JEDDAH, 9 August 2006 -- Subscribers of Mobily (Etihad Etisalat), Saudi Arabia's second mobile phone service operator, have welcomed the launch of 3.5G technology internationally. "I'm delighted that I can now make video calls to my business partners based overseas," Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, a member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said yesterday.
"I'm happy with video calling and other services that will be on offer following the introduction of Mobily's 3.5G technology," Khaled Kutbi, another businessman said. "In fact, this is the first time in the Kingdom and the rest of the Gulf that Mobily subscribers can make video calls to the UAE, Italy, Hong Kong, Luxembourg and Australia using the 3G or 3.5G technology," Mobily's Public Relations & Media Manager Humoud Al-Ghobaini told Arab News.
"Mobily provides 3.5G technology with unique services that are applicable to both prepaid and postpaid users, and involve no exchange of SIM cards," he said.
The 3G international calls can be made with the subscribers of UAE Etisalat, Vodafone in Italy, Smart-tome in Hong Kong, Vox mobile in Luxembourg and H3G in Australia. This unique service will enable subscribers on both sides to make live video calls.
Two month ago, Mobily announced the launch of the advanced third generation mobile services (3.5G) locally, enabling its subscribers to experience and enjoy numerous services including video calling, streaming and conferencing, and high speed Internet as well as multiplayer gaming. "Mobily subscribers have the added value of using their current 2G SIM cards on the 3.5G, without replacing them or at no cost," he said.
Most of the 3.5G services require 2G and 3.5G phone handsets, except for video calling, which works only on 3G handsets. One of the excellent services the 3.5G will provide is the access to the Internet with 3G speed from the laptop using the mobile as a modem.
The setting of the Internet will not be different from 2G-web setting. The speed exceeds 4 mega per second for download. Subscribers can watch TV channels live on the 3.5G, which include Saudi TV, Al-Arabiyah channel, CNBC Arabiya channel and Space Toon. Emphasizing that the rates are " very competitive," he said the cost of video telephony is 80 halalas per minute for postpaid subscribers, whereas it costs a riyal a minute for TV streaming.
"Mobily does not demand any monthly fees for all of its third generation services," he said, adding that Mobily is the only operator that provides all of its 3G services for prepaid customers as well and at the same rate except for video telephony, which costs SR1 per minute, without any extra cost, activation, or monthly fee.
By K.S. Ramkumar
© Arab News 2006
