Jacek Nieweglowski, Chief Strategy Officer, Play Mobile: "LTE is a technological evolution rather than revolution"

Jacek Nieweglowski,
Chief Strategy Officer,
Play Mobile,
Poland

The Com World Series team caught up with Jacek ahead of the EurasiaCom conference and exhibition, taking place at Conrad Istanbul Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey from 25-26 of March to discuss Profitability, Broadband & LTE ahead of the event.

Com World Series: What is most affecting profitability for operators in the region and how are you working to improve it?

Jacek Nieweglowski: Profitability of the mobile industry in Central and Eastern Europe is affected by mainly by:
-          Level of in-market competition which has increased compared to other markets due to arrival of score of new entrants. Increased level of competition drives prices down in number of market. We can observe back-book re-pricing on part of industry incumbents and convergence of retail pricing within particular national markets and between national markets.

-          Favourable developments in the handset ecosystem with declining barriers to entry in handset / tablet manufacturing.  Increasing intensity of competition in turns keep prices down and allows operators to maintain or even boost their paybacks on subsidies. It is important to note that in markets with low disposable income are often handset subsidies frequently are a single biggest driver of profitability.

-          in Long run flawed retail pricing policies create arbitrage opportunities for OTT providers in cross-network voice and messaging services. Excessive pricing of cross-network,  international or roaming services protect short terms revenues of mobile operators but in long term drive  the usage away from traditional services to OTTs and reducing overall  service revenues. While these “self inflicted wounds” apply only to certain markets and some operators, the problem can largely be mitigated by proper retail pricing strategies such rebalancing of tariffs to connection oriented fees, unlimited cross-network packages, pro-active re-pricing of international roaming services.

-          Development of smartphone usage and mobile broadband is a big driver of margins in the mobile industry in the region due to poor availability (coverage) of fixed broadband networks.

Com World Series: How is the demand for data impacting your business and how are you taking advantage of it?

Jacek Nieweglowski: So far a strong uptake of smartphones has allowed to drive retail ARPU up by up-selling  mobile customers with data packages on top of existing and new contracts. Also CEE markets have seen strong demand for mobile broadband products driven to large extend by a modest coverage of fixed broadband infrastructure, e.g., in Poland only 50% of households enjoy a to fixed broadband connection . [JaNi] Therefore despite high mobile penetration exceeding 140% we still see demand for additional SIM cards in households be it for tablets, laptops and for dedicated substitutive mobile broadband products

Com World Series: What is still needed in terms of networks and infrastructure across the region?

Jacek Nieweglowski: Industry needs a prudent regulatory environment which provides balanced regulatory obligations and very importantly investment friendly roll-out and permitting regulations. Increasingly important is the need to harmonize limits of electromagnetic radiation. Industry also needs and calls for more operator-friendly frequency allocation policies. Also pace of development and quality of networks and services is increasingly dependent on availability of fibre- and IP-based backhaul networks.

Com World Series: How is LTE changing the market and what is your company’s strategy in regards to this technology?

Jacek Nieweglowski: Even though LTE is neither a revolution nor disruption for mobile industry it is important evolutionary step for the industry. LTE gives operators not only more capacity to serve broadband demand but also provides more flexibility to differentiate services by capacity vs. speed vs. coverage trade-offs. Finally LTE further reduces industry’s incremental costs of production of data services (cost per GB of traffic served).

Com World Series: What do you hope to get out of participating in EurasiaCom?

Jacek Nieweglowski: Meet industry insiders, exchange ideas, learn about other operators, draw attention to success of my company.
Attend EurasiaCom to hear Jacek Nieweglowski take part in the Opening Keynote - Panel Discussion on “Affordability and quality for customers & profits for providers: The balancing Act ”, taking place on Day 2 at 09:10.
 Register Here

Marc Zirca, Head of Corporate Strategy, Bakcell: "We think global and act local"

The Com World Series team caught up with Marc ahead of the EurasiaCom conference and exhibition, taking place at Conrad Istanbul Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey from 25-26 of March to discuss Data & LTE ahead of the event.

Marc Zirca
Head of Corporate Strategy
Bakcell

Com World Series: How is your company positioned in the regional market and how do you expect it to evolve over the next couple of years?

