Showing posts with label Wataniya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wataniya. Show all posts

Saturday, June 15, 2019

5G in Kuwait

Kuwait officially kicks off 5G network today - 15th June 2019. This comes after the Pilot operation of the fifth generation mobile operator networks completed successfully their trials. The chairman and CEO of the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) Engineer Salem Al-Ozainah announced on 28th May 2019. (CLICK HERE to read the official article).

CITRA has approved the additional spectrum in the existing LTE frequency range and new millimeter wave bands (24-86 GHz), which can support data rates of up to 20 gigabits per second. (CLICK HERE to read the official article).

What does it all mean for Kuwait? First and foremost 5G for Kuwait means faster internet speed. For now (15/06/2019), all three network operators will be matching their packages, approximately KD 45 per month for 1 TB of data along with providing a 5G compatible Router.

 CITRA has been keeping a watchful eye over the whole 5G network subject and its operators. On 17/06/2019, CITRA reminded all the operators of the commitments they made with the Regulatory in the year 2014 & 2015 about fair market competitions and pricing. More options were brought in the picture with amount options of KD 25 and KD 26 monthly with 2 year commitments with lower data packages.




CITRA
(Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority)
Instagram: citrakuwait (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: CitraKuwait (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: citrakuwait (CLICK HERE)
Service phone number: 125

Zain
(Previously MTC)
Company Name: Mobile Telecommunication Company
HASHTAG #5Gzain
Instagram: zainkuwait (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: zainkuwait (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: zainkuwait (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 107

Ooredoo
(Previously Wataniya)
Company Name: National Mobile Telecommunication Company
HASHTAG #Ooredoo5G
Instagram: OoredooKuwait (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: OoredooKuwait (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: OoredooKuwait (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 121

Viva
Company Name: Kuwait Telecom Company
Instagram: VivaTelecom (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: VivaTelecom (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: VivaQ8 (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 102

Related Articles

CLICK HERE to see the previous post on 'Kuwait's ambition for High Speed Internet'.
CLICK HERE to see the previous post on 'Internet in Kuwait'
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Saturday, January 5, 2019

Kuwait's ambition for High Speed Internet

Kuwait's thirst for faster internet speed has been growing. All the Service providers are moving in that direction, be it Fiber Optic cables or 5G networks. CLICK HERE to read the article about projects being executed towards that direction.

Ministry of Communication has been upping their game with Fiber Optic cable replacements of older cable networks in existing cities and installation of fiber optics in all newer cities. This is already helping in increasing the current 10 -14 Mbps to even more higher speed of 50-100 Mbps speeds. Current internet plans by the different Internet Service Providers (ISP) are as below (as of 5th January 2019).

With the Landline ISPs moving ahead in the game, the Mobile ISPs have also been eyeing the 5G networks,  with current speeds of 21 Mbps to 42 Mbps being provided on the 4G networks. Lots of Offer packages are out on all of ISPs.

CLICK HERE for the previous posts about the Internet in Kuwait.

Internet Service Providers of Kuwait

Quality Net
Instagram: qualitynet_q8 (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: qualitynet_q8 (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: QualityNetkw (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 1808888 , 1804444

FastTelco
Instagram: fasttelco (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: fasttelco (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: FASTtelco (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 1886666

KEMS
Instagram: kemsinternet (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: KEMSinternet (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: KEMSinternet (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 1822822

BOnline
(previously Gulfnet)
Instagram: bonlinekw (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: bonlinekw (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: bonlinekw (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 1816666

Mada
Instagram: mada_kuwait (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: Mada_Kuwait (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: Mada.Kuwait (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 1822888

BWireless
(previously WiMD)
Instagram: bwirelesskw (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: bwirelesskw (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: BWirelesskw (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 1800055

Zain
(Previously MTC)
Instagram: zainkuwait (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: zainkuwait (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: zainkuwait (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 107

Ooredoo
(Previously Wataniya)
Instagram: OoredooKuwait (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: OoredooKuwait (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: OoredooKuwait (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 121

