe with Movio, offering broadcast TV using a system already in place, as Emma Lloyd, managing director of BT Movio, explains.

"What BT Movio is offering is building on top of DAB digital radio - which we're all familiar with - a brand new service which utilises that technology to deliver digital television as well."

And yes, you will have to buy a handset fitted with a DAB receiver. Virgin Mobile will launch the service in the UK this summer. Others are likely to follow.

Understanding the consumer

But in the rush to be first to the small screen, some experts think the industry has not paid enough attention to what we might want to see.

"The mobile industry hasn't focused enough on how people will use mobile TV", says Mark Newman, a senior analyst from Informa.

"People are going to snack on content, they're not going to sit down and watch a movie for an hour and a half. It has to be short and quick.

"The fundamental problem we have today is understanding how and when people use content. We all go on long train journeys, that's one place where people will consume this content.

"Interestingly, the trials have demonstrated so far that people often end up watching mobile TV at home or in the office."

Which begs the question, if we are expected to squint at a two inch screen and pay for what we watch, will TV on the go be compelling enough?

How to make content compelling enough for a small screen is the question taxing the minds of broadcasters who want a piece of the mobile phone pie. To get one perspective on the issue, Click spoke to Gideon Bierer from MTV Networks.

Only certain types of image will work well on a small screen

MTV Networks is just one of the content providers hoping its material will be used on the new mobile devices that are emerging.

But how will it make its content compelling enough for the small screen?

"We're coming at it from three angles", says Gideon Bierer.

"One is we're taking our best programming, our most popular programming, and putting it - highlights and the essence of it - onto the mobile screen. That's what consumers definitely want.

"Secondly, we're taking those shows and creating some extra, added value if you like: behind the scenes, previews, out-takes, the kind of stuff that's worked so well in DVDs.

"And thirdly we're coming up with original programming, where we start from what would work well on mobiles and work backwards to create new ideas, new series.

"For example we launched a series called Head and Body which was a series of two-minute episodes, very compelling, designed for the mobile phone."

Experimenting

Mr Bierer believes pricing models will be a combination of monthly subscriptions and payment for individual programmes.

But for continuous streaming TV, it is up to the mobile operators to decide exactly how to price it.

I've no doubt that we'll get a very, very good experience very soon across most of the world Gideon Bierer, MTV

"Most are going for the model that's been very successful in traditional pay television: a wide variety of channels offered for a relatively affordable monthly price.

"Some are experimenting with daily pricing, to encourage sampling and to get people familiar with the idea."

When 3G was launched, one of the big things we were going to do was watch football on the mobile. But you cannot see the ball on a small screen.

Mr Bierer says: "There are challenges and opportunities in relation to screen size. I'll give an example of what we're doing at MTV. We are changing the way we subtitle programming.

"In the movie and TV business there is obviously a very significant presence of English language content that only gets subtitled.

"But regular subtitling on mobiles doesn't work. So we're re-subtitling with slightly different wording, shorter, sharper, bigger fonts, designed to work for this particular medium.

"It's an example of what I said at the beginning about programming for the media."

Hype or happening?

The length and breadth of this week's 3GSM mobile phone trade show in Barcelona, it seems all anyone was talking about is HSDPA - the high-speed data delivery service - as well as mobile TV, which is what they are going to put down the high-speed data delivery service.

But this industry is notorious for over-hyping things: 3G, Bluetooth, Wap. They have all been bigged-up, and of course they have not lived up to the hype.

Does Gideon Bierer think mobile TV will be any different?

"All the experience so far has shown that TV is something that the consumer really understands", he says.

"They get the idea that paying six to 10 euros, dollars or pounds a month can give them a good range of TV content, well known brands."

On the technology side, he believes, networks will be built up and speeds will get faster and faster.

"Huge investments are going in there. I've no doubt that we'll get a very, very good experience very soon across most of the world."

And he is convinced that there will be a point very soon, over the next three years, when the majority of handsets that are shipped in Western markets will come with the capability of watching TV.

"It won't be a separate purchase, it won't be just the high-end. Right now it's obviously for the early adopters but already in Japan it's quite hard to buy a phone that doesn't have video capabilities.

"So the natural replacement cycle will ensure that the technology's available, then it's up to the content providers and operators to create really compelling services we'll buy."

من المتوقع أن تحقق أجهزة الهاتف النقال المزودة بجهاز لاقط للقنوات التلفزيونية نمواً في المبيعات خلال السنوات القليلة المقبلة يصل إلى حوالي 30 مليار دولار. وتوقع تقرير نشرته مؤسسة التحاليل الإستراتيجية الأميركية أن تصل عائدات مبيعات أجهزة الهاتف المزودة بلاقط للقنوات التلفزيونية خلال العام الحالي، إلى أكثر من خمسة مليارات دولار وإلى أكثر من 30 مليارا بحلول العام 2010. وتوقع نيل ماوتسون مساعد مدير قسم الاتصالات اللاسلكية الدولية بالمؤسسة أن تهيمن اليابان وكوريا الجنوبية على السوق في هذه المرحلة، وتشكلا نحو 80% من مجمل مبيعات الهواتف المزودة بلاقط للقنوات التلفزيونية. لكنه أضاف أن أوروبا الغربية وأميركا الشمالية إلى جانب الصين أيضاً، ستكون من المناطق الرئيسية بالنسبة لحجم المبيعات العالمية من هذه الهواتف خلال الأعوام القليلة المقبلة. وتوقع ماوتسون أن تصل مبيعات هذا النوع من الهواتف بأوروبا الغربية إلى أكثر من مليون جهاز خلال العام الحالي، في وقت ننتظر فيه دخول أميركا الشمالية والصين إلى السوق العام 2007.

