Saudi telecoms newcomers find a tangled web

In 2007, Etihad Atheeb Telecom paid $139m for Saudi Arabia’s second fixed-line licence, bringing to an end a monopoly enjoyed by Saudi Telecom, the kingdom’s incumbent provider.

Customers, frustrated by the slow, unreliable internet service of Saudi Telecom (STC), quickly opted for the wireless broadband services, including voice and high-speed data, that Etihad Atheeb began to provide under the brand name Go in certain cities.

But two years on, a group of young Saudis has organised a boycott of STC, in protest at persistent high prices and poor service, while the newcomer’s managers complain that fair competition remains a far-off goal.