Marc Zirca: Bakcell is a wholly Azerbaijani company, we do not have a regional reach however we are being looked at as a leading example in the region. Bakcell steadily and significantly contributed to the Azerbaijani market, which is reflected growth trend of its subscriber base and market share and provided new and interesting services to its customers within a very short period of time.

We were able to do this by keeping a satisfactory level of our financial KPI’s that were set by our board. We are a team who can think global and act local. We are proud of being a 100% Azerbaijani company that is able to compete with big regional players.

Our market is striving for new technologies and for exciting services. Although our market is somehow highly penetrated, we believe that Data services and other non-traditional telecom services will the ones driving the growth in the next couple of years.

Com World Series: What is most affecting profitability for operators in the region and how are you working to improve it?

Marc Zirca: Our region is not different to any other region and general factors which have an impact on profitability remain the same for us. We are trying to manage our cost in an efficient way and make sure that it is well optimized to serve our business.

Com World Series: How is the demand for data impacting your business and how are you taking advantage of it?

Marc Zirca: I would say that Data services are the Star of the telecom industry. With the launch of Bakcell’s 3G Sür@ services in 2011 a new era in the mobile internet started in Azerbaijan. Today, we are proud to say that Bakcell is the leader mobile data services provider in the Azerbaijani market. 

We managed to answer the demand for small and large screens.
Our advantage is that we understand the needs of our subscribers.  We are here to listen to them and to thrive to serve them better. And one of our newest successes is the launch of our branded smartphones (Android) that made a hit in the market.  This is a clear indication that the demand for data will continue to grow.

Moreover, we are committed to constantly upgrade our network, and our new project will be the launch of the LTE services during 2014. LTE is going to provide our subscribers (consumers and corporate) with high data speed capabilities that will allow them to use more data hungry services.

Com World Series: What is still needed in terms of networks and infrastructure across the region?

Marc Zirca: We can say that our region is improving constantly.  We have witnessed the launch of several 3G and LTE networks in several countries.  Almost all the operators are up to the level to provide high quality services.

A possible way for improvement would be the backend infrastructure. Such as more performing and flexible billing systems, better reporting and monitoring tools.  This kind of infrastructure is necessary for us to provide a better customer experience.

We are proud to say that Bakcell started since 2012 investing in such infrastructure and we will be continuing to do so in the future.

Com World Series: How is LTE changing the market and what is your company’s strategy in regards to this technology?

Marc Zirca: LTE is a technology that all operators will be launching in our market.  The imminent need for LTE capabilities are not there yet.  However the role of the mobile operator is to introduce new technologies to its subscribers and help to answer some specific needs.

LTE is still very young in our market, and we cannot say that it was created a shift in the customer behaviour yet.  We believe that it will take few more years before we see the real rush towards LTE and this is mainly due to the availability of reasonably priced LTE handsets and devices.

The faster the OEM’s move on providing good and affordable LTE handsets, the quicker the adoption rate will be. LTE is on our radar and will be launched in 2014.

 
Attend EurasiaCom to hear Marc Zirka’s take part in the Opening Keynote – Panel Discussion on “How have data and technology developments become game-changers for Telcos?”, taking place on Day 1 at 09:30.

Orçun Ozalp, Head of Emerging Business, Turkcell: “We believe in the power of innovation”

The Com World Series team caught up with Orçun Ozalp, the Head of Emerging Business of Turkcell ahead of the EurasiaCom conference and exhibition, taking place at Conrad Istanbul Hotel in Turkey from 25-26 of March to discuss innovation, VAS, M2M & Cloud ahead of the event.


Com World Series: How is your company positioned in the regional market and how do you expect it to evolve over the next couple of years?

 Orçun Ozalp: Turkcell is a regional leader by being the market leader in five countries out of nine it operates in. Turkcell’s shares have been traded on the Istanbul (IMKB) and New York Stock Exchanges (NYSE) since July 11, 2000, and it is the first and only Turkish company ever to be listed on the NYSE. As a Leading Communication and Technology Company,

• to grow in our core mobile communication business through increased use of voice and data,
• to grow our existing international subsidiaries with a focus on profitability,
• to grow in the fixed broadband business by creating synergy among Turkcell Group companies through our fiber optic infrastructure,
• to grow in the area of mobility, internet and convergence through new business opportunities,
• to grow in domestic and international markets through communications, technology and new business opportunities,
• to develop new service platforms that will enrich our relationship with our customers through our technical capabilities.

