Qatar’s vibrant Information and Technology (IT) sector is booming driven by consistent rise in users and quality services by network providers. The level of satisfaction among users is also high due to consumer centric services provided by the telecom companies. Adoption of new technology in Qatar is also high as the use of Internet and new devices has increased significantly over the last 10 years.
According to a report released last month by the Planning and Statistics Authority, the number of computer and Internet users in Qatar has increased sharply. The annual growth rate for computer and Internet users in the period (2009-2018) was 9.9 percent and 10.7 percent, respectively.
The number of computer users among the population in the age group (four years and above) reached 2.2 million people in 2018, compared to 846,000 people in 2009; showing an annual growth rate of 9.9 percent during 2009-2018.
As per the report, the percentage of computer users among the population in the age group (four years and above) represents 82.7 percent of total population in this age group in 2018. The indicator is likely to rise in coming years due to high level of awareness among citizens and expatriates in Qatar. The telecommunications sector is contributing significantly to the country’s economy.
When it comes to Internet speed, Qatar has always been in the top league. Qatar augmented its ICT infrastructure and improved the Internet quality, and became the first country in the world to launch 5G services. The country has invested substantially in 5G technology which allows peak Internet connection speed to reach 1Gbps. The roll out of 5G has also accelerated the development of wider communications infrastructure in Qatar.
A 5G network has the capacity to allow 10,000 times the volume of traffic compared to LTE, and provides peak capacity of 10Gbps. Ooredoo was the first in the world to launch a commercially-available 5G network, and has made substantial progress towards rolling it out across Qatar. For users, 5G services means having access to very fast download and upload speeds compared to 4G network. 5G is also a great step for Internet of Things (IoT), applications that need extremely high speeds, and it will pave the way for a host of smart technologies such as smart cars, VR, AR and drones to be part of our everyday lives. Since the start of this year, many new mobile devices have also been launched in Qatar which are compatible with 5G services. With increase in use of such devices, their prices are also expected to fall in coming months. Compared to older generation, younger ones are swift in using new technologies.
The report by the Planning and Statistics Authority showed that the proportion of the population using computer in the age group (four-14 years) is 92.2 percent of the total population in the same age group in 2018.
The number of Internet users among the population in the age group (four years and above) reached approximately 2.3 million users in 2018, while it was approximately 816,000 in 2009, registering a growth rate of 10.7 percent during (2009-2018). The proportion of Internet users among the population in the age group (four years and above) to the total population for the same age group reached 51 percent in 2009 and 85.9 percent in 2018.
On the other hand, statistics show that the proportion of the population using Internet in the age group (four-14 years) is 88.8 percent of the total population in the same age group in 2018.
The number of Internet users per 100 population increased from 52 users in 2009 to 85 users in 2018.
The number of the workforce using the computer has increased. It was almost 589,000 in 2009 and became almost 1.7 million in 2018, which is 79.8 percent of the total workforce in 2018. The proportion of economically active population using Internet was approximately 579,000 in 2009 and became almost 1.8 million in 2018, which is 84.1 percent of the total workforce.
Statistics show that the number of fixed telephone lines per 100 inhabitants has fluctuated, as it decreased from 17 lines in 2009 to 16 lines in 2018. It is worth noting that the highest number of lines reached 22 in 2012.
According to the report, the number of mobile phone lines per 100 inhabitants reached to 143 in 2018.
The number of telecom customers is not only rising but the level of satisfaction among them is also very high. Results of a survey, released recently by the Communications Regularity Authority, shed light on the level satisfaction among business consumers in Qatar with their telecommunication service providers.
The results indicate that the percentage of overall satisfaction with telecommunication services reached 90 percent, where 84 percent were satisfied with the mobile voice services and 83 percent were satisfied with mobile Internet services (increased by 14 percent compared to the findings of the satisfaction survey 2015).
In terms of fixed-line services, 98 percent of consumers mentioned that they are satisfied with fixed voice services, 94 percent satisfied with fixed Internet services (increased by seven percent compared to 2015 findings), besides 90 percent were satisfied with leased line services.
Mobile services were the strongest performing segment with at least nine in ten such consumers reporting to be using Mobile Voice and Mobile Internet services (95 percent and 94 percent respectively).
In comparison, two thirds of the consumers reporting to use Fixed Voice services and just over half (55 percent) report to use Fixed Internet. Usage rates of Leased Line services continue to decline with only five percent of business consumers reporting to be subscribed to the service. The findings suggest businesses in Qatar are following global trends and moving towards emerging technologies rather than traditional telecommunication services.
As per the survey, the most important telecommunication services that help businesses in Qatar run effectively, in descending order, are Mobile Voice, Mobile Internet, Fixed Voice and Fixed Internet.
In 2019 the level of overall satisfaction with all telecommunication services has either increased or remained consistent when compared to the 2015 baseline study. Mobile Internet shows the largest gain in satisfaction, with an increase of 14 percentage points from 69 percent in 2015 to 83 percent in 2019.
According to the survey satisfaction levels vary according to geographic location of businesses in Qatar. Business users located in Doha and Al Wakra report higher levels of satisfaction with most telecommunication services when compared to other municipalities within Qatar. At least nine in 10 business consumers located in Doha and Al Wakra are satisfied with the network coverage, availability of services, network reliability, quality and clarity of voice and speed of data.
