By; Medhat Karam,

CEO, ArpuPlus

Although less severe when compared to other industries such as tourism and aviation, the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis have also been apparent in the telecoms industry. The ways in which we live, and work have changed but we still need to communicate with family and friends. During the current situation, we are spending more time online using mobile data. However, owing to the economic situation, the end users’ ability to re-charge his credit has gone down, which reflects on all value-added services (VAS) in general. This has led to some changes in the user behavior.

Users are increasingly becoming price-conscious these days and are charging with lower values only to address basic needs such as voice and data. But at the same time, time spent on the internet has increased massively, presenting good opportunities to advertise entertainment VAS services, especially video on demand services.  The demand for streaming and video on demand services are at an all-time high during the lockdown period.

At ArpuPlus, we are focusing our efforts on products that are highly sought after by users and responding to a surge in user subscription all across the MENA region during this difficult time. We have added further value to our video on demand platform ‘Shofha’ with Ramadan content.

After Ramadan, which is more focused on drama and programs, we will be also investing in premium Arabic movies, by acquiring and launching premium content for our users, we remain committed to enhancing user experience for all our subscribers and look forward to enabling them to enjoy latest movies on their mobile screens with very reasonable subscription prices.

In addition, we are currently focusing on our consultancy product Esaal as well. During these difficult times, misinformation spreads easily on social media and users are often confused or misled with wrong information. Therefore, we believe it is our duty to play our part in helping them get the right information from a credible source. To achieve this, we have created a free page on Esaal, which is dedicated to coronavirus-related news and updates. Users can login for free and ask as many questions as they want about the coronavirus disease to receive answers from accredited medical doctors immediately. Currently, we are witnessing a surge in the number of questions regarding the symptoms of coronavirus disease, how to judge if an individual is infected or not, what to do and whom to call, numbers of cases worldwide, best protection techniques, and many more.

Apart from these, we are preparing for the launch of a subscription service that focuses on health along with operators. The service will provide information regarding healthy diet plans, fitness programs and exercises that can be done at home, in addition to general health monitoring tips and advices.

Regardless of the difficulties in economic terms, the situation has brought us closer to our users and citizens. We were able to rise up to the occasion and provide them with not only premium entertainment content during the lockdown period, but also other valuable services that are needed for their safety and well-being. This has been truly fulfilling and we are committed to continuing to support them through ups and downs.