The UAE’s telecom regulator, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has responded to false claims on social media that police were issuing AED 5000 fines to people for using a virtual private network (VPN).
Broadband over ADSL revolutionized global Internet growth during 2004 - 2010 timeframe and worldwide statistics shows that there are nearly 300 million DSL broadband users and 600 million copper lines installed. Effective utilization of such fixed line assets have become a key concern for many network operators worldwide.
BT has announced the appointment of Eyad Shihabi as its vice president for the Middle East and North Africa region. An accomplished technology-sector leader, Shihabi will help BT drive its digital transformation agenda in business and public sectors across the region.
The UAE introduced value added tax (VAT) from January 1, 2018, after publishing the Federal VAT Law in August 2017 establishing the domestic rules applying for VAT in the UAE. This adds to the Unified VAT Agreement between GCC nations. The standard VAT rate of 5 percent is applied to goods and services. It's only natural to wonder how the introduction of VAT could affect certain sectors, so let's look at telecommunications.
In the presence of the Governor of Giza Kamal El-Daly, Egypt's ICT Minister Yasser El Kady and Huawei Egypt CEO witnessed the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the 'Training Program for Youth' grant, implemented by Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), in cooperation with Huawei and the Giza governorate.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai confirmed that more than 5,000 heavy vehicles have been fitted with smart monitoring devices that remotely detect vehicle faults and drivers' attitudes on roads. The service, which has been launched via the recently opened Vehicles Safety Center at Jebel Ali Free Zone, has become mandatory to all companies operating trucks exceeding 20 years in service.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia unveiled a first look at its unique data tool for measuring its performance trajectory in relation to other nations on January 23 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Software is "disrupting nearly every industry, fundamentally reshaping business models, changing the competitive landscape, and forever altering customer expectations," claims a recent Analysys Mason study in collaboration with Huawei. It illustrates how digitalization is reshaping the way businesses are being operated, and how in order to remain competitive, new operational models are required.
The United Arab Emirates is among the top 10 countries in the world when it comes to readiness to accommodate driverless vehicles, revealed KPMG's Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index (AVRI). The study, which evaluates the preparedness of countries globally, places the UAE at number eight, ahead of South Korea and New Zealand.
Once again, the issue of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services is causing a stir in the UAE. Etisalat and EITC (du), the UAE's two telecommunications providers, announced in early January this year that access to the VoIP service Skype had been blocked. If VoIP services wish to operate in the UAE they should coordinate with the TRA and local providers instead of operating without compliance.