Mammoth visitor numbers confirm 3GSM World Congress as the world’s premier event

Barcelona, Thursday 16^th February – Final attendance figures for 3GSM World Congress 2006 - in its inaugural year in Barcelona – confirm the event as the biggest mobile show on Earth. An audited total attendance of 50,000* visitors converged on the Fira de Barcelona conference and exhibition centre from across the global mobile industry to do business in a decisive year for new multimedia services and growing markets.

At the end of Monday 13^th February – day one of the event – gate figures showed that 34,900 visitors had attended the event, compared with 24,300 at the same point during the event in 2005. This growth of over 40% reflected the increased momentum that 3GSM World Congress had, even on day one of the show. In fact, attendance on day one of the show in Barcelona was greater than the total attendance for 2005, held in Cannes. The decision to relocate the event to the bigger facilities available in the cultural heart of Catalonia has proven vital in hosting a global mobile industry that is developing at a break-neck pace.

Observing, analyzing and reporting on these developments were a record number of international Web, paper and broadcast media – 1,900 compared with 1,200 in 2005 – in expanded press centre facilities.

For exhibitors, the Fira de Barcelona offered double the floor space, and accommodated a total of 962 companies - representing a massive 40% increase in exhibitor numbers over the 2005 event.

The 3GSM World Congress will return in 2007 to the Fira de Barcelona.

Messaging is one theme at the 3GSM World Congress

Some of the biggest mobile phone networks have joined forces to push instant messaging (IM) over mobiles.

Fifteen operators, including Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and China Mobile have agreed to work together to make it easy to IM across networks.

The motivation to get IM working on mobiles is driven by its huge success on the net. By getting people using IM on a mobile instead of a PC, the operators believe they can start to generate decent amounts of money for data services.

The mobile phone industry is looking to repeat the success of text messaging.

In December, British mobile users sent 3.1 billion text messages, more than ever before according to the Mobile Data Association.

All those short messages add up to big bucks for operators. Up to 20% of their profits, according to some estimates, result from the relatively high price customers pay every time they tap out a text.

Message matters

Third-generation mobile networks make the whole IM experience more bearable.

"You can implement IM in a more satisfactory way because of improved bandwidth and reduced latency," said John Delaney, principal analyst at consultancy Ovum.

Operators have a high degree of control over price and user conditions. But within two to three years that will be out of their control John Delaney, Ovum

Third-generation networks can carry more data and move it around far faster so messages really can be instant.

This is important because IM conversations typically involve more back and forth than text message chats and it ensures that the experience is similar to that enjoyed online.

"The technology is not the barrier any more," said John Hoffman, chief executive of mobile IM firm Fast Mobile. "The devices are out there and they have the data capabilities to handle this."

The big problem, said Mr Hoffman, were the splits between the operators of the online IM networks.

The messaging networks of AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft were almost closed shops, said Mr Hoffman making it very difficult for mobile firms to offer access to them all at once. The networks are starting to link to each other but only slowly.

If the mobile operators have learned anything from text messages, it is that interoperability across networks is absolutely key to making it popular.

The agreement announced at the 3GSM mobile phone trade fair in Barcelona is designed to tackle some of these obstacles.

Under the initiative, the 15 operators covering 700 million mobile phone users have agreed to use a single standard for IM, which would work across networks.

The operators are looking to launch instant messaging mobile services later this year.

But Mr Hoffman said work also needed to be done on handsets to make IM conversations easy to follow.

At the moment most of the interface software on phones simply arrange messages by when they arrive. Far better would be to arrange them by both conversational thread and time.

Another complication that needs taking into account, said Mr Hoffman, was the fact that IM conversations are often between large groups of people rather than one-to-one like text messages.

Cash call

Operators are also worried that committing to IM could dilute their brand. All the big names in IM are net-based and no operator wants to hand over that much control to what may become a competitor.

Microsoft is signing deals with other IM networks

Yahoo, Microsoft and Google have all made moves on messaging, be it instant or e-mail, on phones.

This helps explain, said Ovum's Mr Delaney, all the partnerships being signed between the net's IM giants and mobile operators.

This works well for both sides as the operators see more use of data services and the IM firms get experience with the mobile world.

"Operators still have a fairly strong role as the gatekeeper on what people do on the net through their mobile telephone," he said.

But, said Mr Delaney, this role as gatekeeper will be steadily eroded as IM firms get more aggressive and consumers realise that what they do online, they can now do via their phone.

"Operators have a high degree of control over price and user conditions," said Mr Delaney, "But within two to three years that will be out of their control."

Mobiles phones that acts as a personal helper, media player and portable vault for events you capture in images or video tend to grab the headlines at events like the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.

But at the same time, some at the annual mobile industry showcase are extolling the virtues of simplicity and the help such phones can give to the developing world.

"The mobile phone is the only viable technology that can bridge the digital divide," said Tom Phillips, chief government and regulatory affairs officer for the GSM Association, the industry body that oversees much of the mobile industry.

"It's the only solution that does not depend on billions and billions in aid money that would not be effectively invested even if it were available."

