In this exclusive one-on-one interview with Gulf Times, chief operations officer Diego Camberos discusses Vodafone Qatar’s shift from a telco to ‘techco’, as well as the three pillars upon which the campaign is founded.
Camberos also discusses a first in Qatar – Vodafone’s breakthrough in the millimetre wave (mmWave) 5G trial and what this means to the millions of fans arriving in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
What is Vodafone Qatar’s ‘Together We Can’ campaign?
Camberos: “‘Together We Can’ is a summary of what we’ve been focused on over the last three years. A lot has changed over the years, with the pandemic adding complexity to that change so the world adapted. And that’s exactly what we have done: we have adapted.
“We have combined technology and the human spirit; this is a winning combination in order to turn challenges into opportunities. This is Vodafone’s guiding principle. ‘Together We Can’ represents a big change for us – moving from being just a telecommunications company to using technology for a purpose.”
Please elaborate further on the campaign’s three pillars: innovations, sports, and sustainability
“We launched ‘Together We Can’ on November 1, 2021, where we highlight how technology turns challenges into achievement across sports, innovation, and technology. In sports, we are committed to promoting a healthier society, as well as enhancing the sports industry by offering innovative solutions to help organisers and participants better connect and have exceptional experiences. We’ve been keen to be more involved in various sports, especially those with a strong following here in Qatar. For instance, we’ve been sponsoring a host of padel tournaments in Qatar, which are popular, promoting a healthy lifestyle in our communities. We’re also involved with many other sports such as golf, volleyball, and horse riding, where we look to continue our support of the health and well-being of Qatar’s population moving into 2022.
“In terms of innovation, we continuously look for opportunities for technology to fuel better outcomes. For example, we just trialled our new millimetre wave (mmWave) technology – this is the evolution of 5G. That’s a great example of how we’re innovating and how we’re evolving; using our investment in 5G to boost network capacity and speeds with the aim of providing new functionality for businesses and consumers. Other examples of our recent innovation include our range of solutions and support services for Qatar’s SMEs, through our state-of-the-art Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that revolutionise the way they do business.
“On sustainability, we believe in the importance of preserving the planet for future generations. Our green initiatives and partnerships provide the technologies to enable the development of innovative solutions that will reshape the future. We have a range of IoT products, such as Fleet Management and Asset Tracking, as well as those for the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, among others. We worked with Kahramaa for a big project in which we are using our narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) network to digitise their information systems. We have also powered a range of green solutions, including the Msheireb Smart City project via our high-speed 5G coverage. Our goal is to be at the forefront of providing sustainable innovative solutions to industries around the country.”
Please explain Vodafone Qatar’s transitional journey from a telco to ‘techco.’
“We call it ‘techco’ - this essentially encompasses all digital technologies. For instance, before it was all about minutes and voice calls. But now it is about data - we are tapping into the new normal and data has become so important to people.
“The amount of data that people are using now is five times more than it was five years ago, so we have to adapt to this and find new ways to serve the customer’s needs. We don’t think like a telecommunications company anymore but rather, we think like a digital company.
“For us, we’re testing new technologies all the time and combining them with the human spirit, all to fuel a world that adapts and achieves. We’re also very focused on simplification; the simpler the better so that in three clicks you can get a simple solution to a problem, for example.”
Will this journey lead to adding more to Vodafone Qatar’s portfolio of solutions and services?
“Yes. That never stops. We are a very customer-centric organisation, so new products and services will always come, especially in digital. Our app is evolving every day and we want everything to be simple and related to our app. We want to digitalise as much as we can to bring more value to our customers, so we are adding more products and services based on our customers’ needs, such as more mobile plans, IoT, fibre rollout, and 5G services.”
What is the current status of Vodafone Qatar’s 5G rollout in Qatar, and what is the value of the company’s investments to extend its 5G footprint in the country?
“In the last three years, we have poured more than QR1.5bn worth of investment into Vodafone Qatar’s advanced network. During that time, the number of Vodafone outdoor and indoor mobile sites in Qatar has increased by over 35%. For competitive reasons, we don't disclose details of our 5G itself exactly. However, it is evident that our network is growing every day. In our last campaign, we clearly saw see a huge difference in our network compared to two years ago.
“And in the last three years, our network grew by around 47% due to our investments not only in 5G but also in our fibre rollout, which gives our customers access to fixed lines across the country.
“This year, Vodafone Qatar has continued to lead the development of 5G - the next generation of mobile connectivity which brings faster speeds, increased network capacity and lower latency levels. 70% of Qatar’s population can now access Vodafone’s 5G network. As well as mobile technology, Vodafone Qatar’s GigaHome 5G has allowed customers to be among the first in the world to connect their homes with 5G.”
Following the progress in your 5G rollout, what benefits would this offer to your customers and to FIFA World Cup fans?
“Today, we are providing world-class services on 5G and across our network. If you look into the CRA reports and how we rank on Internet penetration, connectivity, and speed, we're up there. That shows that as a network, Vodafone is world-class.
“Vodafone’s GigaNet network is now bigger, faster and stronger than ever before, and it will facilitate a fantastic experience for football fans in Qatar that are enjoying the game either at home or in stadiums. We haven't stopped our rollout yet, so between now and the World Cup next year, we will continue to keep improving our network.
“We have recently launched and enhanced our new Network Operations Centre (NOC) in Lusail. The centre is a key part of our operational excellence strategy and contributions to the Qatar National Vision 2030 by enhancing the country’s digital infrastructure to drive digital transformation. Vodafone’s NOC also uses emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, as well as other best industry practices and tools to ensure that the Vodafone GigaNet network is available to customers at all times”
Only recently, Vodafone has completed Qatar’s first successful trial on the millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum. How will Vodafone Qatar’s business and consumer segments benefit from mmWave technology?
“Vodafone is proud to be the first to showcase the millimetre wave experience in Qatar. It’s the evolution of 5G and this demonstrates what this technology can enable. With mmWave technology, you can provide high bandwidth in very crowded places. This makes it easy when using 360? cameras in situations where you have a massive audience, such as the World Cup.
“Vodafone Qatar has been trialling the use of mmWave technology to boost network capacity and speeds, with the aim of unlocking new functionality for both consumers and businesses. Users will benefit from faster upload and download speeds, and the technology will also open the door for new experiences.
“For businesses, 5G mmWave will transform performance and user experience beyond what is currently possible with existing network capabilities, including across mobile broadband, fixed wireless and industrial applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR).”
What is your projected growth for total mobile customers in Qatar by the 2022 FIFA World Cup and beyond?
“We cannot disclose projections, however, our ambition is to continue growing alongside our customers. As we expect the arrival of fans for the World Cup, our strategy is to continue growth across all of our segments. We want every person in Qatar to be able to enjoy the world-class services that we offer.”
What is your strategy or plans in the pipeline to maintain continued expansion in the company’s mobile telecom services, as well as postpaid revenue and fixed broadband services?
“We will continue delivering our strategy and have many developments in the pipeline across– a wide variety of services, such as prepaid and postpaid, fixed services to TV, IoT and now millimetre wave, and our continued 5G rollout. Of course, we are also focused on the corporate segment.
“As a matter of fact, we are proud now to say that we have been awarded by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) for the broadcast of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. That’s a big responsibility for us, especially in showcasing how world-class our services and infrastructure are.”
What are the steps Vodafone Qatar is taking to continue reporting robust financials to its shareholders?
“We are very focused on profitable growth. This is incredibly important to us and we have continued to deliver that over the past few years, to the market and to our shareholders. We have many plans in the pipeline but the essence of our strategy will be the same, which is to deliver robust results.”
