Success is attainable when preparation meets an opportunity. With extreme diligence and presence of mind, cognizant business leaders are ever ready for changes, believing in their ability to deliver more streamlined solutions than expected. Resembling a similar approach is Nabil Ben Soussia, who believes in putting in more effort and providing exceptional results.
As the Group CCO, President Asia, Middle East, and CIS regions at IEC Telecom Group, Nabil enjoys meeting and exceeding the evolving challenges of bringing state-of-the-art satellite communications technology to IEC Telecom’s customers no matter where they choose to do business. IEC Telecom offers industry-leading satellite communication (Satcom) solutions to governments, public institutions, business enterprises, and individuals worldwide.
Bringing Recognition with Strategic Vision
With extensive experience in the satellite communications sector in the MENA region and advanced degrees in satellite communications, Nabil began his journey at IEC Telecom as Director of Technologies and Operations in 2008.
Early in his tenure, Nabil was instrumental in expanding the group by opening an office in Abu Dhabi in 2011 and an office in Kazakhstan in 2014. In the same year, he became the Managing Director of the Middle East division. His strategic vision for the maritime segment, along with the enduring support of his team, brought IEC Telecom international recognition in the form of industry awards such as Thuraya Best Performing SP Maritime (2014, 2018), YahClick Service Partner of the Year (2014), and YahClick Innovation Excellence Award (2018).
Nabil grew into the role of Group Vice President in 2018. Nabil was appointed as the CEO for Asia, the Middle East, and the CIS regions in May 2020.
Enabling Digitalization for Maritime Industry
IEC Telecom is one of the leading international satellite service operators. Renowned for supplying high-quality satellite-based solutions to customers for more than 25 years, it delivers efficient end-to-end voice and data services when and where it matters most.
IEC Telecom is committed to enabling digitalization for the maritime industry and remote units on land, where GSM coverage is not available. For urban networks, IEC Telecom provides a powerful satellite backup to ensure the business continuity of customer enterprises.
Delivering Excellence
Nabil states that IEC Telecom develops its Satcom solutions, keeping customers’ requirements in front and center – as quickly as they evolve. This bespoke development experience is a cornerstone of its approach no matter where it delivers its services.
Nabil notes, “We’re committed to keeping our customers connected – in the way that they want to be connected and at the cost that works best for their operations. We’re able to do this with our strong global network that supports our strategic vision and complements our efforts to bring a truly unique and unparalleled communications experience to our customers.”
Nabil continues, “We work closely with each customer to deliver Satcom solutions that address their specific needs. Our value-proposition even stretches into making current solutions future-ready so that their investment into Satcom is cost-effective and lasting. This integrated approach of in-house design and engineering expertise has translated into solid relationships with our customers and made IEC Telecom their go-to for value-added Satcom services.”
Developing State-of-the-art Communication Solutions
Nabil mentions that the future of technological advancement is about user experience. As digitalization spreads across all economic sectors, “being online” is expected by default. Business continuity comes first. Customers are no longer interested in services delivered exclusively over the high broadband channel. The operational cycle should be flawless, whether on GSM, VSAT, or L-band.
Nabil shares, “Over the past five years, IEC Telecom has invested in developing specialized applications optimized for the low-bandwidth environment. In addition to enhanced compression, most applications are pre-set to resume data transfer from the moment of interruption in case of any signal loss, thereby saving data, time, and money.”
Videoconferencing is leading the demand. It is not only a facilitator of business communication and crew welfare; it is the driving force behind a whole new range of smart services, including telemedicine, e-learning, and remote maintenance. The need for the latter grew exponentially, particularly in response to the pandemic. Restriction on group gatherings and traveling kept remote specialists on a one-on-one basis with technical challenges. With the help of solutions, such as OneAssist, they can bring an expert to the field over a digital channel.
Moreover, with a hands-free approach, being that OneAssist is accessible over an HD display on a rugged head-mounted device, field workers can conduct multi-party video and audio calls for easy collaboration and resolve 80% of technical issues concerns over remote access. Such state-of-the-art communication solutions are developed with IoT data visualization and unmatched noise cancellation to ensure operational efficiency and remote worker safety.
Being Relevant by Having Future-oriented Solutions
Nabil believes that the key to success is a future-oriented philosophy since one can no longer afford to develop solutions solely based on current market demands. Any development IEC Telecom undertakes today targets its customers’ requirements in 5-10 years.
Nabil states that below two trends will mark the near future:
- Space X, OneWeb, Inmarsat, SES, and Thuraya have committed to expanding their services in the coming years. An increasing number of Satcom players in the market will eventually lead to an oversupply of satellite services. As such, airtime will no longer be a rare resource but an essential element of a much wider communication infrastructure.
- Metaverse is no longer a futuristic concept but the near future. The expectation for connectivity, particularly among Gen Z and those to follow, will increase exponentially to be equally available anytime and anywhere.
To remain relevant in this future landscape, IEC Telecom is slowly shifting its offer from the material world (hardware) to virtual space (an innovative range of applications and digitally driven services). Moving incrementally in this direction, IEC Telecom is pursuing a goal to one day create an IEC Telecom-powered AI platform capable of processing and transferring data and generating operational suggestions for a human decision-maker.
Being Competitive by Embracing Changes
Nabil informs budding entrepreneurs, “The future starts now. Embrace change today to be competitive tomorrow. It is not an easy choice. Change-makers usually face much opposition and often must resort to unpopular decisions. Yet, the outcome is worth the fight.”
