Telecom Operators

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC published its financial results for Q4 and the full-year 2023. Full-year revenues grew by 6.9% to AED 13.64 billion, highlighting sustained demand for mobile services, and strong growth in postpaid and fixed services. Full-year EBITDA surged by 12.8% to AED 5.80 billion, reflecting top line growth combined with margin expansion and disciplined cost management. Full-year net profit reached AED 1.67 billion— a 36.8% increase year-over-year, mainly underlining strong EBITDA growth. Full-year CapEx was stable at AED 2.2 billion and operating free cash flow (EBITDA – CapEx) for the year substantially rose by 23.2% to AED 3.6 billion.

Ooredoo and Tamimah Digital LLC, a digital company managing the online marketplace, Bawwaba Oman, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a business-to-business (B2B) e-marketplace. The first e-commerce platform of its kind will showcase products and services offered by small and medium enterprises, companies and government entities for a business customer base in Oman.

Ooredoo announced its financial results for full-year 2023 (FY23). Among the financial highlights are the following:

e& enterprise and Burjeel Holdings, one of the leading healthcare services providers in the MENA region, have joined forces to launch a pioneering telemedicine services project. Together, they have agreed on a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the aim to revolutionize healthcare delivery.

du, commercially rebranded from Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Company (EITC) has announced the deployment of large-scale three carrier aggregation in TDD Massive MIMO at its base station, which will help maintain its leadership in 5G user experience in the market with a peak data rate of over 5 Gbps.

In a significant financial update, Vodafone Qatar has reported a net profit of QR 540 million in 2023, showcasing a robust 7.5% increase compared to the previous year. The notable surge is primarily attributed to the growth in EBITDA.

Vodafone and e& have joined forces to provide other operators with comprehensive, fully-managed voice solutions to support their international voice traffic requirements and growth plans, as well as help meet the growing demand for voice over 4G/5G (VoLTE) services.

du, commercially rebranded from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), marked a significant milestone by completing the Gulf region's inaugural trial of 50G PON (Passive Optical Network) symmetrical technology. Recognized as the evolution standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) after 10G PON, this cutting-edge technology transforms fiber broadband infrastructure, delivering lightning-fast speeds with 50Gbps downlink and uplink connections.

4iG Plc info-communications company and Telecom Egypt— Egypt’s first integrated telecom operator and one of the largest subsea cable operators in the region— have reached an agreement on the terms of cooperation for the construction of an express subsea cable between Albania and Egypt. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last October, the terms of this cooperation agreement establish a joint venture between the two companies for the intercontinental subsea cable project. The express subsea cable will create a high-capacity, intercontinental connection linking Africa and Asia (through the Red Sea) to Europe, via Egypt, the Mediterranean, and Albania.

Ooredoo Oman has rolled out Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology to power various IoT-enabled applications that could result in energy savings and supply chain management optimization. IoT is an umbrella term for devices connected to, and communicating with, the internet and each other— merging the digital and physical worlds. From wearable devices to meters that allow for remote readings of water and gas usage to solutions that track the delivery of packages, IoT has entered the mainstream, and Ooredoo is at the forefront of this transformation.