Zain to use Mobily's network to run its services

Mobily announced in a statement that a number of agreements have been signed with the up-and-coming company, including one for national roaming.

According to the agreement, Mobily will provide the necessary logistic assistance for Zain to bring its operations up to speed for the next few years. Zain will use Mobily's microwave towers, and will utilize its network to plug any holes in its coverage once the service is up and running.

In the statement, Mobily said that it welcomes all competition, adding that it believes that Zain's presence in Saudi Arabia will add value to the national telecommunications market, with the consumer being the ultimate winner.

Out of its belief in cooperation and free, fair competition, Mobily will insure active interconnectivity for voice and video calls and MMS as of day one for Zain's operation in the Kingdom.

Mobily had been able to provide complete coverage of all cities, regions and main highways in the Kingdom within the first year of its operations using its state-of-the-art network. The company soon became the fastest growing network in the region.

According to the GSM Association, Mobily is the largest HSDPA-based 3G and 3.5G operator in the Middle East and North Africa. Mobily was also the first Saudi operator to have a license to run 3G in the Kingdom, which commenced in the summer of 2006. Today, Mobily serves more than two million 3.5G users.

Recently, Mobily acquired Bayanat Company, and thus its share of a project to establish a 12,000-kilometer network of Fiber Optics throughout the Kingdom.