He said the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has been working over the past period with the two telecom companies Ooredoo
and Vodafone, in co-ordination with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to ensure the availability of a group of integrated set of telecommunications, Internet, and broadcasting services supported by high-tech communication networks.
In this context, the minister visited the service and operation centres of Ooredoo
and Vodafone to follow up on the work of the two centres and to see how services are managed and co-ordinated in the field.
In a statement following his visit to the centres, the minister expressed his satisfaction with the readiness of Ooredoo and Vodafone to provide high-quality telecommunications services during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and their ability to accommodate the increasing demand for telecommunications, Internet and broadcasting services during the World Cup.
He said: “Qatar has strong communication and information technology infrastructure through which we can provide high-quality services, whether to the fans of the tournament or to various local and foreign institutions and entities that will benefit from communications and broadcasting services.”
He added that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Communications Regulatory Authority, and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy have also worked closely with FIFA, to provide an impressive package of services and modern technologies during the World Cup, which will undoubtedly be one of the best tournaments that use the latest advanced technologies contributing to the success of this global event.”
The service operations centre provides Ooredoo with many services that provide the World Cup with modern communication systems through an advanced network with a high capacity.
The centre includes 300 experts to deal with the FIFA requirements to ensure the provision of advanced and high-level service.
It is noteworthy that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be the first World Cup having all its stadiums equipped with the fifth-generation network (5G). Ooredoo
has also modernised its external radio network sites by providing them with the latest 5G technologies aimed at achieving maximum coverage nationwide, including stadiums, airports, railways, fan zones and other facilities related to the tournament.
The company also completed the upgrade of its entire core network by adding the latest and most advanced cloud core network in modern data centres and modernising many of its communication infrastructures.
The service operations centre or operations centre of Ooredoo provides proactive service support and assurance in various areas, including network, software and infrastructure, by monitoring services around the clock.
The centre ensures the level of service and customer experience by implementing a combination of operations, incident management, performance management, change management, problem management, and customer problem handling.
The centre was equipped with the necessary tools to ensure immediate and almost instantaneous service around the clock for Ooredoo mobile, fixed line, and television services, in addition to international services (voice calls and roaming) including international cable connection.
The centre also ensures the highest level of availability for key internal and external channels such as CRM, ERP, application management, financial services, and more.
During the World Cup, it will form a command and control centre for the tournament’s quality assurance team, which will conduct central operations with the support of sub-quality teams, whether in the field, or in remote operating rooms of service providers inside or outside Qatar.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulla al-Thani, CEO of Ooredoo, said: “At Ooredoo, we spare no effort to fulfil our commitment to improve customers life.
With expectations of hosting 1.2mn people over the 29 days of the tournament, it is our shared goal to provide an exceptional digital experience for visitors in Qatar, in addition to the billions of viewers who will follow the tournament on television screens around the world and contribute to making this edition of the World Cup the best in history.”
The rooms of the centre responsible for monitoring technology and network operations at Vodafone Qatar headquarters provide comprehensive monitoring of network performance and customer experience through a range of communication and digital & cyber security services.
Vodafone has put in place multi-domain and tiered monitoring processes to provide proactive monitoring around the clock, with the aim of ensuring the reliability and continuity of services directed to businesses and individuals that are operated through its network. Vodafone control and operations centre support the company’s mission of providing a world-class communications network that serves major events.
CEO of Vodafone Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulla bin Jassim al-Thani, said: “Vodafone Qatar’s state-of-the-art Network Operations Center is part of our strategy to support major events in Qatar and plays a pivotal role in managing day-to-day operations and in the maintenance operations of our communication services suite.”
He added that the opening of the centre last year was a great step forward for the company, as well as for the communications sector in Qatar, as the centre is an essential part of our operational excellence strategy and contributes to strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure towards achieving a comprehensive digital transformation for the country.
We are proud we can support the country’s efforts during such an important period, through innovation and the advanced technologies we are using in our Network Operations Center.”
Network Operation Centers are used to monitor telecommunications network performance, correct equipment failures, and alert operators of performance challenges so that they can be addressed quickly and efficiently.
The Network Operations Center of Vodafone uses emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation, as well as industry best practices and other tools to ensure that the company’s network covers customers around the clock without interruption. (QNA)
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