JEDDAH, 27 June 2006 — Competition between the Kingdom’s two mobile service providers continues to increase. Yesterday, Mobily announced the launch of its advanced third generation mobile service (3.5G) two weeks after Saudi Telecom Company announced the launch of its 3G service. The Mobily 3.5G service will allow current Mobily subscribers access to numerous services such as video calling, video streaming, video conferencing, high speed Internet and multiplayer games. The service will be effective today. Mobily subscribers will have the added value of using their current 2G SIM cards on the 3.5G without charge or having to replace them.
Mobily, the official brand of Etihad Etisalat, has just completed its own 3.5G network, which covers 15 cities in the Kingdom and consists of more than 900 base stations. The company, which began its operations with a 2.5G network last year, was the first Saudi company to obtain licensing for the 3G and 3.5G mobile services and has built an excellent infrastructure for both in record time.
Asked why it took Mobily longer to launch the 3.5G service, Humoud Al-Ghobaini, PR and media relations director, said that the company wanted to make sure that the coverage was wide, comprehensive and of good quality. “Also, Mobily is the only company that has the added value service of being able to use the same SIM 2G card for the 3G service. Another reason is that we have a huge network and all our towers in cities and on highways have 2.5G services,” he said. Mobily now has 4 million customers, according to Al-Ghobaini, and though it is targeting a higher number with the introduction of 3.5G, the number is not expected to be too high because it is an expensive and sophisticated service requiring special handsets.
Most of the 3.5G (HSDPA) services require 2G and 3.5G phone handsets except for the video calling which works only on 3G handsets. One of the services the 3.5G will provide is access to the Internet with 3G speed from a laptop using the mobile as a modem. The setting up of the Internet will not be different from the 2G Web setting. The speed exceeds 4 MB per second for downloading.
Subscribers can watch TV channels, including satellite ones, live on the 3.5G. Mobily is very competitive with the cost of video telephony at 80 halalas per minute for postpaid subscribers, whereas a minute will cost one riyal when using the TV streaming. Mobily does not demand monthly fees for the third generation services. It has other added value in that it provides all third generation services for prepaid customers at the same rate except for video telephony at SR1 per minute, with no extra activation or monthly fee.
Future plans for Mobily include the launch of some new services for the first time in Saudi Arabia and will be announced in two weeks. Highway coverage with up to 90 percent of the population having access to the network is expected within two months, according to Al-Ghobaini.
