The state of network technology adoption in the Arab world will be examined to identify the vital needs for mobile data growth at the upcoming Arab International Telecom summit in Lebanon.

The 12th annual Arabcom summit, a development event for the Arab states, will take place on May 13 and 14 at the Habtoor Grand Hotel in Beirut.

The summit will also look at how Mobile WiMax, UMTS/HSPA and FTTH are boosting that growth, and whether strategic decisions by alternative mobile operators and fixed line operators could accelerate 4G uptake.

“Broadband convergence will enable new services and applications that will make mobile broadband the main revenue growth driver in the Arab world due to three main catalysts,” said Katia Tayar founder and president of Arabcom Group, a pioneer in the business of promoting socio-economic development in the Arab states.

“The first catalyst will be the use of common platforms, which will allow operators in the region to access greater economies of scale when deploying their network,” she added.

“Second, the potential arrival of Mobile WiMax systems is raising the intensity of the overall battle for mobile broadband adoption,” Tayar continued.

“Third, we expect market entrants and existing challenger operators to deploy LTE networks within the next three years, which will fuel competition and will drive up revenue.”

“It is about time for the Arab world to deal with broadband convergence as a necessity for socio economic development and not as an addition to their existing networks,” Tayar concluded. – TradeArabia News Service