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Africa & Middle East News

A roundup of tower news across SSA and MENA

Kieron Osmotherly, September 28, 2015

MCRB: ICT is transforming Myanmar, but gaps need filling to protect human rights

The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) published a sector-wide impact assessment (SWIA) on the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in late September, just prior to the publication of this edition of the TowerXchange Journal. This assessment highlights some of the actual and potential positive and negative human rights impacts that the rapid growth of mobile telecoms, internet and other ICTs can have on Myanmar, and the policy gaps that need to be filled. It makes recommendations to government, companies and other stakeholders.

Kieron Osmotherly, September 28, 2015

Entrepreneurial towerco FPS expands beyond rural towers into urban rooftops

Insights into how the French tower market is evolving to meet the needs of four MNOs, including a new rollout and a network plan being shaped by RAN-sharing

Frances Rose, September 28, 2015

Share Square: Kuwait

Kuwait had a population of 4.0mn in 2014, an increase from 3.7mn in 2013. The population has a young age profile with a median age of 28.9 years and in 2014 69% of residents were non-Kuwaiti nationals. Kuwait has an area of 17,820 km2 but the population is highly concentrated in Kuwait City and its suburbs, especially on the shore of the Arabian Gulf. Subscriber (SIM) penetration was 221% by the end 2014, growing at >7% a year because multiple SIMs are common as part of the highly competitive environment. Three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) serve Kuwait with broadly equal shares of the total subscribers. As shown in Figure one, Zain was the largest of these in 2014 with 35% of the market. VIVA and Ooredoo, rebranded from Wataniya in 2014, had very similar shares at between 32% and 33%. About 74% of total subscriptions were pre-paid.

Mott MacDonald, September 28, 2015