How does STC close the digital divide?

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is undergoing a radical, nationwide digital transformation.

When the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative was introduced in 2016,several digital programs were administrated under the initiative. Among these are collaborations between service providers and the government to build solid telecommunications infrastructure as part of the National Transformation Program, one of the Saudi Vision 2030's realization programs, enhancing both the fixed and mobile network infrastructure.

As part of this program, during 2018–2020, Saudi Telecom Company ( STC ), a market-leading digital enabler in Saudi Arabia achieved the roll-out of high-speed fixed broadband connections (fiber) to more than 1 million households and provided fixed wireless broadband connectivity to around 500,000 households, connecting more than 2.6 million people in 3,000 remote localities. In addition, the 4G mobile network has undergone extensive modernization and expansion to improve network performance.

STC was among the first service providers in the world to launch 5G, with commercial services available since June 2019 and currently has more than 1.5 million 5G subscribers. The network deployment has resulted in a 5G population coverage of 32 percent since the launch of commercial services, with a target of 42 percent by the end of 2022.

One key principle of the Saudi Vision 2030 is that access to the internet should be a basic right for all people in the KSA, regardless of personal economic conditions. An important objective with extending coverage, modernizing and optimizing STC's fixed and mobile broadband network performance is to further close the digital divide between densely populated and remote areas. The infrastructure should support flawless delivery of online services like e-education, e-government and e-commerce to consumers, enterprises and society. This is all part of stc's contribution strategy to the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic framework.

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Together with our solution and expertise, we landed in KSA in 2022,to be continued...