Editing Telecommunications in Saudi Arabia

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{{more citations needed|date=March 2011}}

'''Telecommunications in Saudi Arabia''' have evolved early in the [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia|Kingdom]] since the establishment the Directorate of Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) in 1926.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1376396/saudi-arabia|title=From telegrams to digital services: IT has traveled a long way in Saudi Arabia|date=2018-09-23|website=Arab News|language=en|access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Arabian Peninsula Telecommunications - DPLA - 6a41793c3aba4d2b016a21d7e260092a.jpg|thumb|right|CIA map of telecommunication infrastructure in the Arabian Peninsula, 1949]]
The Directorate of Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) was the first governmental entity established by the founder [[King Abdul Aziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia|King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud]] in 1926 to provide and control the postal and telecommunication services.<ref name=":0" /> In 1934 the Kingdom imported the first mobile wireless station to provide the telegraph services.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mcit.gov.sa/en/brief-history|title=Ministry of Communications and Information Technology|website=www.mcit.gov.sa|access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref> In the same year, the telephone service was also launched to link cities and villages in the Kingdom.<ref name=":1" /> In 1984 the first fiber optic network was introduced and operated in the country, whereas in 1995 the mobile phone service was introduced .<ref name=":1" />

[[Saudi Telecom Company|Saudi Telecom Company (STC)]] was the first company in [[Saudi Arabia]] to provide Mobile and Fixed line Telephone service. While the first internet connectivity was offered by [[Sahara Net]] in summer of 1994, the Communications Commission then allowed other companies to compete with STC in Saudi Arabia taking the total number of companies to five: (1). STC Mobile: It includes landlines and mobile, and includes a mobile (phone). (2) [[Integrated Telecom Company]] (ITC) second operator after STC, established in 2005 and offers internet, broadband, connectivity and satellite services for businesses, consumers and wholesale (3). Mobily: the UAE's telecommunications company, which is the mobile and internet Fabraupetk (Fiber Optic) New Ground. (4). ZIN Zain: a Kuwaiti company, which is the only mobile (5). GO ATHEEB: a Saudi modern, with an Internet connection line is similar to Ground. In 2019, Saudi Arabia was ranked the second among the G20 countries in regards of the availability of radio spectrum awarded to operators for public mobile telecom services.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1524011/saudi-arabia|title=Saudi Arabia ranked second among G20 countries for telecoms expansion|date=2019-07-11|website=Arab News|language=en|access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref>

==Telephones==
{{see also|Telephone numbers in Saudi Arabia}}
[[File:Mobile phone tower in saudi arabia - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A mobile phone tower in [[Qatif]]]]
'''[[Telephone]]s - main lines in use:'''
011 463,3507 (2011 - source: ITU)

'''Telephones - [[mobile cellular]]:'''
53,705,808 (2011 - source: ITU) 
<br>''note:''
In 2004, the [[Saudi Telecom Company]] (STC) monopolization was broken by authorizing [[Mobily|Etihad Etisalat/Mobily]] to compete in mobile communication, in June 2009 [[GO Telecom (Etihad Atheeb Telecom)]] or "جو" also entered the market.

'''[[Trunked radio system|Digital Radio Trunking]]- 100,000 (Unofficial):'''
<br>In late 2005, bravO! Telecom was launched as the country's digital radio trunking operator under a B.O.T agreement with the incumbent operator STC, with an estimated 100,000 subscribers as of November 2007.

