From Wikipedia
Telephones
Telephones - main lines in use: 4,633,158 (2011 - source:
ITU)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 53,705,808 (2011 - source:
ITU)
note: In 2004, the Saudi Telecom
Company (STC) monopolization was broken by authorizing Etihad Etisalat/Mobily
to compete in mobile communication, in June 2009 GO Telecom (Etihad Atheeb
Telecom) or "جو" also entered the market.
Digital Radio Trunking- 100,000 (Unofficial):
In late 2005, bravO! Telecom was
launched as the country's digital radio trunking operator under a B.O.T
agreement with the incumbent operator STC, with an estimated 100,000
subscribers as of Nov'07.
Telephone system:
domestic: extensive microwave radio
relay and coaxial and fiber-optic cable systems
international: International undersea cables: EIG, I-ME-WE, FEA, MENA,
SEA-ME-WE 3, SEA-ME-WE 4, FALCON, SAS-1, SAS-2, Gulf Bridge International, TATA
TGN-Gulf
Microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar,
UAE, Yemen, and Sudan;
Coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan;
Satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and
2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Radio
Radio broadcast stations: AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 6.25 million (1997)
Television
Television broadcast stations: 117 (1997)
Televisions: 5.1 million (1997)
ISPs
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2005)
Internet Users: 4,800,000 (December 2006)
Country code (Top level domain): .sa
Saudi Post
Broadband Internet access
An ADSL service
in Saudi Arabia has become available since 2001. As part of its monopoly on all
methods of communication in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Telecom Company is the only
complete provider, though several ISPs are available, with the permission of
STC.
STC is the only
provider for telephone lines in Saudi Arabia. For this reason customers have to
pay two fees, one to STC for activation of the ADSL service across the
telephone line, and a second to an ISP to provide Internet service across the
ADSL line. STC has been highly criticized for their service in providing ADSL
access as customers had to wait many months to receive ADSL service on their
phone lines. In 2006, STC had invested in increasing the size of their ADSL
infrastructure and since then the wait times had improved, but many customers
are still on waiting lists.
As of 2011, the maximum Internet speed available is
currently 200 Mbit/s.
Speed
|
Rate
|
128 kbit/s
|
99 S.A.R (26.39$)
|
256 kbit/s
|
149 S.A.R (39.73$)
|
512 kbit/s
|
199 S.A.R (53.06$)
|
1 Mbit/s
|
211 S.A.R (56.26$)
|
2 Mbit/s
|
222 S.A.R (59.19$)
|
4 Mbit/s
|
244 S.A.R (65.06$)
|
8 Mbit/s to 40 Mbit/s
|
296 S.A.R (78.93$) - 346 S.A.R
(92.3$)
|
100 Mbit/s
|
499 S.A.R (133.06$)
|
200 Mbit/s
|
799 S.A.R (213.06$)
|
As of October
2006, the 20 Internet service providers in Saudi Arabia became connected through
"Data service provider" -licensed companies, such as Saudi Telecom
Company. The ISPs were previously connected through KACST (King Abdulaziz City
for Science and Technology), who was also responsible for DNS and filtering
traffic. Since October 2006 the Communications and Information Technology
Commission is responsible for DNS and filtering services.
There are
several reasons for the service being unpopular, in particular the unreasonably
expensive prices and incompetent low-quality service. Perhaps this was proved
when STC submitted a request to enter neighboring Egypt as a provider and was
refused due to lack of experience, staff, equipments and such.
In late 2005 it
was announced that a company by the name of Electronet would start providing
broadband connections through electric lines by mid 2006. However as of early
2009 the service has not been implemented and the company's website has been
idle for years. Some of the developed countries are having trouble implementing
internet connections via power lines so it is highly unlikely this technology
will ever appear in Saudi Arabia. Electronet is dissolved
There are huge
public complaints about the Internet services in Saudi Arabia all of which
falls on deaf ears since there is no reason or force pressuring the monopoly.
VSAT INTERNET FOR SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia is within our satellite KU band service coverage via SES-4, AM44 and ARABSAT.
See footprints below.
See
above the Middle East Map and trace Saudi Arabia to the satellite coverage
below. This means Saudi Arabia people can avail of a two way data, voice, video
and internet communications to the rest of the globe via any of these covering
communication satellites.
What
will be required are an ODU (Out Door Unit) composed of satellite dish antenna
(VSAT), penetrating or non penetrating mount which can be aligned to the
serving satellite by qualified engineer in no time; and an IDU (In Door Unit)
composed of satellite modem or receiver/transmitter and a connection to
the end user LAN (Local Area Network).
The following lists of Governorates by province include (in brackets).
Al Bahah Province: Al Aqiq ,
Al Bahah , Al Mandag , Al Mukhwah , Al Qara , Biljurashi , Qilwah. Northern Borders Province (Al Hudud ash
Shamaliyah): Ar'ar , Rafha ,
Turayf .Al Jawf Province: Al
Quryyat, Dawmat Al Jandeal, Sakaka Al Madinah Al Monawarah Al Madinah Al Monawarah (Medina) , Al Hinakiyah , Al Mahd ,
Al Ula, Badr, Khaybar ,
Yanbu Al Bahar .Al Qassim Province:
Al Asyah, Al Badai , Al Bukayriyah, Al Midhnab , An. Nabhaniyah , Ar Rass , Ash Shimasiyah , Buraydah , Riadh Al Khabra , Unayzah ,
Uyun Al Jiwa .Al Riyadh Province:
Al Riyadh , Ad Diriyah , Al Kharj , Ad Duwadimi , Al Majmaah, Al Quwayiyah, Wadi Ad Dawasir , Al Aflaj , Azulfi ,
Shagra , Hawtat Bani Tamim , Afif ,
As Sulayyil , Duruma , Al Muzahimiya, Rumah
, Thadiq , Huraymila , Al Hariq , Al Ghat .'Asir Province: Abha ,
Ahad Rufaydah , Al Majardah , An Nammas ,
Balqam , Bishah ,
Dalvan Al Janub , Khamis
Mushayt, Muhayil , Rijal
Alma , Sarat Abidah , Tathlith .Eastern Province (Ash Sharqiyah): Ad Dammam , Al Ahsa ,
Al Jubayl , Al Khafji , Al
Khubar , Al Qatif , An Nuayriyah , Buqayq ,
Haft Al Babin, Qaryah Al Ulya , Ras Tannurah .Ha'il Province: Al Qhazaiah , Ash Shinan , Baqa ,
Ha'il .Jizan Province: Abu
Arish , Ad Dair , Ad Darb ,
Ahad Al Masarihah , Al Aridah , Al Aydabi , Al Harth,
Ar Rayth , Baysh m Damad ,
Farasan , Jizan , Sabya ,
Samtah .Mecca Province (Al Makkah Al Mokarramah): Al Imumum , Al Kamil , Al Khurmah , Al Lith ,
Al Qunfidhah, Al Ta'if , Jiddah,
Khulays , Mecca (Al Makkah Al
Mokarramah) , Rabigh , Ranyah ,
Turubah .Najran Province: Al
Khirkhir , Badr Al Janub , Hubuna,
Khubash, Najran , Sharurah , Thar ,
Yadamah .Tabuk Province: Al
Wajh , Dhuba , Haqil ,
Tabuk , Tayma , Umluj
.
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