Zain Jordan launches 4G services

AMMAN — Zain Jordan on Saturday launched fourth generation\long-term evolution (LTE) services in the Kingdom, which the government said will significantly drive data consumption.

The telecom provider invested JD280 million to introduce the services, an amount that includes the fees for obtaining the licence and upgrading their infrastructure, Zain Jordan CEO Ahmad Hanandeh told reporters on Saturday.

The new services, which feature higher data transfer speeds and capacities, covering all governorates, can provide up to 150 megabytes per second in Internet speed, according to Hanandeh. 

As of Sunday, customers can start subscribing and using the service, according to the company.

“The launch of 4G service in the Kingdom will significantly boost data consumption and app usage,” ICT Minister Azzam Sleit said during the press conference.

“Having such services will boost Jordan’s position in the telecom sector, as they will play a key role in enhancing the telecom infrastructure in the Kingdom,” the minister added. 

According to Sleit, Internet penetration in the Kingdom stands at 73 per cent at present, while smartphone penetration exceeds 65 per cent.

Mohammad Taani, chief commissioner of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, said the introduction of 4G services in Jordan will drive cloud computing and big data, two key IT services that heavily rely on speedy Internet.

According to Hanandeh, the recently installed LTE network covers all governorates, from 1,000 sites, to guarantee coverage quality.

The company will provide comprehensive coverage to all areas connecting the Kingdom’s governorates by the end of 2015, he added.

“4G\LTE technology caters to the evolving demand for Internet services in several segments, hence contributing to doubling productivity and efficiency in all [economic sectors],” Hanandeh said.

Citing international studies, he noted that a 10 per cent increase in broadband subscriptions results a in 1-3 per cent rise in economic growth.

Zain Jordan Chief Operating Officer Yousef Abu Mutawe, who also attended the press conference, noted that with the introduction of 4G, the Kingdom became the 9th Arab country to provide this technology, which is “an important milestone” in the development of the local telecom market.

Abu Mutawe said the availability of LTE-enabled devices in the Kingdom will help drive growth in the usage of such services. 

By using 4G, customers can enjoy video calls, communication through social media, high quality downloads through multimedia, according to Zain.