New rules for setting up of telecom tariffs in Qatar to come into effect on January 1
There was a time in Qatar when Ooredoo, then known as QTel, used to be the only mobile phone service provider. Then Vodafone appeared on the market, and the competition helped bring down mobile phone tariffs considerably.
The tariffs in the country are likely to fall even further from January 1, 2019, thanks to a decision by Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA).
The CRA has issued a decision to promulgate the new Retail Tariff Instruction (RTI) for telecommunications services to improve the consumer experience and ensure sustainable competition and development of the telecommunications market in Qatar, reported Gulf Times.
All service providers in the country are expected to comply with the decision issued by CRA president Mohamed Ali Al Mannai.
The new RTI is expected to provide service providers with even more flexibility. It allows the introduction of new tariffs and promotions targeting specific sectors or customer segments, reported Qatar Tribune.
Service providers will be required to publish the tariffs and promotions on their respective websites. CRA sees this as a regulatory best practice to encourage competition in the telecommunications market.
“The CRA is keen to promote sustainable competition and ensure the provision of a broad range of high-quality and innovative services in the telecommunications market,” Al Mannai was quoted as saying.
“The new RTI is developed to encourage service providers to offer higher quality services at lower prices and tariffs tailored to customers’ specific needs. This will, in turn, benefit both the service providers and consumers, and will lead to the development of the sector in Qatar,” he added.
The new RTI aims to increase transparency of tariffs by different companies and to avoid the introduction of illegal tariffs.
The service providers will have four months from January 1, 2019, to regularise illegal tariffs in the market and to move their customers to the tariffs that are in compliant with the new RTI.
They'll have to open up voip calling like whatsapp and Skype again before they can talk about 'improved services/transparency/illegal tariffs'; a market environment that blocks out competition and imposes difficulty upon a huge section of its population cannot expect to be seen as fair or free or unrestrictive; i'm not a heavy phone/voip/internet user anyway and i personally don't care; but there is a huge chunk of the qatar population that cannot afford even the lowest prepaid rates, let alone a postpaid subscription; it is these people that have been hardest hit by the voip calling block and to me its just unfair and cruel to deprive them of the only means they have to connect with their loved ones who are a world away from them while they work hard to build this country with their sweat and tears and blood; just so that ooredoo can shore up its bottom line; may Allah open our doors ameen.
I hope this improves communications to abroad. It's really ashame that we cannot video call out loved ones because of the local operators wanting to have the monopoly of communications and blocking apps like whatsapp and Skype. I felt really disappointed this Christmas were I couldn't even video chat with my family. Really bad.
One second pulse, pay as you go, is must. Hope it is included in the instructions. The current 1 minute pulse is unfair.
finally , something is dropping down . and its not my salary .
The charges should be less comparatively as on date..
previously I was paying 250 QR for home connection +Internet but now it is QR 300 QR per month without providing any extra channels.. We have put Dish Antina to get our favourite channels.
Please reduce rate for Mobile and Oreedoo both.
Thanks