STC, the largest mobile phone operator in Saudi Arabia, has rejected a call from the kingdom’s telecoms regulator to stop giving free international phone calls to high-spending customers.
In February, the Communications & Information Technology…
STC, the largest mobile phone operator in Saudi Arabia, has rejected a call from the kingdom’s telecoms regulator to stop giving free international phone calls to high-spending customers.
In February, the Communications & Information Technology Commission (CITC) issued a statement calling on all three of the kingdom’s mobile operators to stop providing free overseas calls.
STC and Mobily – the local subsidiary of the UAE’s Etisalat – have both ignored the regulator’s ruling by continuing to allow their highest-spending customers to make and receive calls while abroad provided that they subscribe to a special tariff.
“We sent messages to our clients just to assure them that the free international roaming service is still activated and the CITC will not be able to ban it,” said a STC spokesman.
According to the spokesman, CITC wants to stop free international calls for security rather than competition reasons. It fears that people could use the free calls to plan attacks within the kingdom.
“CITC is frightened of people who buy illegal SIM cards and use them for free international roaming. But we chose to offer certain subscribers the excellence package since we know they are regulars,” said the spokesman.
Mobily declined to comment.
Zain Saudi Arabia charges local rates for calls to Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan where it also owns operators. It charges other overseas calls at higher rates.
The CITC declined to comment.