World leader in the telecom information and logistics sector, Global Capacity, Inc. (GC) announced this morning the launch of a new, global tariff pricing system, GCPrice.

GCPrice will give direct access to GC’s massive database of prices and logistical information, allowing customers to scope and range telecom tariffs for Leased Line and Ethernet services in a real-time, high fidelity data environment. This database represents 75 carriers in 67 different countries, inputting over 5,000 discrete tariffs. With geographic and telecom location data points in excess of 10 million, this database represents the most comprehensive quotation development and point-of-sale information aggregating resource available online, capable of generating detailed reports for GC’s customers.

GC has a great deal of experience crafting integrated supply chain management systems and managing complex distributed data architectures, and offers its customers a one-stop-shop approach to telecom information and logistics. This Chicago, IL- based company has operating centers worldwide to

Interesting piece on the challenges facing Middle East telecoms in light of a recent study that forecasts average revenue per user (ARPU) in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia–regions where future market share lies–to drop by half by 2013.

For Middle East mobile telecom firms such as Zain, Qtel, STC and Etisalat, most of their recent growth has come from emerging markets with high population and relatively low rates of penetration, such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. But these operators are now challenged to boost profitability, as average revenue per user (ARPU) levels in such markets have been dramatically decreasing, because of increasing competition, price reductions, and a second wave of customers who are predominantly lower-income.

Much like uber-competition among German banks turned out to be a bad thing, one wonders if consolidation in the Arab telecom market will ultimately not only be inevitable, but also beneficial.