MADINAH, 13 November 2004 — Communications breakdowns on the mobile phone network in Madinah are occurring once again. An annual feature, the overcrowding of network space and loss of signal is especially bad after Taraweeh prayer. People expect that services will improve and problem be solved but so far that is not the case here.
Many pilgrims and visitors use temporary SAWA cards to communicate while in Madinah and this subjects the already stressed network to additional pressure. Many cell phone users interviewed by Arab News were disappointed at STC because they have not expanded the capacity of their network especially around the holy mosque in Madinah.
Saleh Al-Onaizi, a Kuwaiti visitor said: “The problem is to be expected because there are tens of thousands of visitors and pilgrims in Madinah.
“On Tuesday, I thought that something was wrong with my phone because I could not access a line. Eventually I was told that it was the network problem. I understand the pressure that the local cell phone company goes through at this time of year.” What he could not understand is that since people are complaining about this problem every year, why the company did nothing about it.
Mursi Muhammad, an Egyptian pilgrim found difficulty making phone calls. “After Taraweeh prayer around 9:30 p.m., making a phone call becomes impossible. Sometimes I wait for 30 minutes before I could make a phone call.”
Immediately after the prayer, he said that nearly ten thousand people around the mosque try to make a phone call. “I think it is normal problem considering the time of year and the many people gathering in one place.”