Com World Series: What is most affecting profitability for operators in the region and how are you working to improve it?

Orçun Ozalp: One of the most important area that we want to improve is Value Added services is the which bring innovation to our customers life. Therefore we as a team believe in the power of innovation to create leading services in new technologies such as M2M and Cloud on top of our fastest internet.

Com World Series: How is the demand for data impacting your business and how are you taking advantage of it?

Orçun Ozalp: Data is the most critical resource to generate information. We are working hard on our business intelligence platform but on the other hand we are always connected to the data resource to gather additional inputs as much as we can. We are working both global and local consultancy and research companies to enlarge our vision.

Com World Series: What is still needed in terms of networks and infrastructure across the region?

Orçun Ozalp: Turkcell Superonline (%100 Subsidary of Turkcell) to become a real network alternative in the region. Bringing the world’s fastest Internet to Turkey simultaneously with the rollouts in other countries, Turkcell Superonline carries on investing at an unabated rate in order to turn the “Silk Road” into a “Fiber Road” by expanding its own infrastructure across Turkey with a fiber network stretching to every corner of the country.

Also as Turkey’s innovative telecom operator, we have assumed a key role in the RCN (Regional Cable Network) project. We are pleased to be the operator to link Asia to Europe through our fiber optic infrastructure on this project, which represents a milestone in the communications history. By taking part in this project, we will help make Istanbul the world’s new Internet base and increase Turkey’s global competitiveness in terms of mobile and fixed technologies, in lnie with the strategy of our parent company Turkcell.

Our new multi-layered network structure will definitely increase Turkcell Superonline’s services to a quality level that is going to be unmatched in the Turkish market and it will meet all telecommunication needs in the region.

Com World Series: How is LTE changing the market and what is your company’s strategy in regards to this technology?

Orçun Ozalp: We already break the fastest speed limit with LTE advanced in August 2013 (at our testing environment) with 900 mbps. This will transform our industries such as education, e-health and others to use this speed to deliver data and content to our customer with a similar experience that we are delivering via our broadband.

Com World Series: What do you hope to get out of participating in EurasiaCom?

Orçun Ozalp: We are the hosting partner of the event, and we are very pleased to host our regional neighbours in our country and love to share our experiences each other.

Attend EurasiaCom to hear Orçun Ozalp’s presentation on “Bringing the cloud to Eurasia”, taking place on Day 1 at 16:30. Meet Orçun by registering here

AfricaCom 2013 Post Show Report & Statistics - Download your copy today

*** Missed out on  AfricaCom in 2013? Make sure you don't make the same mistake this year...*** 

AfricaCom 2013 welcomed even more attendees, speakers and a fantastic array of hot topics than ever before: 

- 8330+ Total Attendees - 19% more than last year!
- 46% Operator attendance - 9% more than last year!
- 43% Senior level delegate attendance
- 2558 Companies represented
- 120 Countries represented
- 99% of attendees would recommend AfricaCom to their colleagues
- 96% of attendees rated their overall experience at the show as excellent or very good
- 91% of attendees rated the networking opportunities as excellent or very good
- 86% of sponsors and exhibitors rated the quality of attendees as excellent or very good
- 85% of exhibitors reserved a space for 2014!

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Download the full post show report today & read detailed review and statistics of those who attended!
http://africa.comworldseries.com/201-brochure/

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Re-live the AfricaCom experience - watch the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItvfAngAQEQ

Thank you @AllAboutCom for a fantastic show" -@uppspiration

"Great show #AfricaCom and new clients for PMT" -@markusschorn





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Exhibition Spaces still available - get in touch today to secure a space! 

