"Internet for Everyone" now available in Qatar

Customers buying cards in certain prices will be awarded an extra 25% of usage time, while people purchasing the QR100 will gain a massive 50% extension in usage time.

The Ebhar service has gained popularity in recent months because it enables users to plug into their phone-line and access the internet using the details on the prepaid card. With no subscription necessary, time online is charged to the prepaid card, rather than the phone bill.

As a result, it has increased both the accessibility and affordability of dial-up internet within Qatar. The new promotion, which provides customers with extra time online for no extra cost, adds to the attractions of this pioneering country-wide solution.

"The Ebhar card service has really helped me to maximize the value of my time online," said Raymund Villon, a Qatar-based real estate professional. "With the prepaid card approach, I can really make sure that I'm in control of my internet usage, and I can access the Web from home and at work. I only arrived in Qatar before the summer, but Ebhar enabled me to go online immediately."

The new prices are in-line with Qtel's belief that affordable, internet connectivity should be available to all, recognizing the power of the web to connect people to both their community and the world at large.

"The internet is becoming part of everybody's life in Qatar, from schoolchildren through to senior executives. Qtel is continuing to invest in ways to make sure that everybody has access and the highest standard of service, and the new Ebhar promotion is one way that we are doing this,"

said Adel Al Mutawa, Executive Director of Group Communications, Qtel.

Increasing internet access in homes, schools and businesses is a key part of Qatar's economic development strategy, building the foundations for the advancement of its knowledge economy.