At TowerXchange Meetup MENA 2025, industry leaders and regulators gathered to address the unique challenges and opportunities in the region’s telecom landscape. With a focus on fostering collaboration among regulators, policymakers, and the telecom ecosystem, the discussions explored how regulatory frameworks can adapt to the evolving market. Topics such as small cell deployment, the role of Towercos in infrastructure sharing, and the increasing consolidation of tower assets across MENA were key points of interest. As the region experiences a surge in demand for high-speed connectivity, the role of Towercos will be critical in shaping the future of telecommunications in MENA, ensuring sustainable growth and alignment with global digital trends.
Key stakeholders engaged in a high-level discussion moderated by Ivan Skenderoski, Chief Executive Officer of Salience Consulting DMCC. The panel featured prominent speakers including Emad El-Sadek, Minister Advisor for Communications Services Development at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) Egypt, and Jamal A Hussain from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq. Professor Konstantinos Masselos, President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT), also contributed his expertise and wrote this publication. Alongside Hasan Karim Selaibeekh, Manager of Telecommunications Infrastructure at Bahrain's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Representing the private sector, Ravi Suchak, Group Head of External Affairs & Public Policy at Helios Towers, and Manal Al Adawi, Manager of Legal & Fund Operations at Rakiza, provided insights into the evolving role of Towercos and regulatory collaboration.
Together, these leaders led a comprehensive discussion on the market trends, regulatory challenges, and the future of the telecom tower ecosystem in the MENA region.
What steps can regulators and policymakers take to better understand the telecom business model? What drives the telecom operators to sell or consolidate towers?
There is a general reassessment of business opportunities on the telecom operators’ side. This includes re-evaluation of strategies and priorities as regards investments, or expanding beyond their national footprint, or preparing exit strategies from some of the markets or selling of key assets to finance core activities. Also, many telecom operators are increasingly adopting virtual and cloud-native network architectures and sometimes considering to also become digital service integrators.
Some of the vertically integrated telecom providers continue to control the overall value chain. However, there is a strong trend towards disintegration. The traditional telecom sector is turning into being a part of a much wider value chain instead of being at the centre.
Some providers that are focused on the provision of infrastructure only are emerging, which is linked to the ongoing processes of infrastructure divestment by vertically integrated telecom companies. This is evident in European mobile markets, where currently most towers/masts and sites are owned and operated by infrastructure companies and a similar trend is also observed in the fixed markets.
The main reasons for such trends lie with cost saving and value creation where it is needed to unlock capital for the investments required to provide gigabit connectivity services to consumers and businesses.
Investment funds are contributing to financing telecom. On the other hand, telcos are focussing on core competencies (including increased valuations and release of capital) and/or achieving operational efficiencies.
What are the best practices for fostering collaboration between regulators, policymakers, and the telecom tower ecosystem? What is the European experience in this?
A key element to meet challenges arising from digitalization is collaboration at regional and international level.
The growing convergence of issues in the field of electronic communications, faced worldwide, as well as the increasing global nature of electronic communications networks and services is an undisputed fact. Such trends imply that policies, legislation and regulation must be seen from a more global perspective. Policy makers and regulators should foster dialogue on a regular basis, and consider harmonization of regulations to have common approach in key issues.
Collaboration among regulators
Regulatory Associations such as the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) is a nice approach to foster collaboration among regulators at regional/international level.
European Union (EU) Regulatory Authorities, have a tradition of working together with regulators in other parts of the world notably through regular dialogue on a formal or an informal basis, and there has consistently been an enormous interest from third countries’ regulators for additional technical support or exchanges on concrete issues directly related to the European electronic communication framework.
BEREC has, over time, developed a long history of cooperation with its equivalent networks of regulators in other regions of the world (Regulatel, EMERG, EaPeReg), international institutions and third countries NRAs.
Collaboration between regulators and the market
Policy and regulation should be consultation and collaboration based. Regulatory decision making should include the expectations, ideas and expertise of all market stakeholders, market players, academia, civil society, consumer associations, etc.
Policy and regulation should focus on building trust and engagement: Collaborative regulation provides the space for co-creating win-win propositions, working towards regulatory objectives while increasing the engagement of industry.
How can regulatory frameworks be adapted to align with the demands of next-generation telecommunications? The case of small cell deployment.
5G introduces the use of mmWave band use, and (to some extent) as a result of the mmWave use the move from the macro-cells-based radio access network, to the use of smaller mmWave enabled microcells and picocells (supporting smaller number of users) which are to be deployed densely within residential and commercial areas. These two changes, will be the basis our 6G networks will be built upon as well.
Key regulatory actions include:
o Development of friendly mmWave spectrum assignment procedures
o Easy licensing of radio equipment installation for mmWave base stations and small (micro/pico) cells
o Appropriate frameworks for rights of way given also the expected deployment densities.
o Flexible infrastructure sharing frameworks to reduce deployment times, costs and environmental nuisance.
Towercos mostly stress that their coverage is driven by customer demand, and their preference is to grow their footprint through “build to order / suit” programmes. This is expected to include towers, and could include small cells, if and when demand expands.
In general, telecom operators expect future demand for most wholesale products to be higher than infrastructure companies do. It is notable that there is limited demand for wholesale access to small cells today, but demand for wholesale access to this asset is expected to expand in the future.
