JEDDAH: The number of mobile users in the Kingdom rose by nearly 200 percent, reaching 56.1 million by Sept. 30, with prepaid cell phone subscribers accounting for 87 percent of the total, the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) said in a newsletter on Saturday.
The telecom regulator also pointed out that the number of land phones in the Kingdom reached 4.52 million, including 3.34 million residential lines (which accounted for 73 percent of the total).
The landline growth rate compared to population was just 16 percent, despite a 67 percent rise in homes.
Speaking about Internet services, the CITC newsletter said the service grew by 46 percent during the same period with an estimated 13 million users.
Broadband services have also increased considerably during the period with 2.13 million users connected through a landline network and 11.5 million subscribers through mobile phones.
"There is a 30.6 percent increase in broadband services through landlines," the CITC said, adding that broadband services rose by 40.5 percent in the Kingdom.
The CITC also noted a remarkable increase in the number of smartphone users in the country, especially its young men and women, who account for about 60 percent of the population.
The newsletter also pointed out that the CITC had introduced a system named search and rescue through satellite in association with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and the Interior Ministry, providing early warning services to aircraft and ships.
It can also locate people missing provided they are subscribed to the service.
The CITC also disclosed plans to license three virtual service providers, making use of international expertise in the field. According to new regulations, people are not allowed to buy prepaid SIM cards except through the offices of mobile phone service providers or their authorized agents.
The regulator warned that it would take punitive action against illegal users.
© Arab News 2011
