The dynamics of the telecoms market in the aftermath of the coronavirus will be shaped by the changes in how people communicate during the pandemic, said the chief executive of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company – also known as du.
The "new normal" for telcos will be largely driven by more discerning customers, with an increased emphasis on digital offerings. The direction of communication will require an acceleration in the roll-out of 5G networks, Johan Dennelind, chief executive told The National.
“There will be a new normal where we all will live, work, study and experience things digitally and more differently," Mr Dennelind said. "As we speak, telcos are adapting and learning how to work differently as well as more efficiently.”
Covid-19, the biggest pandemic since the 1918 Spanish flu, has infected nearly 1.8 million people as of Sunday and brought the global economy to a virtual halt. To contain the virus countries have implemented lockdowns and restrictions on movement forcing millions of people to work from home using webinars and online meetings.
To ensure an uninterrupted flow of connectivity, du leveraged its existing resources while using new creative solutions to mitigate any disruption to its services.
“Our e-shops, apps and various digital channels are already up and running, serving consumers 24 X 7 using automated processes,” said Mr Dennelind.
Customers who used to physically visit the operator's stores are now completing all of their transactions online.
Over the past month, du registered a 40 per cent surge in home or fixed-line internet traffic and a 10 per cent increase in mobile traffic.
“We saw this surge coming quite early when other countries had just started to close down. We were in our crisis mode and secured critical components required for network upgrades,” Mr Dennelind said.
“Traffic has moved from shops, malls, airports and streets to homes. Moving traffic to new nodes or to different parts of the network is very crucial and we have dealt with it quite dynamically without any major issues.”
The company anticipates a further rise in internet demand and has accordingly geared up.
As of today, du’s network has sufficient capacity to accommodate twice the current traffic. Utilisation on mobile and fixed networks is 50 per cent and 58 per cent respectively, according to the operator.
The pandemic will not impact the company’s expansion plans or planned 5G roll-out, Mr Dennelind said. The current crisis is accelerating the need for a robust 5G network but there could be some short-term delays because of supply chain disruptions.
“Telcos are now realising the importance of critical infrastructure even more … besides allowing dynamic allocation of network, 5G ensures better speed and robustness of data,” Mr Dennelind said
“If we have had full-fledged 5G network operational and also widespread availability of 5G customer devices, then it would have been a lot easier for us to dynamically allocate capacity wherever needed,” he added.
Many European operators such as Telefonica, Orange and Vodafone have advised consumers to decrease internet usage, avoid downloading heavy files and to try using landline phones wherever possible, to ensure that quality of service is maintained.
But Mr Dennelind said du's network is well-equipped to handle the current rush and such measures are not necessary.
“We only asked customers to remain tolerant for small issues,” he said. “This is a very extraordinary situation and our networks are coping very well … but there may be certain nodes or sites that are getting overloaded due to certain patterns of traffic at certain time[s]”.
Mr Dennelind, who joined the company early this year after the retirement of Osman Sultan, said his primary priority is to manage the company through this crisis.
“We are impacted very hard as an industry … managing this short-term impact is my priority number one,” said the former group chief executive of Telia, the largest Nordic operator.
“Nobody is unaffected … we are impacted by the environment in which we operate and that is fully understood by everyone,” said Mr Dennelind.
Du, which was founded in 2005, is 50.12 per cent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 10.06 per cent by Mubadala Investment Company and 19.7 percent by Emirates International Telecommunications, with the remainder of shares in public hands. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market.
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
MEYDAN%20RACECARD
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AL%20BOOM
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
Company%20profile
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
SPECS
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Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Superliminal%20
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The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
THREE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Company%C2%A0profile
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RESULTS
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETamer%20Ruggli%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadine%20Labaki%2C%20Fanny%20Ardant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