Email jean-pierre.bird@informa.com 
Tel: +44 (0) 207017 5823

The AfricaCom Team

Gearing up for the 10th anniversary of EurasiaCom

After the calm of the storm which is AfricaCom, you may have tought we'd be having a rest here in the Com World Series Team, but no! We have been working hard with our partners and featured contributors to prepare what is set to be a stellar 10th anniversary EurasiaCom (25-26 March, Istanbul). We're about to issue the brochure for this event which will feature new streams and topics including business strategies for operators, mobile money, a focus on profitabily and developments in connectivity technology. We we also be hosting the second annual AppGig which is free to attend for all app developers. 

Join our key speakers from the leading regional operators including host operator, Turkcell, as well as MTS, Beeline, Deutsche Telekom, TeliaSonera Eurasia, Virgin, Vodafone, Azerfon, Altel,Telekom Srbija, and may more. 

Be sure to check out the all new website for 2014 which will be live very soon, and download your pdf brochure there too. 

2014 Mobile Industry Outlook Report: free to download from analyst house Informa Telecoms & Media

Download full report here: http://bit.ly/1ejClBg

We all know that the Internet and broadband connectivity have had a profound impact on the businesses of – and the future prospects for – each and every player in the telecoms and media value chain. But quantifying this impact is more difficult.

At Informa Telecoms & Media we have embarked upon a major research program that looks at the telecoms and media value chain and how value has shifted between its constituent parts.

Our analysis encompasses telecoms operators, TV companies, digital media firms, software and hardware vendors, and device and consumer electronics companies. In some cases, our analysis will serve to validate trends that we are already aware of – for example, the decline in traditional voice services and the shift in value to broadband connectivity and digital media. Our research will put numbers behind this change and quantify the extent to which value is being created (or destroyed) rather than merely shifting from one part of the value chain to another.

This IndustryOutlook 2014 report includes the early, top-level findings from our value chain research. The other three sections cover the future of the telco, strategies to prosper in the new media ecosystem and how telcos can grow their enterprise revenues with new segmentation strategies:

• ·         Future telco strategies
• ·         Consumers: Getting to grips with a new media ecosystem
• ·         Enterprises: Succeeding with new segments
• ·         Value creation, value redistribution and value destruction

We hope you enjoy the report which includes highlights from our research in 2013. This year, we have also included our 2014 research agenda in the report. We hope the themes that our analysts have chosen resonate with key issues for your business.

Our research agenda is developed in close cooperation with our customers which is why we have managed to build such strong relationships with so many of you.

Download full report here: http://bit.ly/1ejClBg

http://www.informatandm.com

Re-live the 2013 AfricaCom Awards!

Were you at the awards ceremony? Did you miss it this year? 

Either way you can experience it all again in this handy little video! The AfricaCom Awards was an unforgettable evening of achievements, celebration and inspiration and we've summed up as best we can all the magical highlights from this incredible evening. 

Check out the video below to re-live the 2013 AfricaCom Awards:

Fuel cells offer solution to mobile device energy challenges

By Dr. Jon Moore, Director of Communications, Intelligent Energy 

There is no question; mobile devices are now integral to our daily lives. They are also an essential cog in the economic machinery of individuals and businesses throughout the world. This is especially pronounced in developing economies where mobile has transformed the way consumers and businesses operate, indeed increases in the use of mobile telephony are directly related to increased economic growth. Only this week, the GSMA reported that the mobile ecosystem directly supported 3.3 million jobs and contributed US $21 billion to public funding in the sub-Saharan Africa and is set to double its economic effect by 2020.

With the exciting launch of the Mxit 7 social media app, LTE mobile Internet and m-payments topping the agenda at AfricaCom, it is all too easy to forget that even in South Africa the most important daily function of the mobile phone is for making calls – whether calling family, friends, or conducting the essential transactions that keep businesses growing.  

But, take away the power for mobile devices and suddenly our connected world falls into disarray. The mobile world and all that it enables lasts only as long as its batteries!

There was a time, not so long ago before apps, Internet and super-resolution cameras when the deciding factor when choosing a mobile phone was their talk-time. Today, our phones and other mobile devices are getting smarter and more capable; and this means they are becoming more power hungry which further increases the demand on their batteries.

