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chapter: Privatization and Deregulation
Information Technology in Qatar
Telecommunication Infrastructure
The telecommunications infrastructure in Qatar in fairly new when compared to other nations. Qatar‰s first telephone lines were put in place in 1953. In 1972, the government signed an agreement with Cable & Wireless Ltd. of the UK, to form the Qatar National Telephone Service.Domestic and international telecommunications are excellent. In 1992 Qatar had 110,000 telephones, or twenty-three per 100 inhabitants, a per capita figure higher than many European nations. Radio-relay and submarine cables link Qatar with all the Arab states around the Persian Gulf. Three satellite ground stations, one operating with the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization's (Intelsat) Atlantic Ocean satellite, one operating with Intelsat's Indian Ocean satellite, and one operating as part of the Arab Satellite Communication Organization (Arabsat) system, provide excellent international telephone and data links and live television broadcasts. Seven AM and three FM radio stations have programs in Arabic, French, Urdu, and English. A powerful shortwave station with broadcasts in Arabic and English is heard worldwide.
Telephones: 160,717 (1992 est.)Telephone system: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: NA
international : tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2
FM 3
shortwave 0Radios: 201,000 (1992 est.)
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0
Television broadcast stations: 3 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 205,000 (1992 est.)
Qatar Public Telecommunications Corporation (Q-Tel)
Qatar Public Telecommunication Corporation ( Q-Tel ) was established on 29/6/1987 following the merger of three communications entities. Q-Tel's capital is one Billion Riyals owned totally by the Government of the State of Qatar. It is the sole legal provider of telecommunications services in the State of Qatar and one of the few telecommunications corporations in the world that offers free national calls.Q-Tel's InfrastructureQ-Tel's mission is to provide high quality state-of-the-art-telecommunications and telecommunications services on a profitable basis in order to support and assist the economic, industrial and social development of the State of Qatar.
Q-Tel's workforce at the end of 1997 stood at 1670 of whom 361 are Qatari nationals excluding the trainees who reached a number of 98 in 1997.
Q-Tel's infrastructure embraces a network architecture which optimizes network utilization supporting over 165,000 subscribers and facilitating over 100 million minutes of international calls and over one billion national calls per annum. The full capacity of the network isMulti address transmission concurrently to 7 destinations
216,000 lines at the time. Q-Tel has 10 digital national exchanges which provide many customers facilities, value added, Multi media and telematic services such as :
All telephone calls within Qatar are at present free, charges only being made on international calls.Telephone Services:1.The International Exchanges
2.Q-Tel's Existing Network
3.Mobile Network
4.Global System for Mobile Communications
5.Radio Paging System
6.Other Systems in Use
7.Q-Tel 's Fiber Network
8.Q-Tel's Earth Stations
9.International Telecommunications Services
10.The Coastal Station
11.Q-Tel's Communications Centers
12.Computerization
Business Service
Facsimile
Telex
Telegrams
The Public payphones
Qatar Cable Vision
Mobile services
Trunk Mobile Radio (TMR)
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
Voice - Mail Service
Numeric Mail
International Toll Free Service (800)
High Speed Digital Link
Najma Services
Najma Conference Facility
Najma Call Waiting
Najma Call Barring
Call Forward Follow me
Wake up call
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
Customer Services Engineering Center
Increasing Efficiency And Productivity
The Backbone
Local Digital Exchanges
Rayan Exchange
Linking Up the Rural Areas
The Customer Service System
Electronic Telex and Data Switch EDXS
The Inter mediate Data Rate (IDR)
Qatar Amateurs Radio Society (QARS)
Communications Services at Ras Lafan Gas PlantInternational ExchangesIn view of the importance of international communications, and in order to reduce congestion during public holidays and occasions, the number of international circuits was increased to 3360 with the installation of the second International Digital Exchange in Madinat Khalifa with the world's most modern technology.
Khalifa Town exchange was commissioned on 27/5/1992. Concurrent with this was the commissioning of Doha Central Exchanges. Both exchanges represent Qatar's gateway to the rest of the world and currently handle more than 60 million outgoing international calls
per year, to over 215 countries.
Q-Tel's Existing Network
Number of the national digital telephone Exchanges 10 Equipped Capacity 165,000 lines Working Subscribers 137,495 Average Annual Growth 5% Mobile Auto Telephone System (MATS) Equipped capacity 4500 Working Subscribers 4189 Global System for Mobile Communications
Equipped Capacityworking Subscribers
35,000 29,533
Radio Paging System
Equipped capacityWorking Subscribers
100,000 61,813
Other Systems in Use2 international Exchanges
1 Telex
1 Packet Switch
1 Message handling Switch
1 Earth Station ( Intelsat, arabsat)Q-Tel 's Fiber NetworkQ-Tel's first Fiber Optic Link was commissioned in 1986 between Khalifa Town and Doha. In 1993 Q-Tel established the first link using Synchronous Digital Hierarchy ( SDH) technology between Airport and Ras Lafan with add Drop Facility through seven sites. In 1995 Q-Tel expanded the SDH network to all its sites and some important subscribers' premises. In addition to this there is a QCV STM - 16 Fiber linking Rayan City and Ras Lafan and the GIS network which plays a very important role in the planning and development of all public services such roads, Electricity, Water. Big subscribers like Qatar University are all
Q-Tel has four fibre optic networks:1.FOG - Fibre Optic Gulf
2.Q-Tel Fibre Optic Network
3.Computer Fibre Optic Network
4.GIS Geographical Information System.
interconnected by Fiber Optic Network.
