i3forum, a non-profit industry body focused on transformation in Carrier business, announced at Capacity Middle East 2019 that Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the largest telecommunications company in the Middle East, has joined the organization as a full member. STC joins 22 leading organizations from across the Carrier ecosystem and is the first Middle Eastern Carrier to become part of the i3forum.
i3forum brings the International Carrier ecosystem together to enable and accelerate transformation. Its members decide the challenges and topics to address and it provides a platform for members to explore, share and debate the challenges facing Carrier business. Members are empowered by a shared purpose and mission to shape the future of the industry.
“We are excited to welcome STC to the i3forum as a full member. STC brings a unique perspective on our industry and we look forward to collaborating with the team at STC,” said Philippe Millet, Chairman of i3forum. “Each new member adds something different to the i3forum and creates new benefits for existing members. With a diverse and dynamic membership, we are well positioned to tackle the challenges that are facing our industry today and in the future.”
STC is a leading Carrier locally in the in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and across the MENA region. It serves more than 100 million subscribers globally and a fiber-optic cable network spanning 137,000 kilometers across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. It operates the MENA Gateway data center and JEDIX internet exchange point in Jeddah, KSA. The government is establishing the KSA as a key hub for telecoms connectivity in the MENA region as part of its Saudi Vision 2030.
“We are honored to join the i3forum and become the first Middle Eastern Carrier to participate. It is critical that we collaborate with our peers and help to drive our industry forward. Together, we can solve challenges and find new ways to innovate locally and across the globe,” said Sami Bin Ghadir, Revenue Assurance & Fraud Management GM at STC. “The i3forum has demonstrated its ability to put ideas into action and create real change for Carriers. As its membership continues to grow, it is a great time to be part of the i3forum”.
i3forum is a not-for-profit, membership-funded forum that works closely with standardization bodies including the GSMA and the Wireless Broadband Alliance. In 2018 the Global Leaders Forum (GLF) together with i3forum delivered the Code of Conduct, one of many initiatives to accelerate transformation across the entire ecosystem.
Members of i3forum collaborate to provide practical recommendations and best practices to drive innovation and transformation across the Carrier ecosystem. i3forum work groups tackle the biggest challenges faced by the Carrier industry and deliver actionable recommendations to enable long-term growth of Carrier businesses.
Also read: “By 2022, carriers that do not transform will be stuck with an outdated operating model and legacy mindset.”— Philippe Millet, i3forum