Viva
Instagram: VivaTelecom (CLICK HERE)
Twitter: VivaTelecom (CLICK HERE)
Facebook: VivaQ8 (CLICK HERE)
Customer Care: 102

 UPDATES (01/10/2019): OCTOBER 2019


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Saturday, July 6, 2013

Ramadan 2013

Ramadan, a month recognized by Muslims (followers of Islam) is the 9th month of the Islamic Calender (which follows the Lunar cycle). Ramadan is a month of compulsory fasting which is observed by Muslims all  over the world. The importance of Ramadan is that The Divine Book from Allah (SWT) - The Noble Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The completion of the Quran took place also in this month and during the last 10 days. During this holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from Dawn to Dusk by abstaining from eatables (food and drinks including water), smoking and physical pleasure.

In Kuwait, during this holy month , non fasting people are to avoid eating and smoking in public places during the day hours. It is an offense by Kuwaiti law, if one is found doing so. Also, the restaurants are closed during day hours. So people who eat out during day hours should consider ready made foods or easy to cook foods at home. The best part is that the restaurants and supermarkets are open till dawn. Super Markets are open during the day hours for shopping purposes.

Based on the sighting of the new moon (crescent), the month of Ramadan (Islamic Year 1434 AH) may start on 9th or 10th July. The prayer times for the holy month of Ramadan can be download HERE (Courtesy to Kuwait Meteorological  Department, Kuwait).

UPDATE (08/07/2013) @ 9pm KWT local time: The Kuwait Crescent Moon sighting Committee announced that Wednesday, 10th July 2013 will correspond to the First day of Ramadan ( 01/09/1434). CLICK HERE for the source from KUNA (Kuwait News Agency).

UPDATE (08/07/2013): The Middle East and Egypt have announced that Wednesday, 10th July 2013 will correspond to the First day of Ramadan. CLICK HERE for the source from Al-Arabiya.
Ramadan 1434 - Year 2013 (Courtesy of National Bank of Kuwait NBK and Kuwait Upto Date)

The working hours for the government offices in Kuwait are reduced during Ramadan. So for this year, the Civil Service Commission has announced. CLICK HERE for the link to KUNA article. I will mention the gist of it below:

8 am to 1 pm
  • Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • Public Authority for Youth and Sports.
  • Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.
  • Environment Public Authority.
  • Ministry of Justice
  • Public Authority for Industry.
  • Ministry of Public Works.
  • Public Authority of Minor Affairs.
  • Ministry of Higher Education.
  • Kuwait General Administration of Customs.
  • Ministry of Communications.
  • Kuwait Fire Service Directorate.
  • Ministry of Education.
  • Credit and Savings Bank.
  • Ministry of Information.
  • Zakat House.
  • Public Authority for Housing Welfare.
  • Kuwait Municipality.
  • Kuwait Ports Authority.
  • Civil Service Commission.
  • Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources.
  • National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters.
Rest of the government bodies working hours are 9 am till 1:30 pm.