Q-Tel's Earth Stations
Q-Tel has three earth stations working with three different satellites, named Intelsat Indian Ocean Region , Intelsat Atlantic Ocean Region and Arabsat. Doha Earth Stations are linked directly with 41 destinations. In addition, simultaneous television programs to and from Qatar are handled via them. During normal working, 90% of telecommunications services and TV programs are routed through earth stations. On special occasions such as summit meetings, conferences and international sports events exceptional arrangements are made to provide dedicated telephone lines and TV coverage.
International Telecommunications Services
Almost 90% of all Qatar International traffic passes through earth station to Intelsat and Arabsat. In 1993 Q-Tel introduced the Intermediate Data Rate to its earth station systems to provide most advanced and high quality telecommunications service such as Data Service and Integrated System Digital Networks ( ISDN ) and Video Conferences in addition to the increase of capacity of Telecom circuits up to five times.
Coastal Station
Q-Tel's Coast Station ( Doha Radio ) call sign is Radio/A7D handles all types of Radio maritime telecommunications services for local and international ships equipped with radio communication equipment and positioned at high seas. Its area coverage is complete Gulf, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean and part of Atlantic Ocean. The Coast Station offers the clock services for calls in telephony, telex and for sending telegrams from coast to ships and vice versa. It also provides services to all vessels, shipping companies and the public. Navigation, gale warnings and weather reports to ships is provided in addition to dealing with distress calls. More than 300 ships contact Doha Radio daily by using Inmarsat satellites.
Q-Tel's Communications Centers
Q-Tel's objective is to provide telecommunications services to its customers everywhere in the country at any time required. Q-Tel translated this objective by establishing Telecommunications Centers in different locations.
Computerization
Oracle is the existing financial system which replaced the financial Information System (FIS), and is based on international Standards Corporate Financial System implemented in 1995. It is integrated with the CSS, allowing Q-Tel to control its costs and at the same time provide subscribers and customers with a cost and efficient service.
Trunk Mobile Radio (TMR)
Qatar is the second country on the Gulf to introduce the Trunked Mobile Radio Service (TMR). A business-oriented telecommunication service which was launched by Q-Tel on 12/9/1994. It is a fully automatic mobile radio network which is designed to provide an advance radio communication facility and rapid communication between mobiles and base stations to a large number of users groups.
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
Qatarnet is the most sophisticated mobile communications network in the world. It is a digital cellular telephone system conforming to the GSM standard. Q-Tel is the first operator of this standard in the Middle East.
The official beginning of the GSM age in Qatar was on Monday 22/2/94 at 9.30 pm in Doha and 12 noon on Tuesday 23/2/94 in Arlington Heights in USA, when H.E. Mr. Abdullah Bin Saleh Al Mana rang up the vice president of International Cellular Division of Motorola in Arlington Heights from Doha Club and said ˆ"Hello we have just started GSM thank you very much " .
Qatar's new network, installed by a Motorola and Siemens consortium, started with a capacity of 25,000 , and expanded to 75,000 lines. It covers the entire country through 37
reception/ transmission stations. Noiseless, clarity of voice, mobility and small sets which can be used anywhere the system is applicable. Other facilities are: show the number of the dialing person on the other end and prevents eavesdropping. Roaming facility was launched with Bahrain and Britain as a start on 18/1/95. Q-Tel has roaming agreement with 35 countries all over the Globe and subscribers from Qatar can activate their mobile phones the moment they land at their destinations by simply pressing the start button on the GSM phone. Q-Tel GSM service includes call waiting, call transfer, advice of charge, connected line identity presentation and data services at speeds up to 9600 Bauds.Qatar Cable Vision
Beaming with pride, Q-Tel's own satellite television network, Qatar Cable Vision was launched ahead of schedule on 1.6.1993. Under the QCV basic service, the subscriber has access to 14 channels, including CNN, the world news service famous for its' coverage of the Gulf conflict, leading Arabic language entertainment channel MBCC, and the BBC World Service, renowned for its' the quality and impartial nature of its news coverage.
Subscribers who like to rock around the clock, QCV offers MTV, with its 24- hour diet of videos, Vjs and the latest from the world of rock and pop. Q-Tel's Cable TV subsidiary, also offers a dedicated children's channels.Connection of QCV service to subscribers has been licensed to eight national dealers under Q-Tel's control. The number of customers has reached 40,000 by 31/1/98 in the basic channels , 12,000 customers in the premium, 15,000 customers in the children channel, 12,000 customers in the Music channel and 1500 Hotel rooms.