Exclusive Interviews

In order to know more about PCCW Global’s  latest projects, namely the trilateral agreement related to the Pakistan & East Africa Connecting Europe (PEACE) cable system’s development, Telecom Review spoke to Sameh Sobhy, vice president, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, PCCW Global, who explained in depth the progress achieved thus far in the project. We were also eager to know how PCCW Global can intervene when natural disasters hit a certain country, just like it did in Mozambique not so long ago. Sobhy wrapped up the discussion by highlighting his aspirations for the remainder of 2019 and what the company aims to achieve next.

The Telecommunications Standardization Bureau (TSB) of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) works on developing international telecom standards. It currently includes 11 study groups which are dedicated to developing standards which range from fiber optics, all the way to the application layer. Some of their study groups are technical in nature, while others are more regulatory in nature such as managing telephone numbers internationally, managing the secure use of IoT-powered devices on 5G networks, managing economic and policy issues, tariffs, international roaming and internet connectivity charges.

Infovista, leader in modern network performance, announced the launch of its service assurance solution at MEF19. VistaInsight is dedicated to increasing business agility and interoperability in hybrid networks, while leading organizations through digital transformation. In an exclusive interview, Andy Asava, EVP Global Networks spoke with Telecom Review about the importance of knowing your business model, creating a solution that adds value to the customer and creating monetization.

5G and cybersecurity were on top of the agenda of the CTOs who met at the annual CTOs/ITU meeting in the framework of ITU Telecom World which was held in Budapest. Telecom Review had the privilege of participating in the meeting where we spoke with Uwe Baeder, director, international relations ITU/UN, Rohde & Schwarz, to know more about the role that Rohde & Schwarz is playing in terms of 5G security and standardization.

It is an interesting time for open source solution providers. The technology is gaining more and more momentum as the world gets a better understanding of how it actually functions and how secure it is. In an interview with Telecom Review, Adrian Pickering, regional GM, MENA, Red Hat, highlighted Red Hat’s large experience in terms of open source solutions and gave us insight into how such solutions can help achieve digital transformation.

In the era of digital transformation, Moscow appears to be among the leading cities that are rapidly evolving into smart nations. In a discussion with Telecom Review, the head of the Department of Information Technologies of Moscow, Eduard Lysenko, delved into the city’s digitalization journey which encompassed an update on Moscow’s 5G journey and the progress achieved thus far in terms of launching of e-services.

Etisalat Group today is present in 16 countries with 148 million customers spread across Middle East, Africa and Asia. In all the markets, Etisalat has set a benchmark by leading the way in the network, technology and services. This was mainly due to its efforts in aligning with its vision of ‘Driving the Digital Future to Empower Societies’. At a group level, the company also adopted the ‘CODERS’ strategy to focus on its priorities, direction and ambition. Telecom Review sat down with Hatem Bamatraf, chief technology officer, Etisalat Group, to explain the strategy and how new technologies are aligned with this vision.

Times are changing and Ogloba is helping telecom operators and large retail operators to create and maintain relationships with their customers by offering digital platforms for prepaid top-ups, gifting and shopping cards as well as loyalty schemes. Ogloba is a global player with a strong presence in the Middle East. Telecom Review sat down with Arnaud de Harenne, General Manager of Ogloba Middle East to learn more about how they are reinventing digital payment methods in the Middle East.

It has been two years since Virgin Mobile brought the first fully digital mobile service to the country. Virgin Mobile offers a simple and transparent technology through its innovative app-based service. It prides itself on delivering an unmatched consumer experience and continues to find ways to improve its service. Telecom Review had the opportunity to sit down with Karim Benkirane, managing director, Virgin Mobile UAE, to discuss how Virgin Mobile keeps up with customer demands.

F(x)tec is a London based smartphone manufacturer which initiated in 2018. Its mission is to bring back technologies and features that we love into modern smartphones. F(x)tec released the Pro 1, designed to allow the user to choose between a virtual keyboard or a physical keyboard, among many other features. Telecom Review had the chance of meeting Adrian Li Mow Ching, CEO and co-founder of F(x)tec, at GITEX technology week in Dubai.