The General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunication Sector (TRA) hosted the ICT Development Forum bringing together a multitude of prominent ICT experts.

The forum opened with a speech by H.E. ENG Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, UAE TRA Deputy Director General, in which he noted that the last years have seen a major breakthrough in the use of communication and information technologies, particularly mobile phone networks and Internet broadband. He also highlighted that technology is developing at lightning speed, carrying with them a lot of challenges, and that in this era change is the only constant thing. The telecommunication sector leads the convoy towards a future full of human and economic development, therefore, we should have a sharp vision of the utilization of technology in serving humanity.

“We at the TRA have ambitious goals that are stemmed from our wise leadership directives. We embarked on a journey of dedication that aims at positioning UAE at the forefront of nations in ICT, and we are aware that this goal will only be achieved by collaborative efforts. The technologies that the future is unfolding with will set challenges that cannot be addressed by a single party. Among the most important highlights of the new era are the Machine to Machine Communication (M2M), Over-the-top content (OTT) which is the delivery of audio, video, and other media over the Internet without the involvement of a multiple-system operator in the control or distribution of the content, providing broadband internet, in addition to the big data revolution, Internet of Things (IOT) and the smart cities.” H.E. ENG Al Mesmar stated.

The forum represented a cooperative framework for ICT stakeholders, and it demonstrated TRA’s belief in in fruitful cooperation, as ICT development isn’t the responsibility of the government or the private sector only, it is the result of collaboration between all parties. The forum also provided an ideal platform to share ideas and knowledge and witnessed the launching of a joint working mechanism to overcome challenges and obstacles. Moreover, the ICT Development forum provided a future outlook for ICT development, in addition to the emerging technologies, solutions, and trends that the future will unfold with.

 The forum aimed at highlighting UAE’s leadership in this field. It also represented a new communication channel through which experts can share their knowledge regarding encouraging more innovation and building national capacities that can handle the global technological challenges. The forum also represented an ideal platform where experts gathered and formulated mechanisms that will assist industry stakeholders in overcoming challenges through foreseeing future solutions and trends. The forum entailed sharing success stories of fruitful partnerships between the private and the public sector. Encouraging innovation to be part of cutting-edge digital systems also topped the agenda of the forum, as concerned parties agreed that utilizing innovation in digital systems will improve the access to quality services and improve the customer experience in this field.

With regard to the aimed benefits and added value, the forum shed the light on ICT challenges in UAE through forming working groups that were designed to meet specific needs and requirements, and provide the latest updates on global standards and next generation networks. The forum also underlined the importance of holding workshops and seminars related to modern technology and the working mechanisms of the authorities regulating the sector, as well as the development of national capacities to keep up with the new developments and trends in this area.

Participants also discussed aspects related to the Internet of Things (IOT) and challenges related to the Machine to Machine Communication (M2M), as the forum highlighted the key role that regulatory authorities play in information security and mobile services.