Hummus, Falafel, and Cellular
Market penetration of cellular technology in the Middle East was impeded by a variety of barriers typical to the region: a conservative outlook, centralized authority structures, political limitations imposed on the freedom of expression, a weak technological infrastructure, and more. For years, most of the region’s countries were at the bottom of the global list in terms of market penetration of data systems, communication systems, and technology into their midst.
Cellular communications in the Middle East presents a significant political challenge for centralized regimes used to controlling the media, and where freedom of information and expression are scarce. These regimes have attempted to assert their control over this “new media” – internet, and cellular technology – just as they have asserted control over the “old media” in years past. Cell phones offer immediate access to people who did not previously have access to such media, providing the population in such countries with a means of expression, as well as a means of freely exchanging information and messages. Youth and teenagers can now connect, and even get to know potential mates and develop relationships with them; political dissidents can now coordinate rallies, and report on clashes with security forces; Human Rights activists can now document witness accounts, as well as report on arrests and torture of activists; Finally, even terror groups can now make wide use of cell phones and the variety of applications they offer.
Market penetration of cellular technology in the Middle East was impeded by a variety of barriers typical to the region: a conservative outlook, centralized authority structures, political limitations imposed on the freedom of expression, a weak technological infrastructure, and more. For years, most of the region’s countries were at the bottom of the global list in terms of market penetration of data systems, communication systems, and technology into their midst.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Persian Gulf states showed the highest market rate of penetration and expansion in this area (as in most technology-related areas). Slowly, however, many other countries in the region joined the cellular revolution. Indeed, over the past few years, the Middle East has experienced significant growth in this area as well as significant economic growth – mostly due to changes in the policies of local governments.
The turning point came in 2005, which saw 20.6 million new subscribers join the cell phone communication system. By the end of the year, the number of subscribers was approximately 63 million. This year also saw a triple digit market penetration rate increase in cellular communications in Iraq and Algeria. In Syria, Egypt (where the largest number of subscribers could be found, as well as an market share increase rate of 84% to a total market penetration rate of 19%), Jordan (where the market penetration rate grew from 28% at the end of 2004 to 53% at the end of 2005), Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Yemen the average market penetration rate for the year was more than 50%.
By the middle of the last decade, Jordan and Bahrain were considered the most liberal in the communication market, as opposed to countries like Lebanon, Libya, and Iran where artificial market barriers or high tariffs could be found.
By the end of 2006, the Middle East crossed the threshold of 130 million cellular subscriptions to become the second fastest growing market in the world, boasting a 30% growth rate (only Africa had a higher growth rate at 45%). At the time, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia accounted for 79% of this activity, with average cellular communications market growth rates of 67% – compared to the regional average of 50%.
Iran is the fastest growing market, followed by Turkey (which is one of the most active countries in this market) and Saudi Arabia (which makes up 15% of the region’s market share).
Furthermore, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria showed the highest growth rate in the Middle East. The fact that the market penetration rate in these countries was significantly lower than the regional average shows that these countries have yet to maximize their cellular technology market penetration potential.
A 2008 study that examined the kinds of tasks cell phones were used for in the Middle East discovered that cell phones were mainly being used for internet access, video chat, and watching TV using third generation technology.
Costs
Income from landline telephone networks in the Middle East is steadily declining – just as it is in the rest of the world. A 2009 study that surveyed 46 cellular companies in 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa discovered that Morocco and Lebanon had the most expensive cell phone subscription rates, whereas Egypt and Yemen had the cheapest ones. An October 2006 study came to similar conclusions. Out of more than 19 countries including Mauritania, it identified Lebanon as the most expensive country in which to operate a cell phone, whereas Yemen and the United Arab Emirates offered the cheapest prices[1].
Due to stiff competition between the region’s cellular network providers, most have now adopted a charging method that charges the user by seconds or partial minutes. Only a few providers continue to charge by the entire minute.
Cellular Applications
Developments in cellular technology have expanded the possibilities of cell phone usage beyond mere facilitation of communications between people. Many cell phones today support a variety of applications useful in the Islamic world. These include a large variety of religious applications, including a selection of downloadable Islamic texts, calendars marking prayer time and religious holidays, a compass that always points towards Mecca, charity calculators, and more.
Morality, Law, and Cell Phone Usage
Cellular technology, like the internet, poses a significant challenge not only to the political authorities in the area, but to religious authorities too. Cellular technology provides a ready made tool for lowering barriers between the sexes and for facilitating communications between young people, which is seen as a potential threat to the moral, religious, and social values espoused in these countries.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Saudi Arabia forbade the import of cell phones equipped with a camera, and outlawed possession of such cell phones within its borders. This law was enacted predominantly because of concerns that men would take women’s photographs without their permission, and post those photographs on the internet. In fact, at the time this law was passed, several men were arrested on charges that they raped a local girl, filmed the event on their cell phones, and then widely disseminated the video clip.
Over the years, several fatwas (legal rulings issued by Islamic clerics) were published, forbidding the use of cell phones for a variety of religious reasons, as well as other religious rulings bearing on specific internet and website usage.
Cell Phones in the Possession of Political Dissidents
The violent events that followed the Iranian presidential elections in June of 2009 proved not only the potential power of the internet in the centralized regimes that can be found throughout the Middle East, but also the potential power of cell phones in the region. These were used as a means of communications between various groups of protesters, as well as a documentation tool of the brutal collisions between protesters and the Revolutionary Guards, as well as a powerful tool of instantaneous information dissemination – in both text and video forms – throughout the world.
The most striking example of the above is the video clip documenting the death of Neda Soltan after she was hit by Revolutionary Guard gunfire. The video clip was uploaded onto the internet and went viral almost instantaneously. In this way, Neda’s death became a symbol of the Reformists’ struggle in Iran.
Cell phones have been used around the globe to provide real-time reporting by bloggers and human rights activists who have been arrested. In several cases, those being arrested used their cell phones to report about their arrest via their twitter accounts, thus creating public awareness of their situation. These reports also served as an “insurance policy” for those arrested – publicizing their situation and often creating public pressure that accelerated their release.
Terrorism and Cellular Technology
Terrorist groups are often quick to adopt new technologies to their needs. Terror networks use cellular technology in a variety of ways including communication, encoding, and internet access.
Existing cellular applications permit terror groups to use cell phones for much more than communications. These applications are useful for a variety of activities in the life cycle of a terrorist act. Using these devices, terror groups these days collect information on potential targets, document this information, and transmit the information to other elements in the group in real time. Terror groups also make use of cell phones as well as video technology to document, and post to the internet, terror acts carried out by their faction – both as an exercise in public relations and as a propaganda tool. GPS and map services make it easy for terrorists to locate and navigate to targets, to detonate bombs, and even to use the cellular devices to read religious texts.
In Conclusion
Cellular technology has provided many people with a difficult to control means of communication throughout the Middle East, thus proving a challenge to religious and political authorities in the region. Furthermore, the usage surge, power, and importance of the internet in the Middle East owes much to the wide distribution of cellular technology in the area, as well as the capacity of cell phones to deliver instant access to the internet and real-time reporting capability.
It is by no means a certainty that further market penetration of cellular technology will lead directly to a democratization of the Middle East. However, there is no doubt that cellular technology feeds the democratization process in the region, documents these processes and will continue to do so, leads to increasingly vociferous demands for freedom, and may well serve as a witness to future revolutions.
[1] List of all cellular operators in the Middle East and North Africa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators_of_the_Middle_East_and_Africa
