By Hamdy Farid, SVP, Product at Ookla
Investment in telecom infrastructure—both mobile and fixed—serves as a catalyst for economic growth and allows countries to attract more industries as well as provide digital services to their citizens.
The Middle East and North Africa is a critical area for activity in telecoms and digital service development. Much of this activity is spearheaded by markets in the Gulf region, however, North African markets are also showing strong growth and development.
The MENA region has demonstrated strong momentum in the adoption of fixed and mobile services, thanks largely to government involvement in promoting mobile and broadband development and fostering pro-investment policies. In addition, service providers and regulators in the region have actively supported the development of connectivity, as it is considered essential to economic development, technological innovation, and social transformation.
As a result, MENA is one of the most rapidly developing regions in the world. According to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index—a monthly ranking of global mobile and fixed internet speeds—the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait ranked first, second, and third, with median mobile download speeds of 413.14 Mbps, 350.50 Mbps, and 257.15 Mbps, respectively, in September 2024.
Likewise, looking at global rankings of fixed broadband speeds during the same month, the UAE ranked third with median fixed download speeds of 299.07 Mbps, Kuwait ranked 16th with fixed download speeds of 198.70 Mbps, and Qatar ranked 21st with fixed download speeds of 181.01 Mbps.
Interesting Reports: Explosive Speeds: Gulf Countries Dominate in Fiber Broadband
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5G: A Key Driver for Roaming Revenue Growth, Customer Retention in GCC
Collaboration Drives Better Outcomes
Ookla collaborates closely with key MENA regulators including CST and MCIT in Saudi Arabia, TRA in Oman, and TRC in Jordan, to help them monitor new network and technology deployments, identify critical areas for investment, and improve the subscriber experience.
In addition, we are closely working with telecom operators in this region. For example, Zain Bahrain, as part of its 3G network sunset plan, used crowdsourced network intelligence from Ookla to determine where customers were still relying on 3G and where to improve coverage. As a result, it saw an improvement of more than 60% in median downlink throughput and an improvement of more than 30% in median uplink throughput after the sunset was complete. Zain Bahrain also benefited from the accelerated migration of 3G users to 4G/5G because it reduced the network complexity, which resulted in better energy efficiency and helped raise the operator’s median download and upload speeds.
Ookla also works closely with countries to help them prepare for major events. In preparation for the World Cup, Vodafone Qatar used Ookla’s Cell Analytics and Speedtest Intelligence to enhance its network capacity and in-building coverage. As a result, the network was able to handle more than 15 million calls and transmit over 1,188 TB of data during the event.
Additionally, Ookla has been helping key players in other sectors, such as tourism and hospitality, to provide a seamless guest experience. In 2023, Red Sea Global opened two luxury resorts in Saudi Arabia—the Six Senses Southern Dunes Resort and the St. Regis Red Sea Resort. Red Sea Global used Ookla’s network intelligence solutions to deploy a 5G network with as few antennas as possible while offering superior median download and upload speeds and meeting rigorous global environmental standards. Ookla also worked with Red Sea Resorts to enable superior WiFi coverage within the resorts to provide guests with superior connectivity.
Actionable Insights and Analytics are Key to Success
Telecom networks are growing increasingly complex due to the introduction of new technologies, such as cloud-native networks and the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI). These tools promise to unleash new capabilities and services, as well as deliver superior customer experiences.
Since these new capabilities add complexity to the network, a multifaceted approach to measuring network performance is required. Crowdsourced data not only provides richer data and insights but is also a more end-user centric way to monitor and optimize the network compared to more labor-intensive methods.
While we recognize the significance of delivering network performance data, we understand that data alone is insufficient. At Ookla, we can use machine learning (ML) algorithms and real-time correlation engines to generate network insights. This will not only give our customers a comprehensive view of the user experience, but also help them identify new ways to attract and retain customers.
Commitment to the MENA Region
As a leading global region in the development of next-generation telecoms networks and services, Ookla is committed to working with governments, regulators, operators, and the wider ecosystem across the MENA region to help further their ambitious digital developments and provide a bridge between consumers and the industry.
At Ookla, we partner with MENA regulators and service providers throughout the development cycle; from ideation all the way to commercialization. Ookla is committed to continuing this partnership. We are developing our products and services with input from our customers, and have increased our workforce in the region.
I joined Ookla earlier this year as Senior Vice President of Product after almost 24 years at Nokia developing and managing its Network Applications Business globally. In addition, we recently hired another industry veteran, Chafic Traboulsi, as Senior Vice President of Sales for EMEA and APAC. Prior to joining Ookla, Traboulsi worked for Ericsson for 21 years and, most recently, was Regional Vice President and Head of Networks in the Middle East and Africa.
By harnessing Ookla’s connectivity insights, regulatory authorities, telecom operators, and governments can better identify areas for improvement. Working alongside regulators in the MENA region offers a pivotal opportunity to help accelerate digital growth and enhance connectivity through making informed, data-driven decisions that benefit everyone—from operators to consumers. This will also position MENA as a hub for innovation and progress. At Ookla, we remain committed to supporting these efforts, recognizing that collaboration is key to improving connectivity for everyone.
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