'''Telephone system:'''
<br>''domestic:''
extensive microwave radio relay and coaxial and fiber-optic cable systems

'''International:'''
<br>
International undersea cables: [[EIG (cable system)|EIG]], [[I-ME-WE]], [[Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe|FEA]], [[MENA]], [[SEA-ME-WE 3]], [[SEA-ME-WE 4]], [[FALCON (cable system)|FALCON]], [[SAS-1]], SAS-2, [[Gulf Bridge International]], TATA TGN-Gulf

Microwave radio relay to [[Bahrain]], [[Jordan]], [[Kuwait]], [[Qatar]], [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]], [[Yemen]], and [[Sudan]];

Coaxial cable to [[Kuwait]] and [[Jordan]]; 
 
Satellite earth stations - 5 [[Intelsat]] (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 [[Arabsat]], and 1 [[Inmarsat]] ([[Indian Ocean]] region)

==Radio==
'''[[Radio]] broadcast stations:'''
AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)

'''Radios:'''
6.25 million (1997)

==Television==
{{see|Television in Saudi Arabia}}
'''[[Television]] broadcast stations:'''
117 (1997)

'''Televisions:'''
5.1 million (1997)

==Internet==
{{see also|List of Internet service providers in Saudi Arabia}}
[[File:Internet usage in ksa.png|thumb|A graph showing the growth of Internet users in Saudi Arabia from 2001 to 2011]]
'''[[Internet]] Service Providers (ISPs):'''
22 (2005)

'''[[Internet]] users:''' 30.25 million, 91% of the population (2018) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/saudi-arabia-social-media-statistics/|title=Saudi Arabia Social Media Statistics 2018 - Official GMI Blog|website=www.globalmediainsight.com|access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref>

'''[[Country codes|Country code]] (Top level domain):''' [[.sa]]

'''[[Saudi Post]]'''

===Broadband Internet access===

An [[ADSL]] service in [[Saudi Arabia]] has become available since 2001. As part of its monopoly on all methods of [[communication]] in [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[Saudi Telecom Company]] is the only complete provider, though several [[ISP]]s are available, with the permission of [[CITC]].

[[Saudi Telecom Company|STC]] is the only provider for telephone lines in [[Saudi Arabia]]. For this reason customers have to pay two fees, one to [[Saudi Telecom Company|STC]] for activation of the [[ADSL]] service across the telephone line, and a second to an [[ISP]] to provide Internet service across the [[ADSL]] line. [[Saudi Telecom Company|STC]] has been highly criticized for their service in providing [[ADSL]] access as customers had to wait many months to receive ADSL service on their phone lines. In 2006, STC had invested in increasing the size of their [[ADSL]] infrastructure and since then the wait times had improved, but many customers are still on waiting lists. Mobily, Integrated Telecom and STC also provide Fibre Optic Internet access, with coverage limited to larger cities.

As of 2011, the maximum [[Internet]] speed available is currently 200&nbsp;Mbit/s.

{| class="wikitable"
! Speed !! Rate

| rowspan="3" | 
|-
|2 Mbit/s
|149 S.A.R ($39.70)
|-
| 20 Mbit/s || 249 S.A.R ($66.34)
|-
| 40 Mbit/s || 299 S.A.R ($79.67)
|-
| 100 Mbit/s || 449 S.A.R ($119.66)
|-
| 200 Mbit/s || 749 S.A.R ($199.57)
|-
|}

As of October 2006, the 20 [[Internet service provider]]s in [[Saudi Arabia]] became connected through "Data service provider" -licensed companies, such as [[Saudi Telecom Company]] and [[Integrated Telecom Company]]. The [[ISP]]s were previously connected through [[King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology|KACST (King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology)]], who was also responsible for [[Domain Name System|DNS]] and filtering traffic. Since October 2006 the [[Communications and Information Technology Commission]] is responsible for [[Domain Name System|DNS]] and filtering services.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Communication and Information Technology Commission, Saudi Arabia, Annual Report 2005 | url = http://www.citc.gov.sa/NR/rdonlyres/5F77A781-6ECB-43FB-8F5E-1C46CE907BE4/0/AnnualReportEng.pdf | publisher = Communication and Information Technology Commission | access-date = 2007-01-22 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070926210833/http://www.citc.gov.sa/NR/rdonlyres/5F77A781-6ECB-43FB-8F5E-1C46CE907BE4/0/AnnualReportEng.pdf | archive-date = 2007-09-26 }}</ref>

There are several reasons for the service being unpopular, in particular the unreasonably expensive prices and incompetent low-quality service. Perhaps this was proved when STC submitted a request to enter neighboring [[Egypt]] as a provider and was refused due to lack of experience, staff, equipments and such.
 
