Described by the GSM World Association and Informa Telecoms and Media as the leading mobile broadband operator in the region, Mobily ended 2009 with 1 million broadband subscribers connecting to the Internet using high speed packet access (HSPA), and coverage in 337 cities and towns across the Kingdom, reaching 80 percent of the population.
Among its three new specialized connectivity devices, Mobily has launched two HSPA+ devices — the Router Turbo and the Connect Turbo. A third device, the mini router WiFi, was also launched to cater to a growing segment of users in the Kingdom, weekend groups, friends who gather together over the weekend in villas on the edges of major cities, and those spending the evening on the beach or in the desert.
“We are sensitive about disclosing numbers at this point, but what I can tell you is that demand for mobile broadband has maintained its momentum and popularity,” said Mobily’s CEO Abdulaziz Al-Tamami.
“We have dominated the personal connectivity segment of the market with our Connect brand of USB modems, and have upped user service level expectations from slow narrow-band connectivity like dialup to broadband speeds,” he added.
Al-Tamami said the next move in the consumer segment is to meet the needs of small groups of users and not only deliver on their service level expectations, but also set new levels.
When Mobily launched its high volume mobile broadband bundles in May 2007, service delivery times literally dropped from weeks to minutes, as customers walked in, bought devices and subscriptions, and connected to the Internet immediately, provided of course there was coverage in their area. Coverage grew from 18 hotspots spread around the Kingdom to cover 80 percent of the population in a swift two and a half years.
More important, according to Al-Tamami, was introducing the concept of mobility.
That usage phenomena has driven up the sales of both conventional laptops and netbooks, and smartphones.
By the end of 2009, mobile broadband revenue grew from 9 percent to 14 percent for the year showing that good mobile broadband propositions are worthwhile for operators.
