In partnership with the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) and other telecom operators, namely stc and Mobily, Zain KSA announced its support to the National Roaming initiative launched by Saudi’s communication authority.
This local roaming service aims to maximize the inclusiveness of telecommunication services throughout all Saudi regions and cities, with a particular focus on remote villages and desert areas. It would cover around 21,000 villages and desert lands across 147 governorates throughout the Kingdom, serving over 5 million users.
According to CITC’s plan, the initial phase of the initiative will be launched in Asir and then it will be completed in the rest of the Kingdom’s regions by the end of 2021. Following this, mobile users can utilize any available telecom network whenever they are outside their carrier network’s coverage area.
Chief business and wholesale officer at Zain KSA, Eng. Saad bin Abdul Rahman Al-Sadhan, lauded the introduction of the National Roaming service, emphasizing Zain KSA’s role as a key partner of CITC on this initiative. This is in line with the company’s unwavering commitment to supporting nationwide efforts to achieve inclusive digital transformation and deliver the best telecommunications and data services throughout the Kingdom.
"Inspired by the vision and ambition of our astute leadership to offer the best for our society, at Zain KSA we are pioneers in embracing such national initiatives, avidly seeking to ensure the sustainability and inclusiveness of telecommunications and data services in the Kingdom, which constitutes a fundamental part of our strategy to enhance the quality of life for citizens and residents. As such, the rollout of National Roaming will certainly contribute to introducing a balanced digital transformation strategy that ensures inclusiveness in delivering the service to all residents and visitors wherever they are within the Kingdom while also improving users’ experience and providing them with more options and competitive offers,” added Al-Sadhan.
It is worthy to note that the National Roaming service will be part of the package offered by the service operator at no additional cost incurred by the user. The authority added that the local roaming service includes all services such as voice, Internet, and SMS.
Commenting on this service rollout, Dr. Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Tamimi, CITC governor, said, “The local roaming service aims to enable service providers to benefit from the telecommunications networks of others and also to help them meet the requirements of the beneficiaries through it, as it supports the empowerment of digital transformation in the villages of the Kingdom.”
