Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) launched today the most advanced data communication services in the Kingdom to address the needs of businesses, governmental organizations and Internet Services Providers (ISPs) that demand data services at high speeds and big bandwidths. The new services use the state-of-the-art solutions and standers, qualifying the Saudi telecom industry to leverage the economical changes the Kingdom is witnessing now and supporting the foreign investments through providing all resources, notably an advanced telecom infrastructure, required by the global corporations that eye the investment opportunities in the Kingdom.
The launch came after ITC completed the most part of its infrastructure and networks at an investment cost of SR 1 billion dedicated for establishing two international gateways at the western and eastern coasts, deploying a fiber optical network across 12.500 km for connecting the major cities in the Kingdom and setting up tens of wireless stations, data centers and a fiber optical network in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar.
Mohamed Saqer, ITC President and CEO, said, “ We are very excited to launch the first portfolio of data communication services that we have developed using unrivalled quality standards, especially fastness, specialization and flexibility and out of full understanding of the needs and aspirations pursued by the local, regional and global target markets. The new services will bring the Saudi telecom industry into new era, and qualify ITC to compete the high-profile global and regional telecom operators”.
Among the data communications services ITC launched in the Saudi market are Internet bandwidth services to service providers and operators via a global marine cable, Internet access and inter-branch connectivity services to private and public organizations using copper, wireless and fiber optic access media, last-mile access through WiMAX technology targeted towards service providers in addition to collocation services offered by ITC’s environmentally controlled data centers.
The huge potential of the Saudi telecom market resulted from liberating the telecom sector and the national e-government program encourages, Saqer stressed, ITC to dedicate big investments in developing its infrastructure and networks to geographically cover the whole country and address the growing demand on the content and applications services that have limited presence in the Kingdom compared to neighboring countries because of the low penetration of broadband connections in KSA.
“Among the key objectives of launching these services are to increase the broadband penetration substantially in the Kingdom, offer the triple services (voice, video and data), proactively participate in activating the role of communication and information technology to transform the Saudi community into a digital one and provide the education and other governmental sectors with high-speed Internet connections at competitive rates”, Saqer added.
Out of active partnership between the public and private sectors and the continuous coordination with the concerned governmental bodies, ITC is implementing now, in collaboration with the global telecom companies, a long-term strategy to qualify the Saudi telecom industry to go in line with the economical boom, equip the mega industrial and economical cities and support 10 x 10 program launched by Saudi Arabian Investment Authority (SAGIA) to make the Kingdom one of the top 10 investment magnets worldwide.
It is noteworthy that ITC is playing a leading role in supporting the Smart Cities initiative launched by High Committee for the Development of Riyadh in collaboration with Communication and Information Technology Committee (CITC). It completed the installation of the first ‘hot zone’ in Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz street, in Riyadh, by equipping it with broadband wireless connections, using WiMAX and WiFi solutions, to provide the street visitors with access to the Internet for free during the pilot period of the project.
About Integrated Telecom Company (ITC)
Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) is a Riyadh-based Saudi company established in 2005 through a consortium of local investors headed by Al-Mawarid Investment Group as a major shareholder. In return of an initial SR 300 Million investment, ITC was licensed by the Communication & Information Technology Commission (CITC) to provide local, national, and international data communications services. In collaboration with other recognized global and local vendors, ITC has established its infrastructure and networks to deliver its basic and advanced data communication services. For more information, please visit www.itc.net.com.