Cover charge

Mr Phillips said that there was huge potential for making use of mobiles to bridge the digital divide because much of the work to reach people in developing nations had already been done.

"About three-quarters of the world's population live in areas already covered by mobile networks," said Mr Phillips.

Despite this, little more than one-third of the globe's six billion people use a mobile.

Many like MIT's Nicholas Negroponte believe hi-tech can aid development

Mr Phillips said the GSM Association was trying to reach many of those people who live beneath the shadow of the networks but do not have a phone by making affordable handsets specifically for developing markets.

US phone firm Motorola won the competition to create a handset for so-called emerging markets and its winning designs, the C113 and C113A, were unveiled in early 2006.

The handset costs only $30 and at the 3GSM World Congress, the GSM Association announced that it had orders for more than 12 million of them.

One scheme in South Africa uses the cheap handsets that allows a handset to become a mobile payphone. Under the Sharedphone scheme, entrepreneurs can let others make calls and send text messages using the handset.

Good business

Mr Phillips defended plans to get handsets into developing nations from accusations that these programs were just a cheap way for operators to double their customer base. Others have said that there are many other things citizens in developing nations need before a mobile phone.

To begin with, he said, mobile phones could be agents of social change by breaking down barriers that stop businesses and local economies flourishing.

The role of telecoms is every single bit as important as electricity and basic infrastructure in enabling development of an economy Tom Phillips, GSM Association

In many developing nations, said Mr Phillips, farmers and fishermen no longer have to rely on the word of a middleman to find out where they can get the best price for crops or catch.

Instead they can call the markets direct and find out for themselves and get a better price for their goods.

"Mobiles are no longer a luxury," he said, "they are essential business tools."

Also, he said, most of the money spent on networks does not come from aid agencies but much of the tax paid by phone operators goes to governments and can help fund development. Corporate tax is one of the top three contributors to government funds in developing nations, said Mr Phillips.

The speed with which mobile networks can be set up can act as a foundation for other changes, said Mr Phillips. In many developing nations consumers can get hold of a mobile far more easily than they can a fixed line phone.

In Africa more than eight times as many mobile connections have been created in the last few years as fixed line links, said Mr Phillips.

The cost of connecting someone up to a mobile network was far lower than wiring them into the fixed line network, said Mr Phillips. A study showed that a fixed line connection cost about ten times as much as a mobile link.

"The role of telecoms is every single bit as important as electricity and basic infrastructure in enabling development of an economy," said Mr Phillips.

أعلن مدير عام «مؤسسة الاتصالات» السورية الدكتور عماد صابوني ان عائدات المؤسسة بلغت العام الماضي 49 بليون ليرة (الدولار يعادل نحو 53 ليرة) منها 17 بليوناً حصة المؤسسة من عائدات شبكة الخليوي. ولفت الى ان الخلاف مع شركتي الخليوي حُوّل الى القضاء وان اسعار المكالمات الدولية ستُخفض قريباً.
وأشار الصابوني في مؤتمر صحافي الى ان السوريين تحدثوا العام الماضي 33 بليون دقيقة من خلال اجراء بليون مكالمة. وأوضح ان الكلفة الاجمالية التي وضعت لمشاريع الاتصالات للعام الحالي تبلغ نحو 6.5 بليون ليرة يأتي في مقدمها «المشروع الريفي الثالث» الذي يُعاد النظر في تصميمه لتلافي الثغرات ويؤمن 450 ألف خط. ويُضاف اليه مشروع الاتمتة والموارد الذي بُدء العمل فيه في تشرين الثاني (نوفمبر) العام الماضي بتكلفة 250 مليون يورو، ومشروعا 500 ألف رقم جديد و 500 ألف رقم لتقنيات الجيل الجديد من الاتصالات والذي سيبدأ العمل بهما العام المقبل، اضافة الى مشروع العناية بالزبائن وخدمات المشتركين.
ودافع صابوني عن ارتفاع أسعار المكالمات الدولية والخليوي وقال: «الاتصالات ليست شركة خاصة، وعائداتها تذهب الى الخزينة العامة وتدخل في سياسات التخطيط. هناك خفض مستمر لأسعار الخدمات المقدمة وآخر خفض شمل خدمة خطوط الانترنت السريعة من نوع «ايه دي اس ال» ADSL.
وسيعاد النظر قريباً بأسعار المكالمات». ولفت الى ان اعادة التسعير ترتبط بالموازنة، مع الأخذ في الحسبان الاستثمارات المطلوبة وآلية التشغيل» وعموماً، يجب ان يترافق خفض الأسعار مع خدمات جديدة أكثر جدوى».
01NULL10وبرر صابوني ارتفاع اشتراك الانترنت محلياً بمساواته مع ما يحصل في بقية دول العالم، وقال: «ان ما نسبته 70 في المئة من عائدات استخدام الانترنت تذهب للخارج كثمن لخدمات دولية، الأمر الذي يبرر فوارق مجتمع المعلومات والفجوة الرقمية بين البلدان المتقدمة والنامية اذ يسدد العالم النامي ثمن اتصالات الانترنت مع أوروبا وأميركا الشمالية». وأوضح «ان اعتمادات «مشروع تراسل المعطيات والنفاذ اللاسلكي» للانترنت بلغت 21 مليون دولار».
وأوضح ان مسار اعادة الهيكلة في «مؤسسة الاتصالات» لا يهدف بأي حال الى التخصيص وانما تحويلها الى مؤسسة مملوكة للدولة تعمل وفق قانون التجارة وآلياتها. وأشار الى ان «اعادة الهيكلة تهدف لإبراز العوامل المغمورة سابقاً كالموارد البشرية والتجارية وعمليات الحوسبة والاتمتة، ولم يعد الجانب الفني هو الأساسي وانما عامل مساعد للهدف التجاري».
ولفت الى ان القطاع الخاص بدأ الاستثمار في البطاقة المسبقة الدفع والشبكة الذكية والدفع الالكتروني وغيرها، اضافة الى شبكة الخليوي ومزود الانترنت.
وفي المقابل أشار الى «ان المؤسسة تبقى جزءاً من اتخاذ القرار بحيث تعود الكلفة المحسوبة على الشبكة النحاسية عبر طرحها للاستثمار».
وأكد أيضاً ان الخلاف بين شركتي الخليوي و «الاتصالات» يفصل فيه القضاء. ويعود الخلاف الى ان المؤسسة تعتبر بدء التشغيل هو الانطلاق في الحسابات وفقاً للعقود، بينما يراها الطرف الآخر في تاريخ توقيع العقود. وأوضح صابوني ان الانطلاق حدث قبل توقيع العقود التي احتاجت الى وقت طويل ومداولات في مجلس الوزراء ومجلس الشعب.
وأكد أخيراً «ان القضاء هو المرجع الأكثر صدقية وانصافاً وان التحكيم غير مطروح لأن نصوص العقد واضحة ولم يكن التحكيم مطروحاً في هذه القضية أبداً، لأن التحكيم يعني تفويضاً وقبولاً بالنتائج ونحن لا نملك هذه الآلية».