There are many posts about Ramadan by different bloggers, one can check them out.
Ramadan Timings for different places in Kuwait.
  • 360 Mall - Shop Timings: 11 am - 3 pm and 8:30 pm - 1 am
  • 360 Mall - Restaurants and Cafes Timings: 5 pm - 2 am
  • 360 Mall - Geant Hypermarket Timings: 10 am - 1 am
  • The Avenues Mall : 8 am - 2 am
  • The Avenues Mall - Store Timings: 10 am - 4 pm and 8 pm - 1 am
  • The Avenues Mall - Carrefour Timings: 10 am - 2 am.
  • Kuwait Finance House, KFH - Banking Timings: 10 am - 1:30 pm ( Sunday - Thursday )
  • Kuwait Finance House, KFH - Commercial Sectors Timings: 9:30 am - 1:30 pm and 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm ( Saturday - Thursday ) for Al Rai, Shuwaikh, Ahmadi and Dajeej branches.
  • Kuwait Finance House, KFH - Commercial Sectors Timings: 10 am - 1:30 pm ( Sunday - Thursday ) for Hawally, Salmiya, Sabahiya, Jahra and Qasr branches.
  • Wataniya Telecom - Kuwait International Airport : 24 hours / All days (Closed during Suhoor and Imsak time)
  • Wataniya Telecom - Head Office : 10 am - 2 pm and 8:30 pm - 12:30 am (Fridays closed).
  • The Scientific Center: 9 pm - 12 midnight (All days) and Saturdays (10 am - 1 pm) Ramadan Ticket prices: KD 1.750 (Adults) or KD 1 (Children).
  • Viva Telecom - Kuwait International Airport : 24 hours / All days (Closed during Suhoor and Imsak time)
  • Viva Telecom - Malls : 11 am - 3 pm and 8:30 pm - 12:30 am (Fridays only evenings)
  • Daman Inspection Center - Shuwaikh Timings: For Vehicle Inspection 9 am - 1:30 pm and 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm (Saturday to Thursday)
  • Daman Inspection Center - Shuwaikh Timings: For Insurance and Registration - 9 am - 6 pm and 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm (Saturday to Thursday), Friday (only evening) - 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm
  • Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) - Counter Staff Service: 9 am - 1:30 pm, 2 pm - 5 pm and 9 pm - 12 midnight.
  • Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) - ID Card Delivery Service: 7 am - 5 pm and 9 pm - 12 midnight.
Ramadan Timings for different establishment in Kuwait

UPDATE: Ramadan 2013 Masjid Al Kabeer Qiyam ul Layl Schedule for last 10 days of Ramadan. Also photos of the Renovated work done to the Grand Mosque.

UPDATE (28/07/2013): Qiyam ul Layl (The Night Prayers) for Last 10 days of Ramadan begin tonight in different Masjids around Kuwait. The prayers should begin by 12 midnight but it would be better for the people to check with the masjids/mosques about the start time. Some tips for attending the Qiyam ul Layl :

  • First and foremost Switch off the Mobile phones or at least turn it to silent and vibrate function.
  • Carry some drinking water with you so that you can have it between the prayer sessions.
  • Keep some dates / light snack for when you feel hungry OR probably when Suhoor / Imsak time approaches.
  • Have sufficient rest OR some power / cat nap before attending the night prayers. This will help you in paying attention during the prayers and mainly if you are driving to and from the masjid / mosque. Safety is important.
  • Also prepare yourself mentally and physically for standing for long duration ( roughly 2 hours).
  • If you are planning to sit on the chairs or four legged furniture, then be considerate to others standing behind you in the prayers.
UPDATE (06/08/2013) : CLICK HERE for article about Eid Al-Fitr 2013.
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Saturday, January 5, 2013

Infoconnect 2013 - Jan 27

Courtesy to www.waw.cc
The Infoconnect exhibition will be starting on the 27th January 2013 with the opening ceremony being exclusively for VIPs. Click HERE to enter the official site. A whole week of this exhibition in Hall No 6 and 7 of Kuwait International Fair Ground in Mishref is definitely a place to check out. I am hoping for some amazing offers to be kicking in, be it the telecommunication, internet services or hardware. Usually the telecom companies Zain, Wataniya and Viva go all out during the exhibition making it the most happening place.

The timings for the week from Monday to Thursday will be 9 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm. Friday 4 pm to 10 pm. One of my personal suggestions would be that people should check out the parking spaces for Hall no 6 and 7; and also the different entry and exits for the Kuwait International Fair grounds in the coming weeks, so that they can have less discomfort during the exhibition days as this is the cold and rainy season in Kuwait. The exhibition is to be closing down by 2nd February 2013. Update: Some photos from the Infoconnect Exhibition can be seen below.

















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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Internet in Kuwait

This has been one topic which I wanted to write about or atleast let people know of. This post is not going to highlight anything new but will summarize some of the things. 2012 brought the number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) down from 5 to 4 for Wired Connectivity.

