Qatar CRA Updates Camel-Racing Kit Licensing

   The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of Qatar has issued an updated version of the Class License for camel-racing equipment, streamlining the approval process for its installation, operation and use ahead of the racing season in Qatar. Under this Class License, there are no license or spectrum fees. The Class License allows anyone to possess, install and operate camel-racing equipment without having to apply for a license, provided they comply with the terms and conditions of the Class License, operate the device within the authorized frequency bands and ensure that the equipment is type-approved by the CRA. Type approval is restricted to handheld devices with low power transmission used by the camel owners and to earpieces installed on the camels enabling one-way communication to control the speed movement of the animal during various stages of the race.

We have commented from time to time on the huge proliferation of M2M communications around the world and on the wide range of functionalities and industries in which it is being applied. It is not widely known, we believe, outside the Gulf States, that human jockeys have largely been removed from camel-racing for humanitarian reasons (most of them were children) and have been replaced by robotic jockeys and other mechanical solutions, which are all remotely controlled by M2M. The Qatari regulator’s decision to streamline and open up the approval process for camel-racing mobile technology will help strengthen this arrangement and make sure that the human-rights abuses of the old system do not return. Whether mobile operators can get a piece of this racing action is, at this point, not clear, but perhaps the remote control process could go through mobile phones rather than through dedicated handhelds. 

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Ooredoo Launches Cash-Back Promotion for Money Transfers to Philippines

Qatari operator Ooredoo has announced that its mobile money service will give QAR 100.00 (US $24.25) cash back on international transfers to the Philippines for three consecutive months. The offer will run from 5 February to 5 July, and customers must start sending transactions by 5 May to be eligible, with the minimum per-transaction amount set at QAR 100.00 for the promotion. Once registered, customers can take advantage of the free QAR 100.00 cash back by sending money to the Philippines for collection at any local MoneyGram agents or by making a direct bank account transfer to any one of over 20 participating banks. When the three monthly international transfers have been completed, the QAR 100.00 will be instantly credited to the customer’s mobile wallet. Mobile Money is available for use on any mobile phone model and can be used to top-up Hala accounts with a 10 percent extra recharge, pay Ooredoo bills, send money locally to another mobile or Qatar National Bank (QNB) account, or transfer money overseas. Users can deposit money into their mobile wallet using any of over 200 Ooredoo Self-Service Machines available throughout Qatar. Deposits can also be made through Ooredoo Shops or direct transfer from any QNB Bank account through QNB Mobile Payment service. The Ooredoo Money app is also available now for Android and iOS.

Remittance is one of the most prevalent uses of mobile money, because many users work abroad and need to send money to family members in their home countries. Given the fact that many Filipinos work in Qatar, it makes sense for Ooredoo to target this demographic with a promotion aimed at adding Filipino subscribers to their services. The amount of money involved in the cash-back offer is substantial enough to be meaningful to the Filipino expatriates, and once in the account it will be used in transactions that take place via the mobile money service, so the promotion will stimulate Ooredoo’s mobile money business in two ways. We feel this is a win-win offer. 

The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. To access all of the latest articles and issues or to speak with the research team: http://www.tarifica.com/contactus.aspx