أعلن مدير عام «مؤسسة الاتصالات» السورية الدكتور عماد صابوني ان عائدات المؤسسة بلغت العام الماضي 49 بليون ليرة (الدولار يعادل نحو 53 ليرة) منها 17 بليوناً حصة المؤسسة من عائدات شبكة الخليوي. ولفت الى ان الخلاف مع شركتي الخليوي حُوّل الى القضاء وان اسعار المكالمات الدولية ستُخفض قريباً.
وأشار الصابوني في مؤتمر صحافي الى ان السوريين تحدثوا العام الماضي 33 بليون دقيقة من خلال اجراء بليون مكالمة. وأوضح ان الكلفة الاجمالية التي وضعت لمشاريع الاتصالات للعام الحالي تبلغ نحو 6.5 بليون ليرة يأتي في مقدمها «المشروع الريفي الثالث» الذي يُعاد النظر في تصميمه لتلافي الثغرات ويؤمن 450 ألف خط. ويُضاف اليه مشروع الاتمتة والموارد الذي بُدء العمل فيه في تشرين الثاني (نوفمبر) العام الماضي بتكلفة 250 مليون يورو، ومشروعا 500 ألف رقم جديد و 500 ألف رقم لتقنيات الجيل الجديد من الاتصالات والذي سيبدأ العمل بهما العام المقبل، اضافة الى مشروع العناية بالزبائن وخدمات المشتركين.
ودافع صابوني عن ارتفاع أسعار المكالمات الدولية والخليوي وقال: «الاتصالات ليست شركة خاصة، وعائداتها تذهب الى الخزينة العامة وتدخل في سياسات التخطيط. هناك خفض مستمر لأسعار الخدمات المقدمة وآخر خفض شمل خدمة خطوط الانترنت السريعة من نوع «ايه دي اس ال» ADSL.
وسيعاد النظر قريباً بأسعار المكالمات». ولفت الى ان اعادة التسعير ترتبط بالموازنة، مع الأخذ في الحسبان الاستثمارات المطلوبة وآلية التشغيل» وعموماً، يجب ان يترافق خفض الأسعار مع خدمات جديدة أكثر جدوى».
01NULL10وبرر صابوني ارتفاع اشتراك الانترنت محلياً بمساواته مع ما يحصل في بقية دول العالم، وقال: «ان ما نسبته 70 في المئة من عائدات استخدام الانترنت تذهب للخارج كثمن لخدمات دولية، الأمر الذي يبرر فوارق مجتمع المعلومات والفجوة الرقمية بين البلدان المتقدمة والنامية اذ يسدد العالم النامي ثمن اتصالات الانترنت مع أوروبا وأميركا الشمالية». وأوضح «ان اعتمادات «مشروع تراسل المعطيات والنفاذ اللاسلكي» للانترنت بلغت 21 مليون دولار».
وأوضح ان مسار اعادة الهيكلة في «مؤسسة الاتصالات» لا يهدف بأي حال الى التخصيص وانما تحويلها الى مؤسسة مملوكة للدولة تعمل وفق قانون التجارة وآلياتها. وأشار الى ان «اعادة الهيكلة تهدف لإبراز العوامل المغمورة سابقاً كالموارد البشرية والتجارية وعمليات الحوسبة والاتمتة، ولم يعد الجانب الفني هو الأساسي وانما عامل مساعد للهدف التجاري».
ولفت الى ان القطاع الخاص بدأ الاستثمار في البطاقة المسبقة الدفع والشبكة الذكية والدفع الالكتروني وغيرها، اضافة الى شبكة الخليوي ومزود الانترنت.
وفي المقابل أشار الى «ان المؤسسة تبقى جزءاً من اتخاذ القرار بحيث تعود الكلفة المحسوبة على الشبكة النحاسية عبر طرحها للاستثمار».
وأكد أيضاً ان الخلاف بين شركتي الخليوي و «الاتصالات» يفصل فيه القضاء. ويعود الخلاف الى ان المؤسسة تعتبر بدء التشغيل هو الانطلاق في الحسابات وفقاً للعقود، بينما يراها الطرف الآخر في تاريخ توقيع العقود. وأوضح صابوني ان الانطلاق حدث قبل توقيع العقود التي احتاجت الى وقت طويل ومداولات في مجلس الوزراء ومجلس الشعب.
وأكد أخيراً «ان القضاء هو المرجع الأكثر صدقية وانصافاً وان التحكيم غير مطروح لأن نصوص العقد واضحة ولم يكن التحكيم مطروحاً في هذه القضية أبداً، لأن التحكيم يعني تفويضاً وقبولاً بالنتائج ونحن لا نملك هذه الآلية».

