Saudi Arabia telecommunications sector to be fully liberalised
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia plans to fully liberalise its telecommunications sector by the end of next year, officials said.
The Communications and Information Technology Commission is studying a number of offers from companies interested in investing in Saudi Arabia, said Dr Mohammad Al Suwayel, head of the commission.
The country's third mobile phone operator license will be issued by the middle of 2006, Dr Al Suwayel told reporters.
He spoke on the sidelines of a symposium in Al Khobar in eastern Saudi Arabia organised by the Saudi Electrical Engineering Society.
These moves come as officials here search for ways to increase competition, raise the quality of services on offer, and hopefully spark the creation of thousands of new jobs for unemployed youth.
The commission has adopted a series of steps for the improvement of Internet services in Saudi Arabia.
These steps will be implemented by the end of this year, Dr Al Suwayel said. Work is underway on projects such as the introduction of new technologies and the provision of wider access, he said.
These measures build on earlier steps adopted by the commission, officials said. They include an overall review of prices and the introduction of the Easy Net service, an effort to widen Internet usage in Saudi Arabia, Dr Suwayel said.
Meanwhile, a source at the Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) said the company has been able to collect on debts owed by customers who have consistently failed to pay their bills.
The debts have shrunk from 2 billion riyals (Dh1.95 billion) to 600 million (Dh587 million), the source said.
Add us to Favorites 
Refer a Friend
