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Qtel has given a commitment to customers that its prices will remain affordable even after the much-anticipated commercial rollout of optic fibre-based multiple telecom services across Qatar.
“I assure people of Qatar that we will provide much better quality at a much better price - our aim is to reduce the cost of communication,” Qtel Qatar CEO Sheikh Saud bin Nasser al-Thani said.
Qtel will continue to invest in infrastructure and technology to support the Qatar National Vision 2030 to build a knowledge-based economy, and will exert downward pressure on pricing where possible to ensure the benefits are available to all, he said at a roundtable meeting at the Qtel Tower yesterday.
“Qtel will always support HH the Emir’s Qatar National Vision 2030 and is committed to building a nationwide technology network capable of supporting the growth of a knowledge-based economy,” Sheikh Saud said.
Qtel Qatar Chief Operating Officer, Waleed Mohamed al-Sayed, said the company was ready to commercially offer the state-of-the-art Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) project.
“We are awaiting ictQATAR approval to go ahead with the FTTH service, which will ensure a more reliable service with high quality and speed. The download speed will be at least 12 times what we have today,” al-Sayed said.
Currently, Qtel offers Internet speeds between 1Mbps and 8Mbps through copper cables. With fibre optic cables, this will go up to 100Mbps, resulting in faster downloads.
Al-Sayed said Qtel made a huge investment in the FTTH project. This will be realised in two phases. In the first phase, Qtel seeks to connect about 140,000 households across Qatar through the fibre optic cable. Already, about 1,200km of the targeted 2,500km cables have been laid.
He said the fibre optic cable would also enable Qtel to offer multiple services in place of the existing ‘triple play’, which combines voice, data and TV through a copper line.
“Through fibre optic cable, we will offer different speeds…we don’t have the price approval from ictQATAR yet…we cannot give more details now,” al-Sayed said.
Qtel will soon launch tailor-made products in both fixed and mobile segments targeting various customer groups. The prices will be ‘affordable’ to the customers.
Al-Sayed did not agree with the view that most of the Qtel price reductions were ‘temporary and promotional in nature’.
“So far this year, we have had 18 promotional and six permanent price reductions. Promotional price reductions will continue so as to add value to customers; Qtel will also exert downward pressure on pricing, wherever possible,” the Qtel COO said.
Qtel has brought the cost down from QR10 to Dh55 for all pay-as-you-go Mobile Internet customers. The permanent price reduction ensures that Qtel customers now enjoy ‘one of the best pay-as-you-surf rates’ in the entire region, resulting in a sharp increase in the number of people using the services.
The reduction in international call rates during Ramadan - to about Dh35 a minute was well-received.
Al-Sayed said Qtel’s key objectives are setting up the right communications infrastructure to meet the needs of Qatar’s ‘upcoming important projects and events’ and satisfying customer needs for the right kind of products and services.
Qtel Executive Director (Group Communications) Adel al-Mutawa was also present at the event.