دبي-العربية.نت
فيما لا يزال عدد كبير من الدول العربية والإسلامية تروج لمقاطعة المنتجات الدنماركية احتجاجا على نشر رسوم مسيئة للرسول (ص) في صحيفة دنماركية، تشهد المجالس النسائية السعودية بمختلف ألوانها ومشاربها جدلا واسعا، بين مؤيد ومعارض، حول جدوى هذه المقاطعة التي روجت لها رسائل الجوال وشبكة الإنترنت، باعتبار أن "المتضرر الأكبر" من ذلك هو العنصر النسائي وبالتحديد "ربات البيوت" اللواتي كانت موائدهن، وخاصة في الصباح، عامرة بهذه المنتجات.
تقول رانية عبد العزيز ضاحكة وهي تمد يدها لأخذ جبنة "البقرات الثلاث" من على أحد الأرفف "سأشتري آخر علبة من هذه الجبنة العزيزة على قلبي من قبيل المواساة في البقرة الأم".
أما إيمان باوارث التي اعتادت أن "تدلل نفسها صباح كل يوم على زبدة الرفاهية لورباك" والتي بحسب تعبيرها "كثرة السفر جعلتني اعتاد على الإفطار الكونتننتال الذي أتصور أن أهم ما فيه الزبدة"، فتعلق على الأمر لصحيفة "الشرق الأوسط" اللندنية الأحد 12-2-2006، بأنها ليست مقتنعة بجدوى هذه المقاطعة معللة ذلك بقولها "نحن نحكم على الأمور منظور ديني وإيماني محض لأننا مؤمنون في حين أن هؤلاء قوم وجوديون يؤمنون بما هو موجود ومحسوس لديهم"، وأضافت قائلة "المسألة لديهم لا تخرج عن كونها حرية تعبير لا أكثر، ليست حملة ضد الإسلام كما يحلو للبعض أن يسميها".
الخالة زينب (60 سنة) التي تعاني الأمرين نتيجة السكري وداء النقرس الذي يحرمها من أكل البقوليات، فتحاول أن تتحايل على مرضها من خلال الوصفات الشعبية والطب النبوي بعيدا عن روشتة الطبيب التي تلزمها بـ "الإنسولين الدنماركي" بالذات لجودته كما قالت ابنتها رمزية عبد الرزاق.
وتقول رمزية "في أغلب الأحيان يكون السكر مرتفعا عند والدتي بشكل كبير مما يستدعي اخذ الأنسولين بصفة دورية"، وعلى الرغم من حاجتها له إلا أنها حاولت أن تلحق بركب المقاطعين "نصرة للإسلام والرسول" بحسب تعبيرها، وهي التي لا تكف عن متابعة الأخبار العالمية وبشكل يقل مثيله حتى بين ذوي الاهتمام والعلاقة.
ولقناعة الخالة زينب بأن لا جدوى صحية من مقاطعة "الأنسولين الدنمراكي"، فقد قررت أن تمارس أضعف الإيمان "سأرمي الحليب والزبدة في القمامة ولن آكل منها".
وبين من يؤمن بجدوى المقاطعة مثل دلال السمارة التي قالت "الحمد لله نحن لا نستخدم المنتجات الدنماركية أساسا باستثناء شراب سن توب، وبالرغم من كونه المنتج الوحيد الذي يدخل بيتنا إلا أنه فور إعلان نبأ المقاطعة توقف دخوله".
ولم يتوقف أمر المقاطعة حول المنتجات الدنماركية وحدها، بل طالت النقاشات بع المنتجات السعودية المشكوك في جنسيتها برغم صراحة اللقب السعودي الذي يحمله بعضها كحليب السعودية. المعلمة علياء أبو ضبة التي عكفت منذ بدء الحملة التي شنتها وسائل الإعلام على مقاطعة كل منتج دنماركي، إلا أنها وبحسب تعبيرها استدركت منذ فترة وجيزة وتقول "لن أقاطع بغباء"، وأرجعت ذلك إلى أهمية معرفة المنتجات الدنماركية التي يجب مقاطعتها.
وفي الوقت الذي بدأت تنبت فيه بذور الشك حول بعض المنتجات السعودية مثل العصائر ومنتجات الألبان لتشملها حمى المقاطعة، أوضح أحمد المرزوقي المسؤول في شركة سدافكو السعودية "المواد الأولية مثل البودرة التي يتم الارتكاز عليها في صناعة منتجات الألبان تأتينا من نيوزلندا وهولندا".
وعن حجم الضرر الذي أوقعته مثل هذه الشائعات على كاهل المصانع السعودية علق المرزوقي "الشائعات تسري بشكل سريع فيما تأخذ عملية إيضاح الحقائق وقتا طويلاً حتى يقتنع الناس"، إلا أن عودة الأمور لنصابها والخروج من بوتقة المقاطعة التي بدأها التجار تعتمد كما أشار المرزوقي على المستهلك الذي يملك حق الخيار وبحسب تعبيره "الفيصل في ذلك عامل الجودة والنوعية".
وحول تأييد سدافكو للمقاطعة أفاد المرزوقي "نحن مع المقاطعة الواعية التي تجسدها المقاطعة الاقتصادية بدلا من حرق الأعلام والمظاهرات الغوغائية التي لا تقدم ولا تؤخر". ومع احتمال أن تؤتي هذه المقاطعة ثمارها في ظل المقاطعين المنفذين تطل من خلف الشبابيك أصوات أخرى متواطئة تتذوق بطرف لسانها جبنة بوك وتطلق الطرف الآخر منه في هجمة كلامية لكل من يحاول القول بعدم جدواها دون أن تجبر على نسيان طعم الفيتا.

