Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report which provides an overview of the Middle Eastern telecommunications market.
"2007 Middle Eastern - Telecoms Statistics and Market Overview” outlines the changes in regulation, crucial mergers and existing telecommunications infrastructure in 15 countries - Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, UAE and Yemen.
The report finds that Israel has opened the market to competition, but that incumbent Bezeq still retains the majority of the fixed-line voice market. HOT telecom and the VoIP operators have presently managed to carve out only small segments. In the international fixed-line voice market, it’s altogether a different tale with four market competitors-
The international fixed-line voice market is another matter. Since 2004, there have been six competitors but mergers are in process which will leave four leading players: Bezeq International, the Barak - Netvision Group, the Internet Gold - Golden Lines Group and Xfone.
Early this year, the Ministry of Communication released a policy on the regulation and licensing of VoIP in Israel and both international carriers and mobile operators are expected to provide services to grab their market share from Bezeq and HOT.
Analysts have found that the large expatriate population in Bahrain have been key to new market operators launching pre-paid VoIP-based calling cards, often as the first move into telecommunication services. The new publication traces the market development in this country since all sectors were liberalised in 2004, right up to the regulatory authority defining nine operating sectors and issuing licences in eight of these.
The report identifies Jordan has one of the most open telecommunications markets in the Middle East. It documents that the fixed-line market was liberalised in 2005 and that incumbent operator Jordan Telecom has been fully privatised. As Jordan Telecom is aware that competition for voice market share is going to be stiff, it has changed tack to focus on broadband services.
The study also takes into account the recent liberalisation of the Saudi Arabian telecoms market including the fixed-line segment and looks at the consequences of the regulatory authority deciding to bring forward awarding of a second fixed-line licence. All final applicants have been awarded fixed-line licences, though there has been speculation over the estimated demand for services.
The report traces Government policies that will impact the telecoms industry, shows the marker events signalling growing market liberalisation and privatisation of present-day national operators and objectively analyses the regulatory status and use of VoIP in the Middle East.
“2007 Middle Eastern - Telecoms Statistics and Market Overview” is available from Report Buyer. For more information go to:
http://www.reportbuyer.com/
Report Buyer product ID: BUD00144
