A mobile telephone company is suing the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) over its decision to ban a free international roaming service it has been providing to its customers. The company filed the lawsuit with the Board of Grievances. It is expected the matter will be heard next week. The company is refusing to implement a decision by the country's telecoms watchdog to end a bar on charging a roaming premium on incoming calls made abroad from Saudi Arabia registered phones. The CITC recently took a decision to end the free service. However, the company has pointed out that it cannot be banned from offering the free service. This is because there is nothing in the CITC's regulations to prevent it from doing so, it argues. Reliable sources at the company said it was contesting the legality of the decision made by the CITC. He said the company based its argument on the fact that there is not a single article in the CITC's regulations preventing it from offering this free service. He urged the public to visit the Commission's website and to go through the rules governing the operation of mobile companies in the Kingdom. The CITC wants a rate to be fixed at 50 halalahs for the reception of roaming calls, which will be half the cost of an international call from Saudi Arabia. The Commission also makes it imperative for the three mobile phone operators in Saudi Arabia to notify its subscribers about the matter. The CITC also wants the operators to abide by all future decisions. The CITC decision affects three mobile phone operators in the country, Mobily, Saudi Telecom and Saudi Zain. Even Shoura Council members appear to differ over the issue, Saudi Gazette reported on Feb. 14 this year. Dr. Sa'doun Al-Sa'doun, Deputy Chairman of the IT and Communications Committee at the Shoura Council had asked the CITC to explain its decision, stressing that it was in the interest of consumers that the service remains, unless there was a genuine reason to end it. He called on the CITC to conduct a study before stopping the service. However, Muhammad Abu Saaq, another member of the Shoura Council, described the CITC decision as positive because he argued that it was in line with international laws for companies. If implemented, the CITC's decision is likely to affect thousands of people who are clients of the three mobile companies. Some people have viewed this as a basic service and as an incentive to subscribe to these companies.
