The Middle East region is one of extreme polarities both in terms of economic development and demographics. The economic polarisation has the potential to widen further as the telecoms markets open to competition;
The region has low fixed teledensity in terms of population and therefore the telecoms sector is dominated by mobile. Broadband penetration (both fixed and mobile) is also extremely low and presents a significant opportunity for telcos in the region.
The telecoms sector in the region has remained largely unaffected by the recession, unlike other sectors such as construction and tourism which have been hit hard, especially in markets such as the UAE. However, several operators in the region have implemented cost/headcount reduction programmes to ensure margins are maintained as prices decline due to the onset of competition.
A number of power players have emerged in the market, including Zain, Etisalat and Orascom, which have expanded rapidly through a combination of both acquiring smaller telcos and purchasing/increasing stakes in other telcos, both within the Middle East and also further afield generally into Africa and Asia.
These players have emerged from the cash-rich Gulf states and are keen to establish themselves as top-ten global telcos by securing greenfield licences and through acquisitions in highly populated high-growth markets. In addition they are innovative in terms of new services and have pushed to achieve synergies to maintain strong margins and revenue growth.
In the short term, it is unlikely that any of these players will seriously threaten existing global players, such as Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom/Orange or Vodafone, as the Middle East players have tended to target only emerging markets and not mature markets where the Western-European global players have their stronghold.
Report Table of Contents:
Aim and scope
The regulatory map
Regulation updates
Europe: France, Germany, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden
Asia-Pacific:
Americas: Brazil, US
Country focus
Europe: UK
Asia-Pacific:
Americas: US
NGA consultations
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About Ovum
Ovum fully understands convergence across telecoms, IT services and software. They invest heavily in researching what is happening in a market that is dynamic and full of risk and reward, analysing the changes and identify the threats and opportunities ahead for their clients. Ovum's team has extensive experience in the sector and is dedicated to 'getting closer' - to the industries they advise on, to the people they work for, and ultimately to the real issues determining how ICT markets behave. Ovum maintains a fluid, highly collaborative structure that brings the right range of expertise to each situation. View more research from Ovum at http://www.fastmr.com/
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