The above 4 companies have been recently given licence by Ministry of Communication (MoC) for a period of two years for a fees of 250,000 KD (Kuwaiti Dinars). Also along with that, the ISPs were asked to reduce the prices by 40% bringing the internet to some tempting prices. This reduction of price was introduced quiet early (mid 2011) but many existing customers did not know about it until the Infoconnect 2012 exhibition held in Jan-Feb 2012. I doubled my speed after paying a small difference with the new price list. The prices list for all the above 4 ISPs are amazingly similar varying only by 1 KD in most cases. People term this as Monopolization. The above wired internet connectivity is still the most economical for people if one has landline.

Wireless Internet connectivity is slightly new to Kuwait but still not that popular as it is not known to many. Here is a blog post which gives you good idea about the Kuwait experience and price list. I really did enjoy Wireless Internet connectivity experience when I was in India, Bangalore. It was newly introduced into India in January 2007 and I became a testing customer. I had a 3 months of unstable up-down connection till the technical team could figure out the in and out of the technology. During that time, I still hanged onto the wired internet. In India, the wireless internet is not that far off in price when comparing to the wired internet connectivity. In Kuwait, the two companies handling this is WiMD and MADA.

The telecom internet companies are Zain, Wataniya and Viva. They are competing against each other for customers in varieties of products from

  • Mobile Internet for iphones, blackberrys and other smartphones.
  • Single User internet (USB devices)
  • Multi User Internet (Routers - Battery operated to standalone routers)
The telecom networks are still going to have a lot of challenge as they keep jumping the speed. Started with 256kbps to 512 kbps to 7.2 mbps to 21.6 mbps. I just hope that the network backbone can hold up as people in Kuwait are hungry for speed. Look into this blog post for a clearer picture.
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Sunday, December 7, 2008

Incoming calls on Mobiles FREE

With the VIVA network being activated on 3rd December 2008, the competetion has been started. Along with Viva, the other 2 networks, Zain and Wataniya have made incoming calls FREE. That is calls being received from other Cell networks, landlines and International calls are going to be Free (No charges are going to be applied). This has come as a relief for many people as they used to avoid receiving landlines. Now with this offer, people planning to make calls from their cellphones can grab their nearest landline phones and make calls to mobiles. This will help people on minimising their phone bills. I am sure more offers are on the way with the 3 networks competeting each other.

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Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Exact 8 digit phone numbers

The exact range of 7 digit numbers have been mentioned below in ascending order along with the network they belong to. The 8th digit should be prefixed based on the following:
9 should be added to all Zain numbers which belong to MTC (Mobile Telecommunication Company).
6 should be added to all Wataniya numbers which belong to Wataniya Telecom.
2 should be added to all Landline numbers which belong to MoC (Ministry of Communication).
1 should be added to all Commercial numbers that is Hotline 6 digit numbers (This also belongs to MoC).

800000 - 899999 Commercial Numbers 6 digit Hotline numbers
1000000 - 3999999 Landline
4000000 - 4099999 Zain
4100000 - 4399999 Landline
4400000 - 4499999 Zain
4500000 - 5009999 Landline
5010000 - 5029999 Wataniya
5030000 - 5049999 Landline
5050000 - 5099999 Wataniya
5100000 - 5199999 Wataniya
5200000 - 5499999 Landline
5500000 - 5509999 Wataniya
5510000 - 5539999 Landline
5540000 - 5599999 Wataniya
5600000 - 5699999 Landline
5700000 - 5709999 Wataniya
5710000 - 5779999 Landline
5780000 - 5799999 Wataniya
5800000 - 5899999 Wataniya
5900000 - 5999999 Wataniya
6000000 - 7019999 Wataniya
7020000 - 7029999 Zain
7030000 - 7090000 Wataniya
7100000 - 7199999 Zain
7200000 - 7299999 Zain
7300000 - 7399999 Zain
7400000 - 7499999 Zain
7500000 - 7599999 Zain
7600000 - 7699999 Zain
7700000 - 7769999 Wataniya
7780000 - 7799999 Wataniya
7800000 - 7899999 Zain
7900000 - 7999999 Zain
8000000 - 8999999 Landline
9000000 - 9999999 Zain

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