{VIA JANKARI} Téléphonie fixe: Le détail de l’offre Méditel Entretien exclusif avec Iñigo Serrano, le nouveau DG de Méditel

· Casablanca, Mohammédia et Rabat dans un premier temps · Infrastructures: Wimax et fibre optique · La stratégie du nouveau manager - L’Economiste: Où en sont les préparatifs pour votre offre sur le fixe? - Iñigo Serrano: Depuis l’attribution de la licence fixe il y a 6 mois, toutes nos équipes se sont mobilisé pour travailler principalement sur deux volets majeurs: la partie technique et le volet commercial. Aujourd’hui, nous attendons la promulgation du décret et la tenue du conseil de ministres. Après cette étape, il y aura des procédures de communication avec l’ANRT sur les tarifs et les services. Cela devra prendre quelques semaines. En tout cas, nous sommes prêts et nous avons déjà commencé à faire des installations et des tests auprès de clients pour les derniers ajustements. - A combien s’élèvent les investissements en infrastructures? - Nous avons déjà entamé une bonne partie des investissements. Globalement, il s’agira d’une enveloppe de plus de 1 milliard de DH, principalement dans des infrastructures de pointe tels que les sites de transmission «backbones», les liaisons en fibre optique ou encore la technologie Wimax. D’ailleurs, nous comptons beaucoup sur la synergie entre le mobile et le fixe, entre le GSM et le Wimax. Il y a beaucoup d’éléments communs entre les différents réseaux. Nous n’allons pas nous contenter du Wimax, le réseau de fibre optique est appelé à se développer également compte tenu de son haut niveau de couverture et de sa qualité de transmission. Il permettra également de moderniser les réseaux des télécoms surtout en matière de connexion Internet. - En matière de fixe, on sait que le business modèle prend du temps pour se mettre en place. Est-ce que vous vous êtes préparés à cette éventualité? - Nous avons envisagé tous les scenarii possibles. Il est clair que les revenus sur le fixe vont arriver progressivement. Tout le défi, à mon sens, est de savoir comment pousser le client marocain à utiliser un peu plus les différents moyens de télécommunications. Le marché marocain nous a toujours réservé de bonnes surprises. Pareil pour le fixe, j’espère que nous serons surpris. Dans tous les cas, nous y croyons. Autrement, nous n’aurions pas répondu à l’appel d’offres. - Quelles sont les zones qui seront couvertes dans un premier temps? - Dans un premier temps, la région de Casablanca, Mohammédia et Rabat pour ensuite étendre le réseau sur une grande partie du pays. Nous avons des engagements de couverture que nous comptons respecter à la lettre. Parallèlement, des solutions seront offertes aux entreprises. Nous sommes en train d’installer notre réseau de fibre optique qui reliera les principales villes. Ce qui permettra à Méditel de disposer d’un réseau de fibre optique de plus de 1.000 kilomètres. Pour le fixe, il est très important de disposer d’une infrastructure propre pour une meilleure croissance à l’avenir. Sur ce point, nous avons plusieurs options. - Est-ce que vous allez pouvoir combiner des offres Internet et téléphonie fixe, du moins des offres compétitives par rapport à l’opérateur historique? - L’intérêt du fixe réside dans cette combinaison. Car pour la voix, la préférence ira sans aucun doute vers le mobile. Aussi bien dans les foyers que dans les entreprises, l’accès à Internet et son intégration dans le fonctionnement quotidien est de nature à favoriser cette combinaison. De notre côté, nous allons proposer dans un premier temps des services que je qualifierais de basiques: voix et Internet. Nous avons développé toute une stratégie qui permettra une introduction de services évolués. Pour cela, nous avons bénéficié de l’expérience et de l’expertise de nos partenaires technologiques. La priorité, dans un premier temps, sera accordée à l’entreprise. - Quelle place devrait occuper Internet dans votre stratégie? - Il y a un potentiel important pour le Net au Maroc. Un outil d’envergure qui peut faciliter l’expansion d’une industrie de services. D’ailleurs, l’enjeu de la téléphonie fixe passe nécessairement par Internet, en particulier le haut débit. Sans oublier les nouvelles technologies qui vont avec. - Qu’en est-il de la numérotation. Sur quelle base les nouveaux numéros seront arrêtés? - La gestion de la numérotation est une tâche qui revient à l’ANRT. Evidemment, l’agence a décidé une répartition par zone, donc une numérotation géographique. Je dois préciser que la numérotation est un aspect très important dans le fixe au même titre que la portabilité, c’est-à- dire la possibilité de garder son numéro de téléphone. Cet aspect est en cours d’étude par l’Autorité de régulation. Cette question sera sûrement tranchée cette année. - Votre prédécesseur a beaucoup travaillé sur le toilettage des comptes avec des effets quasi spectaculaires. Est-ce qu’il y a tout de même des aspects de gestion courante, sur lesquels il y a encore des marges de progression? - A mon sens, la société doit avoir une structure