Tata Communications awarded Saudi Arabian telecoms licence

Today, Tata Communications has announced that it has secured a Type B telecoms licence to operate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

The announcement transforms Tata’s role in the country, allowing it to offer services as a locally licensed company rather than as a foreign carrier. The operator will be able to offer carrier-neutral service to OTTs, large enterprises, and MNCs in the region, as well as providing internet, network security, private cloud, and software-defined wide-area network solutions.  

 

“A strong digital backbone has become essential for businesses to address the changes in the industry landscape,” said Vaneet Mehta, associate vice president and region head, Middle East, Central Asia & Africa, of Tata Communications. “By securing this telecom licence in KSA, we will be able to seamlessly bring carrier-neutral services like internet connectivity, public/private cloud, cyber security, borderless mobility and more such services to the region. This will help simplify the digital experience for our customers and aid them in transforming their businesses in the new normal.”

 

In its press release, Tata was keen to emphasise its global capabilities, with the company fully owning a subsea cable network reaching more than 200 countries. This is surely proving an increasingly valuable asset in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has greatly accelerated digitalisation around the world. Tata says the COVID-19 pandemic has specifically demonstrated Saudi Arabia as the “epicentre” for investment in the Middle East. Indeed, a recent report by Oxford Business Group shows that Saudi Arabia’s stringent measures against the virus have greatly limited its affect, while the government’s major focus on improving its investment environment have seen it flourish as a digital business hub.