Saudi Arabia’s Communications & Information Technology Commission (CITC) has announced communications and ICT infrastructure are fully operational to address the needs of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in Makkah and Medina, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Over a million worshippers expected to make the pilgrimage this year. In line with this, the SPA highlighted that the CITC has done everything to ensure that digital infrastructure in and around Makkah and Medina can support the connectivity needs of pilgrims.
The regulator assured that it has done the necessary steps to ensure the smooth functioning of more than 5,900 towers and more than 11,000 WiFi access points in the Two Holy Cities. It has also overseen a 41 percent increase in 5G towers to reach more than 2,600 5G towers.
“The Kingdom’s infrastructure readiness will not only help smooth the passage of fulfilling a lifelong dream,” said Dr. Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi, “it will significantly enhance their digital experience.”
#CITC announces the readiness of the ICT sector to serve pilgrims of this year’s #Hajj season.#Hajj2022 pic.twitter.com/VNd0H8WHem
— هيئة الاتصالات وتقنية المعلومات (@CITC_SA) June 29, 2022
According to the SPA report, the deployment meant that Makkah and Madinah will have some of the fastest mobile download speeds in the world with 203 Mbit/s and 223 Mbit/s respectively.
“With worshippers traveling to Saudi Arabia from every part of the planet, we are ensuring that this year’s pilgrims have the most innovative and interactive Hajj experience in history. That’s why the ability to seamlessly communicate this life-changing experience is so important,” said Governor Al-Tamimi.
