Saudi telcos and ISPs ink FTTH open access agreement

Telecoms operators and internet service providers (ISPs) in Saudi Arabia have inked an open access agreement that will ensure the availability of fibre to the home (FTTH) services through any selected provider within Saudi Arabia.

The chief executive officers of STC, Mobily, Zain, Etihad Atheeb Telecom (Go), Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) and Integrated Dawiyat met in Riyadh on to finalize the agreement, witnessed by senior representatives from the country’s telecoms regulatory body, the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC).

The Governor of the CITC, Dr Mohammed AI Tamimi, said, “The adoption of an open access model will increase the use of our fibre-optic infrastructure through the development of commercial agreements that make it easier for subscribers to move from one provider to another.” 

Saudi Arabia has an internet penetration rate of 93 per cent, but the agreement will dramatically boost the availability of next generation FTTH fixed line connectivity in the Kingdom.