One of the most comprehensive studies of broadband communications ever conducted in the region has confirmed that Qatar currently offers broadband prices that are between 10 percent and 23 percent lower than that of the average of other GCC nations. As a result, the study concludes that average residential broadband prices in Qatar are the lowest of the six GCC nations. The study, by international management consulting firm Arthur D. Little, provides one of the clearest indications yet of the progress of the “Broadband Qatar” strategy, which aims to provide affordable, high speed internet connectivity to as many people as possible in Qatar. Arthur D. Little's research is being factored into the technical and service blueprint for the Broadband Qatar strategy. As well as the data on pricing, the study also mapped out some of the physical and technological challenges currently facing Qatar. Thomas Kuruvilla, managing director, Arthur D. Little Middle East, said: “Qatar is making very important steps towards its goal of providing high speed broadband to residents and businesses at affordable rates. Our study suggests that current pricing is as much as 23 percent less than other GCC nations, as a result of innovative and pragmatic customer-focused infrastructural investment.” Karim Taga, who leads Arthur D. Little's technology economics competence center, said: “There are some geographical and technical challenges facing Qatar in its ambitions for broadband. As a small nation with a concentrated population, there is a physical limit to the number of base stations and sites that can be established to support the service. However, with the clear strategy Qtel has in place, and the progress made so far, it is well positioned for ongoing development.” As the major provider of Internet services in Qatar, Qtel has continued to provide a range of improvements and enhancements in recent months. In addition to keeping the costs for broadband access as affordable as possible, it has offered upgrades including enhancing the barQ ADSL email storage free of charge in October. At the same time, Qtel reduced additional data download charges for its mobile broadband service by 90 percent. Adel Al Mutawa, executive director of Group Communications, Qtel, said: “The Arthur D. Little study provides important independent validation of Qtel's success in extending broadband services across Qatar and also helps us better understand the challenges ahead. We have set ourselves the twin targets of offering innovation and value-for-money across our service offering, and we are succeeding in these goals.” A 2008 study by Arab Advisors Group confirmed that by the end of 2007, fixed line broadband penetration as a percentage of the total population was the highest in Qatar for any nation in the Arab world. __
