European efforts show the importance of telecommunication and cutting costs to the growing digital economy
Information technology, data, and transactions processed through smart devices are increasingly gaining economic, social and cultural dimensions, thus affecting all walks of life and reflecting on the economic and social progress on one hand, and on people’s lives on the other one.
The more means of communication are available to a larger social group at affordable prices; the more number of people are engaged in public life. This will also allow for cutting costs and allocating more resources for development, while reducing pollution to preserve the environment.
Based on these facts, many countries and economic blocs are seeking to provide modern and smart communications to their citizens that go beyond their home countries and at the broadest possible scope, in agreement and cooperation with other countries.
This new approach has recently led the European Union (EU) to abolish roaming charges and internet browsing during the travelling of their citizens within the EU member countries by 2017. However, cuts on charges will begin as of April next year, which would turn the EU into a digital single market, marking a significant development for economic integration.
In this regard, the European Commission has put in place guarantees that ensure non-discrimination between the member states, a move that received strong and full support by EU leaders at their summit last July. This means these guarantees will be implemented within the predetermined deadlines.
Due to a clear vision, the federal EU institutions have approved this agreement at a record speed, as stated by EU officials. For example, Andrus Ansip, Vice-President of the European Commission for Digital Single Market, said: “High bills that subvert the holiday budget will soon be a thing of the past.” Whilst, Günther Oettinger, Commissioner for Digital Economy at the European Commission said: “This agreement is essential for consumers and businesses in the community and in the European digital economy.”
This clearly signifies the importance of telecommunication and cutting costs to the growing digital economy, where many financial and commercial transactions are processed through smart devices within a few minutes, which will facilitate the expansion of the use of such devices and accelerate the spread of digital economy, coupled with the consequent positive repercussions on development in the EU countries.
In contrast, the UAE has made a giant leap in shifting from e-government to smart government where Emirati cities ranked first globally in using smart services. The International Telecommunication Union has recognised Dubai as a benchmark for global smart cities to implement the smart city performance index.
Being internationally recognised as a benchmark in this area is an achievement by any measure and will help the GCC countries seeking to make use of the rapid spread of smart transactions.
In fact, The UAE and the rest GCC countries have sophisticated infrastructure for digital transactions. However, this needs quick decisions and implementation over the coming period, so as to create a single GCC digital market. It also requires for abolishing internet browsing and roaming charges, which are high, among the six Gulf nations, given that the geographical area of the Gulf region is much less than that of the EU.
In this regard, the Secretariat General of the GCC can play a pivotal role by establishing joint Gulf institutions specialised in digital economy and in the digital single market. This is because it would not be possible to work away from such an approach, which may help to speed up the completion of requirements for the Gulf common market.
Besides the GCC’s Secretariat General, telecommunication companies in the GCC states can play an important role in supporting the approach towards creation of the single GCC digital market by cutting roaming charges, and then abolishing them completely, so as to transform the six GCC states into a digital single market.
Creating the single GCC digital market will have positive economic impacts and will contribute effectively to spreading the digital economy in the GCC region, where the UAE stands as a model of the benefits that can be reaped from such facilities, and this approach is so important for the future of development in the GCC.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Mohammed Al Asoomi
Quelle/Source: Gulf News, 29.07.2015
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