ASIACELL
DIGITAL REPORT 2021
Rebuilding with Digital Transformation IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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Asiacell: Infrastructure, Culture and Customercentricity in Iraq’s Telecom market
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Amir Abdelazim, CTIO at Asiacell discusses the company’s digital transformation, and the role it is playing in the digitalisation of the Iraqi economy
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raq is a nation on the mend. Decades of civil unrest, compounded by war with the US coalition in the early 2000s and the
ascendance of the Islamic State in 2014, put the country on the back foot for much of recent history. Now, however, things are changing rapidly. 04
“The powers of darkness that took over this country and put it into survival mode are gone,” says Amir Abdelazim, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Asiacell, Iraq’s largest telecom operator. Abdelazim, who joined the Asiacell team early in 2019, adds that the process of rebuilding Iraq is underway. For Asiacell, he believes that this historic period of time not only represents a significant opportunity for growth, but also a debt of responsibility that Asiacell owes to the people of Iraq. “You can’t rebuild a great nation in 2020 without putting the telecom sector at the heart of your efforts,” he explains. “Asiacell is at the heart of that effort. We’re the number one player in the Iraqi market. There’s a kind of inherent loyalty that its customers and employees have to the brand. Customers believe in what Asiacell
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“Our customers view mobile data as a bread and butter solution these days” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
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“ As the leading provider in the market, your customers are already expecting the impossible from you. You should be ready to deliver the impossible to them” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
is delivering, but they also expect the very best from us.” In order to capitalise on new opportunities, expand its footprint and live up to the expectations of its customers, Asiacell is undergoing an accelerated digital transformation project of a magnitude so far unprecedented in the history of the company and the country as a whole. “Our customers are hungry for digital revolution,” Abdelazim explains. “If you want to maintain your position as number
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one, and make sure that your subscribers are actually happy with you and growing in number, you have to actually give them the very best of the digital services they are hungry for.” We sat down with Abdelazim to discuss how Asiacell is radically overhauling its digital infrastructure, reprogramming its culture, and delivering the best possible range of services to its 14mn customers.
DEFINING THE JOURNEY “As the leading provider in the market, your customers are already expecting the impossible from you. You should be ready to deliver the impossible to them,” says Abdelazim. In order to deliver
AsiaCell Introduction CLICK TO WATCH
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07 on its customer promises, Asiacell
our business,” he adds. “So we started
has established two core pillars of
an ambitious program of restructuring
its transformation. First, Asiacell is
everything we do to become the digi-
working to ensure that its services
tal partner that every Iraqi customer
are as reliable as possible. And second,
looks for.” In order to use its digital
those services must be customer-centric.
transformation to deliver this reliable,
Abdelazim stresses that, “Every step
customer-centric service, Asiacell is
we’ve taken has been on these two legs.”
reimagining three core elements of
Digital transformation is more than just
its business.
a buzzword at Asiacell. For Abdelazim a powerful problem-solving tool. “We
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A DIGITAL REVOLUTION
made it our mission to use our digital
The first step for Abdelazim and his
transformation to deliver a reliable ser-
team was to assess the company’s
vice and to bring the customer inside
infrastructure capabilities in order to
and his team, digital transformation is
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Putting Asiacell in the world’s communication landscape Huawei has been a trusted partner of Asiacell since its inception & has been helping Asiacell reach the pinnacle of success throughout these years. Asiacell, since its inception in 1999 has been pioneering the telecommunication landscape in Iraq. Over the past years Asiacell has been providing quality services to its 14 million plus mobile subscribers across country. The world is changing fast and so is the technology trend and expectations of human society. Communication is ubiquitous and we are at point where Mobile technology is touching every aspect of human life. We witnessed the global adoption of LTE & 5G at a massive scale due to the richness in services they enable.This is the era of massive connectivity & seamless service experience and telco operators worldwide has been doing their best to match the end user experience. Asiacell, being the market leader is committed in bringing latest technology and Innovations that could connect every corner of Iraq and deliver best in class service experience for its mobile & Business customers. To achieve this goal, Asiacell has partnered with Huawei Technologies, the world leader in End to End Telecommunication solutions. Huawei Technologies has been a trusted partner of Asiacell since its inception and has been helping Asiacell reach the pinnacle of success throughout these years. With massive changes happening across Telecommunication industry and new challenges coming in, Asiacell entrusted Huawei technologies for modernizing the network infrastructure . Using industry leading innovative solutions, Huawei technologies modernized the Network infrastructure and it’s Architecture. 750 Kms of fiber infrastructure has been laid across the country to strengthen the capacity & redundancy which would enable smooth transit of end user traffic across the network without bottle necks. Multiple Edge Data centers were built across the country to reduce the latency & enhance the service experience of subscribers.In order to fulfil the current, future demands of Mobile subscribers and Business community, The transport network would be driven by state of the art next generation technology such as SRv6 (Segment Routing over IPv6) which will guarantee deterministic
performance and ultimately ensuring the End user service experience and SLA commitments in terms of bandwidth, latency & availability. Together with these changes the network has been geared up for future trends & challenges in the telecom industry.
