First Fiber Optics Network Operator Using Electricity Utilities' Infrastructure in Palestine

Master's Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject Engineering - Communication Technology, grade: 90, Birzeit University (Faculty of Commerce & Economics), language: English, abstract: This study introduces a 'Full Separation' as a new telecommunication business model in Palestine with a new telecommunication company in the active network layer of the business model. It motivates and engages the electricity utilities in the new model through the use of their infrastructure, which in turn would help in reducing the highly required investment; it introduces new technologies and services; it supports and induces the government to open doors for competition through alternative infrastructures; and it highlights the importance of the existence of a strong legal and regulatory party. The evolution in the telecom industry with the highly increasing demand for higher capacity networks with the upcoming new applications; significant revolutions lead the global telecommunication industry to radical changes to the market structure, and to intensive challenges with the old business models and the existing regulations of the industry. In Palestine, with the global trends toward the liberalization and opening up the competition in the telecommunication market that have been raised in the last decades, unfortunately, the fixed broadband market is still monopolistic with high entry and exit barriers; there are still lack of policies and regulations; the absence of a regulatory party; in addition to the critical situation of Palestine which increase the fears and risk for investors to enter the market. Qualitative and quantitative methods, in addition to strategic management tools with a chosen business model concept based on the global fixed broadband business models are used to come up with reliable results and a valid model.