Saudi Arabia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses
Saudi Arabia entered 2018 on a positive note with the government announcement of its largest financial budget ever which will support the country’s expansion and diversification plans as part of its Vision 2030 program. Generally speaking; the strategy will implement changes relating to improving the kingdom’s economy through increases in taxes and fuel prices as well as encouraging investment and diversification away from its reliance on oil. It will also support the use of digital technologies for such uses as cloud computing and e-commerce as well as encouraging ICT development, including investments in broadband infrastructure.
Broadband is widely available in Saudi Arabia via DSL, fibre, and wireless. In 2018 DSL subscriptions still account for the largest proportion of fixed broadband subscriptions but are now in decline as consumers switch to mobile broadband or FttH/FttP services.
Internet penetration in Saudi Arabia has reached around 80%, well above the average for the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is committed to providing Internet services to its deprived rural areas and a special Universal Services project was established around ten years ago. The program is now over three quarters completed with thousands of localities provided access where it was not considered commercially viable for operators to do so.
The mobile operators have faced recent changes and challenges with the introduction of the biometric fingerprint law which saw subscriber numbers drop, as well as a shift away from pre-paid accounts.
A major competitive shake-up for the Saudi telecoms sector began in late 2016 when the Saudi government announced plans to award unified licenses to Zain Saudi Arabia and Mobily, which would allow the operators to offer fixed line telephony and Internet services. In the past only STC was permitted to do so. In 2018 Go Telecom’s request for the unified license was rejected however.
Further increasing competition in the mobile market was the recent lifting of OTT VoIP and messaging services bans, allowing providers such as Skype, Viber, Whatsapp and so forth to begin operations again.
This valuable report provides analyses, information, industry statistics and insights in the major players in Saudi Arabia’s telecoms sector.
Broadband is widely available in Saudi Arabia via DSL, fibre, and wireless. In 2018 DSL subscriptions still account for the largest proportion of fixed broadband subscriptions but are now in decline as consumers switch to mobile broadband or FttH/FttP services.
Internet penetration in Saudi Arabia has reached around 80%, well above the average for the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is committed to providing Internet services to its deprived rural areas and a special Universal Services project was established around ten years ago. The program is now over three quarters completed with thousands of localities provided access where it was not considered commercially viable for operators to do so.
The mobile operators have faced recent changes and challenges with the introduction of the biometric fingerprint law which saw subscriber numbers drop, as well as a shift away from pre-paid accounts.
A major competitive shake-up for the Saudi telecoms sector began in late 2016 when the Saudi government announced plans to award unified licenses to Zain Saudi Arabia and Mobily, which would allow the operators to offer fixed line telephony and Internet services. In the past only STC was permitted to do so. In 2018 Go Telecom’s request for the unified license was rejected however.
Further increasing competition in the mobile market was the recent lifting of OTT VoIP and messaging services bans, allowing providers such as Skype, Viber, Whatsapp and so forth to begin operations again.
This valuable report provides analyses, information, industry statistics and insights in the major players in Saudi Arabia’s telecoms sector.
