Mobily, Samsung sign $100m Saudi broadband deal

Mobily and Samsung have signed a $100m (SR375m) deal to roll out WiMAX services in 20 Saudi cities.

Mobily, the largest provider of mobile broadband in Saudi Arabia, said its WiMAX service would be extended to 20 cities in the kingdom under the deal through subsidiary Bayanat Al Oula, without naming any of the cities.

“We understand how anxious consumers and businesses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are to get fast and reasonably priced broadband service in a convenient manner,” said chief executive Khalid Al Kaf.

The Saudi telecom operator launched a residential WiMAX service in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar in September last year.

The broadband@home WiMAX service, which offers download speeds many times faster than 3G, has proven so popular that Mobily has decided to expand its coverage using a new technology known as WiMAX Wave2.

Mobily’s infrastructure partner Samsung will provide products for the expansion, including base stations, access service network gateways and all related equipment and services.

The company plans to launch its first WiMAX Wave2 commercial service in 2010 and aims to achieve nationwide coverage within the “next several years” after that, it said.

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