financière très flexible. Nous sommes en train d’étudier différentes options. L’enjeu est de disposer d’une structure financière qui nous laisse plus d’indépendance vis-à-vis des créanciers tout en permettant notre développement futur. Nous travaillons sur cet aspect actuellement et nous espérons bien y arriver. - On dit de vous que vous êtes le DG du «développement». Comment cela devrait-il se traduire dans la stratégie Méditel? - Mon prédécesseur a eu le mérite de pousser l’accélération du marché et de changer les résultats de l’entreprise. D’un point de vue commercial, il a réussi le défi d’une forte croissance en gardant le souci de la rentabilité. Il a aussi travaillé sur l’amélioration des process et des coûts. La dynamique créée au niveau de l’entreprise a permis d’obtenir des résultats nets positifs en 2005. Aujourd’hui, ces chantiers seront poursuivis. Mon objectif est d’assurer une croissance rentable qui coïncide avec le lancement de l’activité fixe. C’est un chantier qui va nous aider dans la maîtrise des coûts et la réalisation d’investissements. L’objectif est de créer de la valeur tant pour les actionnaires, pour nos clients que pour les ressources humaines de l’entreprise. Notre ambition consiste à ce que Méditel devienne l’opérateur de référence pour les Marocains. Dans 3 ans, nous ambitionnons figurer parmi les premières entreprises du pays. - En termes d’emplois, est-ce que cela devra se traduire par de nouveaux recrutements? - Bien entendu, nous sommes à l’affût de compétences pointues dans différents domaines. Mais ce qu’il faut souligner c’est que nos distributeurs sont en train de faire de même. Je suis convaincu qu’au fur et à mesure des opportunités de création d’emplois se présenteront. Nous sommes en contact avec différentes institutions de formation pour les sensibiliser à nos besoins. Actuellement, Méditel compte plus de 800 collaborateurs en direct. Le réseau de distribution et d’autres partenaires ont créé de manière directe ou indirecte plus de 15.000 emplois. - Quels sont aujourd’hui les postes les plus budgétivores? - Il est clair qu’en termes d’investissement, le poste qui consomme le plus de budget concerne les infrastructures réseau et informatique. En revanche, pour le fonctionnement, c’est le commercial. Nous sommes toujours en phase de croissance et l’acquisition de nouveaux clients nécessite encore beaucoup de ressources. En 2005, notre portefeuille s’est enrichi de 1,1 million de clients supplémentaires. - L’ANRT a validé récemment une baisse des tarifs de l’interconnexion. Comment accueillez-vous cette mesure? - Cette décision impactera négativement nos résultats, car nous ne l’avions pas prévue. Bien entendu, cette mesure concerne également notre concurrent mais à une échelle moindre, compte tenu de la diversité de son portefeuille d’activité. - Quel regard portez-vous sur la situation de la concurrence au Maroc? - Aujourd’hui, l’on peut parler d’une bonne concurrence entre les deux opérateurs dans le mobile qui a atteint 12 millions de clients. Mais pour le fixe, la concurrence va prendre un peu de temps. Le temps qu’il faut pour qu’elle soit bien assimilée par le marché. Parmi les priorités dans le fixe, la portabilité. C’est un élément-clé pour que la concurrence soit profitable au consommateur. Licence 3G: Un calendrier inapproprié Pour avoir travaillé sur les licences 3G notamment en Allemagne, Autriche et Italie, Iñigo Serrano a du recul par rapport à cette question. «La technologie 3G semble comme inévitable. Mais sa rentabilité n’est pas encore prouvée». Pour le cas du Maroc, ce qui semble inapproprié, c’est le calendrier. «Nous venons de remporter la licence fixe et nous sommes en train d’investir massivement. Là-dessus, le marché nous attend et notre marge de manœuvre sera progressivement étendue. Ce dont nous sommes moins sûrs, c’est le comportement du client et ce, après avoir supporté le coût de la licence 3G et les investissements que cela requiert». Sur le mobile, la demande ne s’étiole pas Pour le nouveau DG de Méditel, le Maroc est un marché qui surprend. Lorsqu’il a travaillé sur le business plan de Méditel avant de répondre à l’appel d’offres, le potentiel du marché a été estimé à six millions de clients à l’échéance de la licence, soit en 2014. En moins de six ans, le marché compte 12 millions de mobile et la demande ne s’étiole pas. «Nous sommes à 40% de pénétration et j’estime qu’il y a encore beaucoup de marge de progression». Côté revenu par client, Serrano estime qu’il a été surestimé dans le business plan. «Nous avons eu, certes, beaucoup plus de clients mais le niveau moyen de revenus par client reste relativement faible par rapport à nos expectatives initiales». Service Universel: L’argent des télécoms pour les télécoms Iñigo Serrano estime que le fonds de service universel doit profiter au développement des télécoms. «J’aurais préféré signer un contrat-programme pour couvrir quelques zones blanches à hauteur des 2% de notre chiffre d’affaires que nous devons payer au titre du service