There are no landlines and mobile phones in 5,626 residential communities across the country, representing 36 percent of the general population, according to a recent report issued by the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC).

Sources quoted by local media said that the CITC plans to introduce broadband Internet for 483 such communities, which have less than 5,000 residents, making up 18 percent of those needing services.

This includes the governorates of Khulais and Al-Kamil in Makkah, and Al-Mahed in Madinah.

The CITC said it has already provided broadband Internet to 2,322 residential communities in Baha, Asir and Makkah, and would soon install the same services for 232 communities in Riyadh, and 563 in Al-Jouf, Jazan and the Northern Border region.

It would also provide services soon for 663 residential communities in various cities including Al-Shanan, Baqaa and Hail, and the governorates of Al-Khrair, Bader Al-Janoub, Hubona, Khabash, Sharourah, Thar and Yadmah in Najran region.

The CITC has issued tenders to provide broadband Internet in 11 governorates in Qasim, and 11 in Riyadh, covering 1,868 communities. A further 1,318 communities would be covered in four governorates in Makkah region. The project for the other four governorates will be included in the CITC's eighth plan.