It would be fair to say that improvements in battery technology have not kept pace with the demands of today’s mobile technology and habits. How often do you have to recharge your phone in a typical working day for example? In fact, a study of South African mobile users conducted by Intelligent Energy showed that 30.4% said “every day” and 5.9% even charge several times a day. 

Even if you have access to mains electricity, it takes time to recharge and you may be competing with colleagues for power outlets. In South Africa, 37m people have access to power, but following a boom in device adoption, there are now 59m mobile devices. That’s a lot of competition for a socket if you’re caught short on battery. We found that an astonishing 83.5% of South African consumers are willing to pay to recharge their phone when it loses power.

It is not acceptable that progress, smarter working and economic growth are endangered because of battery limitations. Quite simply, ways have to be found to put more energy into people’s hands. We can’t afford to wait for a breakthrough in battery technology which may never happen, so what is to be done? Fortunately there is an answer, and it comes in the form of hydrogen fuel cells.

Fuel cells, such as those being commerclialised by Intelligent Energy and our partners, are suitable for a range of sectors. They are a highly efficient and clean way of generating electricity, combining hydrogen with air to produce power with no polluting emissions.  A highly scalable technology, they are being targeted at a wide range of applications, from cars, buses, and motorbikes to back-up and distributed power generation and for providing power to mobile devices.

At Intelligent Energy, we have been working to bring fuel cell technology and its compelling attributes into the world of consumer electronics. This came to fruition yesterday at AfricaCom when we launched Upp, a personal energy device, to charge and power USB-compatible portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, feature phones, eReaders, tablets, portable gaming consoles, as well as digital cameras. 

With billions of USB devices used by consumers worldwide, Upp delivers at least one week of charge even to the most demanding, power-hungry smartphones,  giving mobile consumers the energy freedom and independence to stay connected for longer. Now you can have your own personal and instant energy whenever and wherever you need it, whether you’re at home, work or on the road.

This year, we have carried out successful consumer field deployments in region and are now in the process of expanding and recruiting further mobile partners worldwide.  We believe Upp is a real game changer for Africa and we look forward to working with users and the mobile ecosystem to give Africa freedom from the grid.

For more information please visit www.beupp.com, and join the discussion on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Highlights from the third and final day of another phenomenal AfricaCom...

The final day at AfricaCom goes out with a bang as we bid farewell to Cape Town for another year...

   

Well thats it! Another year, another incredible event. Here's a few snippets of the best bits from day 3. Thanks to all 8000 of you who came along... See you in November 2014!

Day 3 Keynote “Next Steps to Connect Africa”
Richard Bell, Vice Chairman at Wananchi, opened the final day of AfricaCom 2013 detailing how fixed broadband networks will be the platform for the next surge in African telecoms. Strong investment in the infrastructure continues, as the explosion of content drives traffic on the internet and promotes economic growth in the region.

The devices discussion continues and panellists from Microsoft and Intelligent-Energy assessed the specific needs of African consumers. Price remains a key factor in the purchase decision, but as smartphone prices continue to fall, consumers are prepared to pay a little more for added functionality.
The keynote session wrapped up with MTN's perspective on how to enhance the quality of connectivity across Africa.

Regulatory Evolution
Africa has a dynamic regulatory space which significantly impacts the whole continent’s communications industry. The take away from today’s Regulatory Evolution stream at AfricaCom was a real toolbox focusing on increasing competition to drive fairness. Speakers discussed the use of market intervention to avoid domination, easing market entry; economies of scale, and mandatory infrastructure sharing were just some.

Infrastructure Sharing
Helios Towers’ hosted Infrastructure Sharing stream today proved that it’s come a long way from mere outsourcing as it was considered years ago. The models to reduce both CapEx and OpEx are varied and the advantages far reaching: from operators and clients to ecological and aesthetic benefits. Infrastructure sharing is also set to grow strongly over the coming years thanks to increasing regulator support.

Wireless Broadband
The third day of AfricaCom featured the extremely popular wireless broadband stream with a turn out proving the continent’s dedication and desires to connect each corner of the vast continent. Topics discussed included current levels of internet penetration, network infrastructure, cost and management issues, as well as human and development factors. Wireless technology is most certainly something which will continue to give the industry much to talk about.