universel. Le régulateur a agréé un programme qui correspond à moins des 2%. Je me demande à quoi servira la différence?» Serrano, le globe-trotter Il n’a que quarante ans, mais déjà une longue carrière. Lorsque Iñigo Serrano a rejoint le groupe Telefonica en 1996 avec un diplôme d’ingénieur télécoms, un MBA de l’Ecole Ponts et Chaussées de Paris et des années d’expérience chez des équipementiers, il voulait se dédier au développement d’affaires. Sa première véritable affaire hors territoire espagnol fut au Maroc pour répondre à l’appel d’offres international pour la deuxième licence GSM. «J’avoue que cette expérience a boosté ma carrière. Le succès que nous avons obtenu, je le dois à mes collègues notamment marocains. D’ailleurs, j’en ai fait depuis de très bons amis», confie-t-il. Après l’octroi de la licence à Méditel, Inigo Serrano gardera son siège d’administrateur deux ans durant. Fort de cette expérience, il se voit confier le développement des affaires dans la zone EMEA (Europe, Moyen-Orient et Afrique) où il a travaillé sur les appels d’offres de la Turquie, la Tunisie, l’Algérie, et l’Arabie saoudite. Telefonica lui confie la délicate mission de développer ses affaires en Asie et, en particulier, en Chine en rentrant dans le capital du deuxième opérateur fixe chinois. Huit mois plus tard, mission accomplie. «Pour ma nomination au Maroc, je l’avoue, cela a été une bonne surprise», indique-t-il. Sa recette: «La première qualité pour réussir dans des environnements très différents est de considérer ces mêmes différences comme une richesse et de capitaliser. Autrement, c’est le malaise et le rejet». Wimax, fibre optique: Les maillons forts De l’avis du DG du second opérateur de la téléphonie fixe et mobile, Méditel ne dispose pas actuellement d’un câble sous-marin propre à elle pour la fibre optique via la Méditerranée. «Nous avons du mal à accéder au câble existant. Avec notre programme de développement qui intègre le mobile et le fixe mais surtout notre trafic international, nous sommes en train d’étudier la possibilité de construire un câble sous marin en propre ou en partenariat avec un autre organisme», précise Serrano. Le dossier est à l’étude, poursuit-il, et nous risquons de prendre une décision assez rapidement. Quant au Wimax, le cheval de bataille de l’opérateur sur le fixe est une technologie récente qui allie trois avantages: flexibilité, haute capacité de transmission et fiabilité. «C’est une technologie qui nous permettra d’accéder rapidement au client final en attendant de pouvoir passer par le réseau de l’opérateur historique, ce qu’on appelle dans le jargon technique, le dégroupage, précise le DG. Le bénéfice pour le client final est la «nomadité», ajoute-t-il. L’équipement Wimax étant très miniaturisé et, il le sera davantage dans l’avenir, le client peut désormais accéder à un service de qualité avec un débit important là où il y a une couverture réseau. Ce n’est pas le cas pour le réseau classique. Selon le management, en termes d’installation, le client aura besoin de très peu de temps pour mettre en marche son installation. Synergie fixe-mobile - Justement pour un client potentiel, quels sont ses besoins en équipements? - Cela dépend des besoins de chaque client. Un particulier n’a pas les mêmes besoins qu’une PME ou une grande entreprise. Pour un client particulier, comme je vous ai expliqué, il s’agit d’un petit équipement pas encombrant et facile à installer et qui offrira toute la palette de services. Pour les entreprises, nous nous positionnons comme des intégrateurs. Nous voulons proposer des solutions qui répondent aux besoins spécifiques de chaque société. Comme nous n’avons jamais été fournisseur de portables, nous ne serons pas des fournisseurs d’équipements télécoms et informatiques. Mais nous allons nous assurer de la qualité des équipements que nos partenaires proposeront. In fine, nous voudrions que le client puisse accéder à un service de qualité sans se préoccuper du «comment». - Concrètement, quel sera l’intérêt pour le client Méditel dans le fixe? - D’abord, nous avons toujours été convaincus que le marché marocain recèle d’un potentiel important aussi bien au niveau du fixe que du mobile. Ensuite, le fait de pouvoir proposer au client une multitude de services alliant fixe et mobile nous repositionne en tant qu’opérateur télécoms global. Notre offre était limitée jusque-là au mobile et c’était handicapant. En termes de revenus, nous croyons qu’une synergie entre fixe et mobile sera créatrice de valeur. A ce stade, je voudrais préciser un élément important: sur le marché des télécoms en général et du fixe en particulier, nous souhaitons créer de la valeur en accroissant le marché comme cela a été le cas pour le mobile. Cette création de valeur pourra se faire sur le marché domestique comme cela peut procéder d’une démarche à l’international. Nous avons signé un accord de partenariat avec un opérateur français et sommes en train d’ouvrir un bureau de représentation à Paris. Propos recueillis par Mohamed BENABID & Amin RBOUB