Broadband Services in Saudi Arabia Set to Receive Significant Boost From New Open Access Initiative
23 Febrero 2020 - 2:23PM
Business Wire
- Agreements signed between Telecom Service Providers will
catalyze and increase competition in the broadband market
- Subscribers will be able to choose their FTTH service provider
independently of fiber infrastructure ownership
In a first-of-its-kind initiative led by Saudi Arabia’s telecoms
regulator, the Communications and Information Technology Commission
(CITC), all the six Telecom Service Providers in Saudi Arabia
signed an open access agreement guaranteeing the provision of
fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband services through any
subscriber-selected service provider, independent of fiber
infrastructure ownership.
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Broadband Services in Saudi Arabia Set to
Receive Significant Boost From New Open Access Initiative (Graphic:
AETOSWire)
The agreement was signed on February 23rd by the CEOs of STC,
Mobily, Zain, Etihad Atheeb Telecom (GO), Integrated Telecom
Company (ITC) and Integrated Dawiyat. The initiative aims to
encourage competition, attract investment, and increase broadband
subscriptions by improving service quality and consumer choice.
In the global telecoms industry, it is the first time that a
telecom regulator is the main driver of the signing of a
nation-wide active infrastructure sharing agreement among all
operators in the market, both access seekers and access
providers.
Dr. Mohammed Al Tamimi, governor of the CITC, commented, “The
adoption of an open access model will increase the use of our
fiber-optic infrastructure through the development of commercial
agreements that make it easier for subscribers to move from one
provider to another.” The governor commended the level of
cooperation between participating telecoms companies throughout the
development of the open access initiative.
Over ten commercial agreements were signed between the operators
after the completion of over 90 workshops regulated by the Fiber
Bitstream Rules and Guidelines published by the CITC in November
2019.
The Kingdom’s digital transformation has accelerated
significantly since the launch of Vision 2030, with its ICT sector
valued at $28.7 billion, the largest in the Arab world. According
to the International Telecommunication Union, Saudi Arabia has an
internet penetration rate of 93% versus the global average of
53%.
Additionally, the Kingdom was the first adopter of commercial 5G
technology in the region and the third largest globally, and
recently jumped 92 places to 13th in global rankings for internet
speed, with an average download speed of 55.6 Mbps.
*Source: AETOSWire
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The Communications and Information Technology Commission Saeed
AlGhamdi, +966114618244 shghamdi@citc.gov.sa Twitter: @CITC_SA
www.citc.gov.sa