Hong Kong-based Comba Telecom Systems Holdings, a leading global wireless solutions provider, has appointed Dr Hazim Al Rawi as its new general manager for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena).

The appointment comes as the company embarks on expanding its business footprint in the Mena region in response to the growing network coverage and capacity needs.

In his new role, Al Rawi will manage and provide strategic direction to Comba’s regional business across all products, solutions and services, said a statement from the company.

In fact, the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is headed for the strongest mobile data traffic growth of anywhere in the world at an estimated compound annual growth rate of 71 per cent in the lead up to 2020, it said.
 
The UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, in particular, have seen a steep increase in mobile data traffic in the last few years, with forecasts for continued heavy growth, it added.

Dr Al Rawi plans to leverage Comba’s classification as a ‘Tier 1’ antennas provider and its expertise in full-turn-key of In-Building Solutions (IBS) and Distributed Antennas Systems (DAS) to help existing and new customers enhance their mobile networks, said a statement.

Commenting on the appointment, Al Rawi said: "The Mena region continues to experience exponential growth in data communications and, in turn, the pressure on mobile network operators to facilitate coverage anywhere-anytime is mounting."

“Meanwhile, the number of subscriptions, too, is seeing unprecedented growth – multiple countries within the region have extremely high smartphone and mobile device penetration rates,” he stated.

“Our company will play its part in meeting this growing demand by leveraging its extensive 2G, 3G and 4G wireless products portfolio. Network operators within the Mena region have shown a particular interest in our new antenna systems to tackle bandwidth bottlenecks,” he added.

Comba was recently ranked ‘Tier 1’ antenna supplier by industry analyst EJL Wireless Research, following a rise in deployments of its new generation of ultra-wideband compact 4G antennas, which provide a rapid fix for weak network coverage in high-traffic areas, it stated.-TradeArabia News Service