Coinciding with the Saudi Telecom sector’s major success in launching the first 5G network in the Middle East and North Africa region, competition in the telecommunications sector is expected to increase significantly.
Broadband Internet services are one of the most advanced telecommunications services in terms of demand and use.
Recent figures show that the number of subscribers to Broadband Internet services in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2017 via mobile networks reached 29.7 million, while fixed-line subscribers reached 2.5 million.
Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) Prof. Abdulaziz Salem Al Ruwais received a cable of thanks for the Kingdom's success in enabling the first successful launch of 5G services in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The launch will have a significant impact on increasing Internet speeds. It will also boost the use of modern applications in the Kingdom such as smart city services, digital homes, connected vehicles and other applications, bringing prosperity to digital economy.
In a report issued last week, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) praised the Kingdom's leadership in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Saudi Arabia is one of the leading countries in the early launch of this technology.
An annual report of the Communications and Information Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia revealed a remarkable growth in the size of the e-commerce market in the country, with figures showing that the size of the e-commerce market last year 2017 amounted to about 29.7 billion riyals ($ 7.92 billion).
It also showed that last year saw some 8 million buyers using electronic sites and applications in Saudi Arabia, with the average annual spending of the online shopper standing at about SAR 3,942 (about $1,005).
The report showed that “females” outnumber "males" in the percentage of e-commerce use, and the report showed that 88 percent of e-commerce users in the Kingdoms are Saudi nationals.
Internet service prominence has increased at a high rate over the past years, jumping from 64 percent in 2014 to 82 percent by the end of 2017. Saudi Arabia has over 26 million Internet users.
The telecoms sector in Saudi Arabia is entering a new and more competitive stage, another recent decision by the Ministry of Communications in the country to lift the ban on calls applications increased competition among telecommunications service providers to make the best offer on Internet packages.