One Small Step for Asiacell, But One Giant Step for Iraq Iraq first batch of Uptime Tier III certification data centers “Asiacell gets the first Tier certification in Iraq, We didn’t do the first one, we did the first two!” was announced by Amir Abdelazin, the Chief Technology and Information (CTIO) at Asiacell Communications. In fact, more than that. After the two uptime Tier III certification obtained in September 2020, Asiacell will receive Tier III design certification in the next three data centers, which means that Iraq has a local high-quality Cloud Data Center cluster from scratch. They will provide high-quality data center services to customers throughout Iraq (Remark: Uptime is the world’s most authoritative third-party organization for data center design and construction certification. The TCDD(Tier Certifications of Design Documents of Tier III certification is the most accepted and widely used Uptime certification and is widely recognized by all industries around the world.) The era calls for high-Tier Data Centers in Iraq In the digital era, people enjoy the convenience of big data, but also need to face data security risks. The Government of Iraq has long taken note of the importance of the security of data assets, it has issued a clear document that if data generated in the country, and the data have to be stored and managed in the country.
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“ W e want to be the best choice for every organisation and digital partner in Iraq” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
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identify the changes needed for it to be
the ground up in preparation for the
capable of supporting Asiacell’s goals.
move to 4G and beyond. In order to
As a result, Asiacell has begun a radical
better meet the expectations of a new
redistribution of its core network, from
generation of mobile users, Abdelazim
three sites in major Iraqi cities to 18 loca-
explains that significant changes are
tions across the country.
needed. “Our customers view mobile
“When you’re approaching digital
data as a bread and butter solution
transformation, you can’t ignore your
these days,” he says. “The expectations
connectivity,” Abdelazim continues.
of millennials regarding how long a
With this in mind, Asiacell has reevalu-
website takes to load, for example, have
ated its connectivity capabilities from
required a lot of transformation from us
E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :
Amir Abdelazim Title: CTIO Company: Asiacell Industry: Telecommunications
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Location: Iraq
Amir Abdelazim is an experienced senior telecom executive currently serving as the CTIO of Asiacell Communications in Iraq. His extensive career has seen him work in 27 markets across the Middle East and Africa as a technology leader and strategy implementer, specialising in delivering digital and cultural transformation in developing markets. His previous roles have included CTIO of AirtelTigo Ghana, CTIO of Millicom Ghana, CTIO of Millicom Rwanda, Strategic Quality Director – Africa at Millicom (based in UK Corporate Office) and positions with Nokia Siemens Networks, Etisalat, Alcatel and Orange. Abdelazim has an MBA in International Business from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, and a degree in Communications & Electronics from Alexandria University.
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“ It’s very important to make sure that our data centres are built to the highest standard of technology” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
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AsiaCell Digital Transformation CLICK TO WATCH
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to be able to deliver the kind of speeds and availability they expect.” Over the course of 2019 and 2020, Asiacell has made blanket 3G available across its entire network, as well as laying the groundwork for total 4G penetration. In order to deliver a faster, more stable network experience for its customers, Asiacell is also undergoing an expansion of its fibre infrastructure. “We’re taking fibre very seriously. We started an ambitious program with a first phase rollout of more than 2,000km of fibre inside Iraq’s metro areas,” Abdalazim explains, adding that by 2023, Asiacell plans to introduce more than 10,000km of new fibre into its network. “In any other market, this would have been a five to 10-year journey to accomplish. With the amazing team and amazing partnerships we have here in Iraq, we are more than halfway through the project already,” he notes. “We’ve had network expenditure of more than $500mn in the last year alone. We’ve deployed the latest technologies across our operations like artificial intelligence and the automation of functions like monitoring and optimisation of the network.” www.a si a c ell. com
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“By the end of 2021, we will have at least one data centre in each of the Iraqi governorates and five of them will be Tier III certified” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
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AsiaCell Partnership CLICK TO WATCH
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international certifications and global acknowledgement of your infrastructure,” Abdelazim explains. Asiacell’s data centre portfolio is expanding massively across the entirety of Iraq. In the past two years, the company has added 12 new data centres to its portfolio. Two of these facilities have already received Tier III certification from the Uptime Institute, with three more soon to follow. “It’s very important to make sure that our data centres are built to the highest standard of technology,” insists Abdemazim. “By the end of 2021, we will have at least one data centre in each of the Iraqi governorates and five
BECOMING A FIRST-CHOICE DIGITAL PARTNER
of them will be Tier III certified.”
