Middle East and Africa region promises consistent growth in critical communications
Market growth of more than 13 per cent in the installed base of active narrowband radios in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is forecast by global industry analysts IHS.
The strength of the market is demonstrated by the increasing success of the Critical Communications Middle East event, which opens today in Dubai.
IHS predicts that digital narrowband technologies such as TETRA will achieve this significant growth in the MEA region over the next three years, and will account for 65 per cent of the installed base of terminals by 2019.
“The Middle East is setting the pace for the evolution of critical communications,” said Phil Kidner, CEO of the TCCA , the critical communications industry organisation. “The increasing popularity of this event, now in its third year, shows the ongoing potential for TETRA in this region, particularly in vertical markets such as transport, oil and gas, and utilities. This event brings the industry together within the region as well as attracting exhibitors and visitors from around the world.”
“The Middle East has been a consistently strong growth region for higher-end technologies like TETRA across all vertical sectors, including public safety and security and industrial sectors, and we expect this trend to continue,” said Elizabeth Mead, Senior Analyst, Critical Communications, IHS.
“The Middle East region has always been faced with serious security challenges, especially in the past few years. Technology has played a key role in keeping our countries safe, and TETRA is one of those technologies that delivers on all critical needs,” said Ahmad Alwajih, Managing Director, International Gulf Engineering Consultancy Bureau (IGB). IGB is based in Abu Dhabi and is a member of the TCCA.
As well as the ongoing demand for narrowband critical communications services, demand for broadband data services is also increasing as users expect more sophisticated and high-bandwidth applications on their networks. In the short- to mid-term, IHS expects LMR technologies including TEDS to gain traction, with options potentially created to move to private LTE at a later stage, and LTE gaining traction in some MEA nations in the mid-term.
Picture courtesy of Hytera: The use of a TETRA radio during the Dubai Tour 2015