Ettihad Etisalat launches test mobile telecom service

Ettihad Etisalat has just launched its mobile communication service in Saudi Arabia with a limited number of Mobily packages.

The distribution of Mobily packages is part of the pre-launch evaluation process, the company said.

Ettihad Etisalat had earlier said it would start providing GSM services in Saudi Arabia by the middle of this year and give mobile subscribers the privilege of selecting numbers of their choice.

The numbers would start with 056 and call charges would be lower than those levied by Saudi Telecom Co (STC).

An undisclosed number of beta-testers on Monday began trying out the Mobily service.

No figure was, however, made available regarding the number of testers involved or how many SIM cards were distributed.

Al Jawal, STC's mobile phone subsidiary, has about nine million mobile subscribers in Saudi Arabia, which has a population of 23 million.

Ettihad Etisalat plans to reach out to more than 60 per cent of the market, company representatives said.

STC has released a slew of products and services as well as loyalty programmes during the last 12 months.

It has also extended discounts on tariffs for mobile, international and domestic calls.

Ettihad Etisalat also revealed it had already signed agreements with a number of resellers and would be announcing their names in due course.

The pre-launch testing comes as part of Mobily's strategy to position itself, based on the quality of its service.