“We want to be the best choice for every organisation and digital partner
HAND-IN-HAND WITH CULTURE AND PROCESS TRANSFORMATION
in Iraq,” says Abdelazim. He notes that
Introducing new technology and revi-
this aim requires Asiacell to capture
talising infrastructure can only be a
two different segments of the market.
successful part of a digital transforma-
On the one hand, there are end users
tion if the human element is also taken
and on the other are corporate and
into account. “Change management is
SME clients.
probably the most important angle of
“Those enterprise customers demand
this transformation. Now that we are
reliability and trust, and one of the
delivering a lot of new technologies
best ways to earn that trust is through
and investments into our network, we www.a si a c ell. com
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“Change management is probably the most important angle of this transformation” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
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need to get our people ready for it,”
with the new infrastructure and modes
says Abdelazim, saying that cultural
of service delivery.”
change management must go hand in
He notes, however, that this isn’t a
hand with technological transforma-
simple case of throwing out the old
tion. Asiacell has, he explains, started
and adopting a new blanket system
a complete restructuring of its internal
across the whole organisation. “It’s
processes and operating model.
about applying the right style to the
“We’re using different restructuring
right team. We deploy agile methodol-
programs, different skill injections,
ogy to the teams that need agility.
different retraining programs and dif-
We deploy stricter, more process-
ferent partnerships in order to ensure
oriented transformation within the
that our team is working harmoniously
teams that need that approach.” With
a diverse new range of strategies
THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR EVERY PROBLEM
tailored to the different needs and
In the modern business landscape,
functions of the business, Abdelazim
no enterprise can succeed without
believes that Asiacell is in the process of
strong partnerships. “Partnerships are
deeply embedding fact-based decision-
the way you do business nowadays.
making tendencies and an operational
You cannot do things alone,” says
excellence mindset into its teams.
Abdelazim. He adds that it’s important
Abdelazim adds that the transition,
to remember, however, that there is
from a company working hard to stay
no such thing as a good or bad partner,
operational during the hellish three year
just the right partner at the right time
reign of the Islamic State over the region,
to solve the right problem. “The way we
to one working to usher in a new era
slice up our business into the service
for Iraq’s digital economy, undoubtedly
delivery, infrastructure and opera-
requires an attitude adjustment.
tional segments, we make sure that
“You have to bear in mind that Iraq is coming out of some tough times, when the mindset of the organisation was more focused on just surviving,” he says. “The kinds of obstacles and issues that our team was facing on a day-to-day basis were unique. We’re talking about the disturbance of war and, in the middle of a conflict, still delivering a service. That survival mindset is fit for the purpose of that time. Now, if we want to be a part of the rebuilding and transformation of the whole country - not just the telecom industry - we’re going to have to change from our side.” www.a si a c ell. com
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we choose the right partner for us in each domain,” he explains. “When you’re looking for a partner for your core business, you want a reliable partner. But when you’re looking to do things based around agile, fast-moving digital entertainment services, you need an agile, fast-moving partner. We’re very careful in our choices of partners and suppliers to make sure that the mix is right and that our chosen partners harmonise with our team.” 18
NEW SERVICES The third step in Asiacell’s digital transformation is the introduction of new offerings to its customers. “We’re reimagining the services we provide to also become an entertainment partner to our customers - we’re going to be the go-to one-stop-shop for our customers when they want any digital service,” says Abdelazim. He notes that, when you account for the disruptive impact of COVID-19, Asiacell’s two decision pillars of reliability and customercentricity have proven themselves to be sound footing. “With the sharp increase in e-learning, e-health, e-government - all of which
“If we want to be a part of the rebuilding and transformation of the whole country - not just the telecom industry - we’re going to have to change” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
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Asiacell, in partnership with Huawei: Working on strategic technology projects CLICK TO WATCH
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1:00
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have to be reliable - we were lucky that reliability was one of our core goals from the beginning,” he adds.
THE TRANSFORMATIVE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 Despite the painful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people across Iraq, Abdelazim reflects that that crisis actually accelerated Asiacell’s digital transformation. By taking both short and long-term measures, Asiacell has
“ I think we have a lot to learn about the shape of a post-COVID-19 world. Customer behaviours will change, demand will change, and we will need to be more agile than usual to adap” — Amir Abdelazim, CTIO, Asiacell
weathered the pandemic’s first year, 20
and is preparing for a world that will never return to the way things were before March 2020. “From my point of view, COVID-19 is here to stay - not as a virus, hopefully,
infrastructure rollout will lead to mass
but in terms of its impact on peoples’
4G adoption; the transformation of its
lives,” he explains. “I think we have a
culture and processes will grant it the
lot to learn about the shape of a post-
agility and commitment to fully utilise
COVID-19 world. Customer behaviours
its new digital capabilities; and its new
will change, demand will change, and
channels and services will help capture
we will need to be more agile than
new customers and ensure that its
usual to adapt.”
existing ones remain satisfied. “The next phase of our digital trans-
INTO THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
formation is about microservices for
The road ahead for Asiacell is being
our customers. It’s about making sure
paved by the digital transformation
that we’re closer to our customers
underway today. The company’s
with our distributed network core.
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It’s about making sure that our metro
development that we are doing here,
infrastructure keeps growing. And it’s
by then the market will be ready for
about making sure that it is reliable,”
those innovations. We are persistent.
says Abdelazim.
And we will always remain in the lead.”
“2021 is about 4G. It’s about metro. And it’s about digital transformation. 2022 will be more about conquering the enterprise business in the country and becoming the no-brainer choice for our customers in that space. Beyond 2022, we’re looking at 5G, automation, smart cities, the introduction of IoT into the market. Given the accelerated www.a si a c ell. com
ASIACELL SALIM STREET SULAYMANIA IRAQ 46001 T +964 7701115120 www.asiacell.com
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