CITC Expands Free Local Roaming to Makkah, Al-Baha
The Communications and Information Technology Commission’s (CITC) free local roaming service in its 5th phase, has included Makkah and Al-Baha regions in Saudi Arabia. saudi arabia local roaming
CITC has signed a commercial agreement between Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), and Mobile Telecommunications Company Saudi Arabia (Zain) for the launch of local roaming services.
The Commission announced on Wednesday that it has launched the 5th phase of free local roaming service, which will cover a total of 5,737 villages in Makkah and Al-Baha regions, the Saudi Gazette reports.
The 5th phase of the free local roaming service aims to achieve 4,801 villages in the Makkah region and 936 villages in the Al-Baha region.
CITC confirmed its plan to cover all the Kingdom’s regions with the local roaming service by the end of 2021, as it will facilitate the telecommunications companies to benefit from the other network providers.
The service will also meet the needs of the network beneficiaries to reach telecommunications providers, which will increase the available options and raise the service quality, as well as enable the users to use any available network in case they cannot reach their own service provider, free of charge.
The local roaming service will enhance and support digital transformation empowerment in Saudi Arabia’s villages.
It is noteworthy that the service was launched in August 2021 by the CITC, as it has signed a commercial agreement between Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), and Mobile Telecommunications Company Saudi Arabia (Zain) to initiate the local roaming service all over Saudi Arabia.
The service has already covered most of the Saudi regions on its previous phases, which included: Assir, Riyadh, Qassim, the eastern region, the northern border, Al-Jowf, Madinah, Hail, and Tabouk. saudi arabia local roaming
The authority clarified that local roaming service includes all services, like voice services, Internet services, and short text message (“SMS” services in 21,000 villages of the Kingdom that are covered by telecommunications services, without charging any additional costs, as services will be charged at the base operator rate.
Implementation of the local roaming service started in the Asir region initially and will be completed in the rest of the Kingdom’s regions by the end of 2021, as planned.
The Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission, Dr. Muhammad bin Saud Al-Tamimi, stated that the “local roaming” service comes within the framework of the authority’s work with all parties concerned with providing the best telecommunications services.
