Waleed Mohamed al-Sayed with Fatima al-Kuwari, Ooredoo director (Public Relations) and another official during the launch of ShahrySmart Packs yesterday.
By Pratap John/Chief Business Reporter
About 1mn Ooredoo customers are now using mobile data, said company chief operating officer Waleed Mohamed al-Sayed, who expects the number to go up significantly with the introduction of value-filled Shahry packs that offer greater data allowance.
“By introducing these packages, we expect these numbers to go up dramatically. In the next few months, I am sure we will be talking about 1.6mn or 1.8mn Ooredoo customers using mobile Internet,” al-Sayed said yesterday.
Currently, Ooredoo has a mobile customer base of about 2.5mn.
Following the recent introduction of “free 4G key”, customers’ data consumption had gone up four times, al-Sayed told Gulf Times yesterday.
“It is still increasing. However, the higher data allowance now being provided across Shahry value packs was not in anticipation of higher data consumption that is driven by 4G. It is a smart year…a year of speed…we want people to benefit from smart phones. At Ooredoo we believe good Internet access has become people’s right. It is now like right to education, water or electricity.
“We are launching two new value-packs - ShahrySmart 15 and ShahrySmart 35, because we believe that everyone in Qatar should be able to take advantage of the data revolution that is taking place today,” al-Sayed said.
Since Ooredoo launched 4G for free recently, the company has seen “incredible demand” for data from its customers, he said.
“So, as well as including free access to 4G with every pack, we have also boosted the data in every pack to the highest level ever offered in Qatar,” al-Sayed said.
Ooredoo has launched a new range of ‘ShahrySmart’ packs that deliver more data, more calling and more value than any other pack in the market today.
Each pack offers a “bumper pack” of free local minutes and SMS. Every pack from ShahrySmart 250 upwards will offer unlimited local calling minutes and SMS. Every pack from Shahry 100 upwards lets customers’ make unlimited local calls to at least one selected number.
“Our existing Shahry pack customers will be automatically upgraded to the new packs with immediate effect, getting more minutes, data and SMS for the same price they pay now,” al-Sayed said.