Big Data
AfricaCom took on the buzz of Big Data on Day 3 in the first-ever dedicated session on the topic. A world-class speaker line-up featured Huawei’s Big Data expert delivering the opening keynote, followed by case studies from the City of Cape Town, First National Bank and Deutsche Telekom. Mahindra Comviva and Folup also discussed the future value of Big Data as one of the most promising technologies.

AfricaCast
AfricaCast had a fantastic final day looking at local content and the impact of this content across Africa. Major case studies came from regional stations including Cape Town TV, Channels TV and Umuntu Media. This was mixed in with a special presentation from Stephane Mayoux, Current Affairs Editor for BBC Africa, discussing the future of the BBC in Africa.

AfricApps
AfricApps had a day full of local innovation from local app developers. It continued the themes of the Google workshop the previous day looking at the importance of SDKs and the evolution of User Consumption. Highlights a workshop led by Polymorph, as well as a presentation from local developer Polymorph looking at creating apps that cater to Africans Abroad.

AfricaCom Awards winners announced!


The star-studded AfricaCom Awards took place yesterday evening, the 6th annual ceremony and gala dinner which recognises the most outstanding initiatives in the African telco, media and ICT industries. Among the winners were Huawei, Liquid, Orange and Ericsson who, along with other attendees, enjoyed the surprise flash mob and two live bands while mingling with the industry elite. A special congratulations to Chris Wood from WIOCC who was awarded the coveted Industry Personality of the Year Award.

Informa were proud to support Engineers Without Borders as the official partner charity and celebrate another extremely dynamic and successful year of changing lives through technology in Africa.

Congratulations to all the proud winners! The full list of winners can be found here.

Twitter highlights from day 3...

"Thank you @AllAboutCom for a fantastic show" -@uppspiration
"Great show #AfricaCom and new clients for PMT" -@markusschorn
"What a fantastic third and final day at #AfricaCom" -@Alcatel1TouchSA
"Excellent speakers this afternoon in Monetising Content session #AfricaCom" -@BroderickCom
 "#AfricaCom is huge this year!" -@radwin_ltd

See You Next Year!
To get involved early for the 2014 show, please visit our website.

AfricaCom 2014
11-13 November 2014,  
CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Visit our website: www.comworldseries.com/africa

4G in Africa: Where mobile means more

by Howard_Stevens 

The increase in mobile use in Africa is no secret. Currently the fastest growing market for smartphones and accountable for over 60% of the continent’s internet traffic, it is a thriving and dynamic mobile economy. But despite the significant growth in mobile usage and breadth of mobile services available to people in Africa, levels of connectivity still have some progress to make. Operators and network providers are continuously investigating opportunities to introduce faster ways of connecting to the mobile literate continent – a topic we are hearing more about at this year’s AfricaCom event in Cape Town.

As in other parts of the world, 4G is currently being rolled out across Africa but differences in LTE frequency band adoption and channel bandwidths between operators could hamper interoperability – a valid concern. Combine this, however, with the limited disposable income mobile users have in the continent, and the fact that many mobile devices are shared between individuals, and it’s easy to see how recouping costs for 4G rollout is relatively limited in comparison to other, more developed markets.

That said, new deployment tactics are being introduced more frequently as operators assess the current opportunities to introduce 4G connectivity to countries in Africa. Looking to the future, establishing solid 4G networks could not only provide more for the 800 million mobile subscribers, but could further develop IT services in the continent.

Africa’s largest annual communications exhibition, AfricaCom has returned to Cape Town this week; dubbed to be the biggest of its kind to-date. Demand for faster networks is prevalent across the continent and this event will address many of the issues operators are currently trying to overcome. The event not only highlights that significant development of the mobile economy is currently underway across Africa, but also heralds a bright future for Africa in a data-centric world.

Find out more about AfricaCom here: http://africa.comworldseries.com/

https://community.sapmobileservices.com/t5/Mobile-Blogs/4G-in-Africa-Where-mobile-means-more/ba-p/497

SAP are exhibiting at AfricaCom 2013. Come and meet them at the event today at stand E11. Just turn up with a business card and register for your free exhibition pass onsite.