DOHA: Majority of nationals and residents believe that competition between the two telecommunications providers in Qatar is not genuine and their tariffs are much higher compared to some neighbouring countries, shows an online survey.
Eighty-one percent of the respondents to the weekly opinion poll conducted by Al Sharq felt that both the telecommunications operators had failed to provide a comprehensive nation wide network access to the customers. A similar number of respondents said that their charges are very high.
Eleven percent of the surveyed, however, believe that connectivity is good and 18 percent said the charges were not high.
Replying to another query, 72 percent of the respondents said there was no serious and genuine competition between the two service providers. Eighteen percent of the participants didn't agree with this view.
Commenting on the issue, several nationals and residents as well as members of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) expressed the view that telecommunications services in Qatar needed a lot of improvement, after three years have passed since the entry of the second service provider.
They feel that promotions being launched by the two operators are more or less identical and are only a ploy to attract the customers. Their charges still remain high compared to the neighbouring countries.
© The Peninsula 2012
