10 million transactions through "Dubai Now", at a value of 5 billion dirhams, within 6 months
Etisalat and Du: 500% growth in use of online video applications and games
Du: 300% growth in Internet traffic through remote work applications and platforms. ■ archive
Du, a subsidiary of the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, reported that there is a growth in traffic through video applications ranging between 400 and 500%, and a significant increase of up to 300% in Internet traffic through applications, platforms and means of work and distance learning, supported by the repercussions of Corona " During the last period.
In turn, Etisalat Group revealed that during the pandemic, it witnessed a remarkable and unprecedented increase in the use of communication applications and virtual meetings by 300%, and an increase in the use of games on the Internet by nearly 500%.
This came during the activities of the "Virtual Forum for Future Foresight", organized yesterday by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, under the title "The Communications Sector and its Impact on Future Foresight After (Covid-19)".
In addition, “Smart Dubai” said, during the forum’s activities, that the number of transactions that were completed through the “Dubai Now” application reached more than 10 million transactions by the end of the first half of this year, and the value of transactions completed by the application reached more than five billion. Dirhams, during the same period.
Video applications
In detail, Salim Al Balushi, Chief Technology Officer at Du, a subsidiary of the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, said, “There is a growth of between 400 and 500% in traffic through video applications, and a significant increase of up to 300% in Internet traffic through applications, platforms and means of work. Distance, remote learning, and an increase in traffic across the fixed network by up to 40%, supported by the repercussions of the Corona virus, as well as a significant increase in demand for broadband services, television and content broadcasting.
Al Balushi stressed, during the activities of the "Virtual Forum for Future Foresight", organized yesterday by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, that "the telecommunications sector in the country is able to accommodate future changes and keep pace with future development through large investments in networks, data centers, and advanced cloud services." .
He explained that, during the "pandemic", Du increased the capacities of the "mobile" and "fixed" networks, increased the speeds of the "mobile", and increased the capacity of the optical fiber network. It also doubled the Internet speeds for all educational institutions to meet the increasing usage requirements and the high speeds required and increase Speed of applications, indicating that "du" will continue to invest in the fifth generation network during the coming period.
Strong build
For his part, the first vice president for corporate communication at Etisalat Group, Dr. Ahmed Bin Ali, said, “The presence of a strong infrastructure in the telecommunications sector has a great impact on the smooth transition of remote work and distance education, without any similar problems that occurred. In many countries of the world, at this shift, which led to the suspension of many services for different periods of time.
Ben Ali revealed that the Etisalat network witnessed during the pandemic a remarkable and unprecedented increase in the use of communication applications and virtual meetings by 300%, and an increase in the use of games on the Internet by nearly 500%, with the continuity of the efficiency of interaction, with this increasing increase without affecting the quality of services. Pointing out that the percentage of the population using the Internet is estimated at 98.5%, which is the fifth in the world.
Smooth transmission
For his part, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, said, “There are several factors that helped the UAE in a smooth and smooth transition towards remote work, distance education, remote government services, and conducting business via the Internet. The UAE is the first in the region in the digital transformation and the first in the world in the speed of the Internet and (fiber home), as well as the strong infrastructure of optical fibers and communication systems.
'Dubai now'
In turn, Assistant General Manager of Smart Dubai, CEO of the Dubai Data Corporation, Yunus Al Nasser, said, “The number of transactions that have been completed through the (Dubai Now) application has reached more than 10 million transactions by the end of the first half of the year. Current, with a value of more than five billion dirhams.
He explained that the application includes more than 120 government services, and more than 30 governmental and private agencies.
Al Nasser indicated that many sectors in Dubai will work remotely, in the post-Corona pandemic.
In the same context, the Director of the Digital Security Department at the Ministry of Interior, Colonel Engineer Dr. Ibrahim Hamid Al-Mayahi, said that since the first day of the pandemic, the ministry was able to deal with challenges and transformed them into opportunities to improve the services it provides. With its network via videoconferencing and telework platform, encrypted and secure.
Cybercrime
Microsoft's regional general manager, Syed Hasheesh, warned of the significant increase in the rate of cybercrime, explaining that 46% of companies worldwide had experienced at least one security incident during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He explained that the pandemic has had a significant impact on remote work policy, as surveys and studies have shown that 80% of employers plan to increase work from home programs, and 74% of financial managers plan to make some changes related to the pandemic permanently, indicating that it is expected That these changes lead to saving approximately 11 thousand dollars annually for each employee.
Telecommunications Services
The Executive Director of the Corporate Strategy Affairs Sector at the Dubai Economy, Mohammed Sha`il Al Saadi, said that the department noticed during the pandemic an increase in reliance on communication services and electronic transactions significantly, as well as a significant increase in reliance on digital channels and the expansion of the use of virtual private sector networks and business solutions.
The UAE ranks fifth in the world in the population's use of the Internet with a rate of 98.5%.