The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has launched the third phase of the local roaming service, maintaining telecommunication services to 691 villages and rural areas in the Eastern Province, Northern Borders, and Jouf region after the first and second phases in Asir, Riyadh, and Qassim.

 

The service will cover 422 villages in the Eastern Province, 124 in the Northern Borders, and 145 in Jouf. 

 

The third phase comes within scheduled plans to complete the local roaming service in all villages and deserts in various regions of the Kingdom by the end of 2021 with services provided by the Kingdom’s three telecommunication providers, Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), and Mobile Telecommunications Company Saudi Arabia (Zain).

 

The service enables service providers to benefit from the telecommunications networks, help meet the requirements of beneficiaries, support service providers to reach the most significant number of beneficiaries in villages and remote areas across the Kingdom’s regions.

 

The service aims to raise competitiveness, improve service quality and user experience, support the digital transformation of villages and rural areas, achieve its objectives, and provide general services.

The local roaming service includes all services, including voice services, Internet services, short text messages “SMS” services in the Kingdom’s 21,000 villages covered by telecommunications services, without any additional costs. Services will be charged at the base operator rate.