In late 2005 it was announced that a company by the name of Electronet would start providing broadband connections through electric lines by mid-2006. However, as of early 2009 the service has not been implemented and the company's website has been idle for years. Some of the developed countries are having trouble implementing internet connections via power lines so it is highly unlikely this technology will ever appear in Saudi Arabia. Electronet is currently dissolved.

In 2019, the average speed of mobile internet services reached 37.5&nbsp;Mbit/s jumping from 9.2&nbsp;Mbit/s in 2017.<ref name=":2" />

===Internet censorship===
{{main article|Internet censorship in Saudi Arabia}}
[[File:Blocked website saudi.jpg|thumb|Screenshot of a Saudi Arabian ISP blocking a website]]
In August 2009 ONI classified Saudi Arabia as pervasive in the social and Internet tools areas, as substantial in political, and as selective in conflict.

Saudi Arabia notoriously on the spot addresses and bans more than 5 million websites on the web, mainly pornography which [[Pornography laws by region#Saudi Arabia|the government bans anything that is]], LGBT rights in which [[LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia|same-sex sexual activity is illicit]], human rights issues, terrorism, criticism against the kingdom and the royal family, information from enemies of Islam, and satire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justlanded.com/english/Saudi-Arabia/Saudi-Arabia-Guide/Telephone-Internet/Censorship-in-Saudi-Arabia#:~:text=%20Censorship%20in%20Saudi%20Arabia%20%201%20Blocked,your%20privacy%20when%20online%2C%20getting%20a...%20More%20|title=Censorship in Saudi Arabia}}</ref> Access to websites affiliated with Iran, with [[Hezbollah]], with Yemeni groups and associated with the Syrian [[Muslim Brotherhood]],<ref name="zittrain">{{Cite journal|last1=Zittrain|first1=Jonathan L.|last2=Tilton|first2=Casey B.|last3=Noman|first3=Helmi|last4=Morrison-Westphal|first4=Ryan J.|last5=Faris|first5=Robert M.|last6=Clark|first6=Justin D.|date=2017|title=The Shifting Landscape of Global Internet Censorship|url=https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/33084425|language=en-US}}</ref> and information telling about the [[Holocaust]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baase |first1=Sara |last2=Henry |first2=Timothy M. |title=A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology |date=2018 |publisher=Pearson Education |location=Hoboken, NJ |isbn=978-0-13-461527-1 |page=172 |edition=5th}}</ref> were blocked as well. An example of technology used for Internet surveillance and filtering in Saudi Arabia is American-owned [[SmartFilter]].<ref name=":03">{{Cite web|url=https://jsis.washington.edu/mideast/news/freedom-watch-veil-saudi-cyberspace/|title=Freedom under Watch: Under the Veil of Saudi Cyberspace|date=2017-05-08|website=Middle East Center|language=en|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref>

=== Digital divide ===
{{excerpt|Digital divide by continent, area and country|Saudi Arabia}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}
*[[Saudi Telecom Company]]
*[[Integrated Telecom Company]]
*[[Al Wafa Communication for Internet Services]]
*[[Bayanat Al Oula for Network Services]]
*[[Mobily|Etihad Etisalat/Mobily]]
*[[List of Internet service providers in Saudi Arabia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Saudi Arabia topics}}
{{Asia topic|Telecommunications in}} 
{{Middle East topic|Telecommunications in}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Internet censorship}}

[[Category:Telecommunications in Saudi Arabia| ]]
[[Category:Internet in Saudi Arabia]]