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2. KEY STATISTICS
2.1 Country overview
3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKET
3.1 Market overview
3.2 Market analysis
3.2.1 Universal Licenses
3.2.2 Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
3.3 Summary of key developments
4. REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
4.1 Historic overview
4.2 Regulatory authority
4.3 Telecom sector liberalisation
4.4 Data service provider licences
4.5 Fixed-line licences
4.6 New satellite broadband license
4.7 Interconnect and access
4.8 Number Portability (NP)
4.9 Universal service
5. FIXED NETWORK OPERATORS IN SAUDI ARABIA
5.1 Saudi Telecom Company (STC)
5.2 Integrated Telecom Company (ITC)
5.3 GO Telecom (Etihad Atheeb)
6. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE
6.1 Overview of the national telecom network
6.1.1 Alternative operators’ infrastructure
6.2 International infrastructure (satellite, submarine)
6.2.1 Terrestrial cable networks
6.2.2 Submarine cable networks
6.2.3 Satellite networks
6.3 Specific IT developments (data centres, cloud computing)
7. SMART INFRASTRUCTURE
7.1 M2M/IoT/Big Data
7.2 Smart grids
7.3 Smart cities
8. BROADBAND ACCESS MARKET
8.1 Introduction and statistical overview
8.2 Internet access
8.3 Censorship
8.4 Broadband statistics
8.5 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
8.6 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)
8.6.1 STC
8.6.2 GO Telecom
8.6.3 Mobily
8.7 Other fixed broadband services
8.7.1 WiFi
9. DIGITAL ECONOMY
9.1 M-banking
9.2 e-Health
9.3 Videostreaming
10. MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
10.1 Market overview
10.2 Market analysis
10.3 Mobile statistics
10.3.1 General statistics
10.3.2 Mobile voice
10.3.3 Mobile data
10.4 Mobile broadband statistics
10.5 Regulatory issues
10.5.1 Award of second GSM mobile licence
10.5.2 iDEN contract awarded
10.5.3 Award of Third Generation (3G) licences
10.5.4 Award of third mobile licence
10.5.5 Mobile license extensions 2016
10.5.6 Roaming
10.5.7 MTRs
10.5.8 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
10.5.9 Fingerprinting law
10.6 Mobile infrastructure
10.6.1 GSM, 3G
10.6.2 LTE, LTE-A
10.6.3 Satellite mobile
10.6.4 5G
10.7 IoT and M2M networks
10.8 Major mobile operators
10.8.1 Saudi Telecom Company (STC)
10.8.2 Mobily (Etihad Etisalat)
10.8.3 Zain KSA
10.8.4 Mobile handsets
2. KEY STATISTICS
2.1 Country overview
3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKET
3.1 Market overview
3.2 Market analysis
3.2.1 Universal Licenses
3.2.2 Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
3.3 Summary of key developments
4. REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
4.1 Historic overview
4.2 Regulatory authority
4.3 Telecom sector liberalisation
4.4 Data service provider licences
4.5 Fixed-line licences
4.6 New satellite broadband license
4.7 Interconnect and access
4.8 Number Portability (NP)
4.9 Universal service
5. FIXED NETWORK OPERATORS IN SAUDI ARABIA
5.1 Saudi Telecom Company (STC)
5.2 Integrated Telecom Company (ITC)
5.3 GO Telecom (Etihad Atheeb)
6. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE
6.1 Overview of the national telecom network
6.1.1 Alternative operators’ infrastructure
6.2 International infrastructure (satellite, submarine)
6.2.1 Terrestrial cable networks
6.2.2 Submarine cable networks
6.2.3 Satellite networks
6.3 Specific IT developments (data centres, cloud computing)
7. SMART INFRASTRUCTURE
7.1 M2M/IoT/Big Data
7.2 Smart grids
7.3 Smart cities
8. BROADBAND ACCESS MARKET
8.1 Introduction and statistical overview
8.2 Internet access
8.3 Censorship
8.4 Broadband statistics
8.5 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
8.6 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)
8.6.1 STC
8.6.2 GO Telecom
8.6.3 Mobily
8.7 Other fixed broadband services
8.7.1 WiFi
9. DIGITAL ECONOMY
9.1 M-banking
9.2 e-Health
9.3 Videostreaming
10. MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
10.1 Market overview
10.2 Market analysis
10.3 Mobile statistics
10.3.1 General statistics
10.3.2 Mobile voice
10.3.3 Mobile data
10.4 Mobile broadband statistics
10.5 Regulatory issues
10.5.1 Award of second GSM mobile licence
10.5.2 iDEN contract awarded
10.5.3 Award of Third Generation (3G) licences
10.5.4 Award of third mobile licence
10.5.5 Mobile license extensions 2016
10.5.6 Roaming
10.5.7 MTRs
10.5.8 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
10.5.9 Fingerprinting law
10.6 Mobile infrastructure
10.6.1 GSM, 3G
10.6.2 LTE, LTE-A
10.6.3 Satellite mobile
10.6.4 5G
10.7 IoT and M2M networks
10.8 Major mobile operators
10.8.1 Saudi Telecom Company (STC)
10.8.2 Mobily (Etihad Etisalat)
10.8.3 Zain KSA
10.8.4 Mobile handsets
