internet users

Following the recent offers on international calls, it seems that Qtel and Vodafone are starting to shift their attention towards Mobile Internet users. Vodafone Qatar is now offering free 300 MB Mobile Internet usage on top of its Flexi Plans until the end of September [1]. Vodafone Qatar has also announced that it will be selling a limited number of iPhones at its outlets [2]. Qtel on the other hand has just launched its new Mobile Internet Packs (50 MB, 250 MB, 1 GB, 3 GB, and Unlimited) along with its Shahry Plans at the prices of QR 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 respectively [3]. Unlike Qtel’s Mobile Broadband packages which are provided with “Data-Only” SIM cards, Qtel’s Mobile Internet Packs can be activated on your existing Shahry SIM card.

Good news for all religious poeple who thought internet is Haram:)

The first ‘Halal Search Engine’ is launched in UK. This search engine is intended to provide a safe option to potential Muslim internet users who might previously have avoided the internet for some of its less wholesome content. As the Internet use is increasing in Mideast and the North African countries, Imhalal.com is a solution for the Muslims users have stayed away due to religious concerns. The search engine will not return results considered haram, forbidden, and only show results that are halal, approved, under Muslim religious law.

Maher made the offer after internet users posting on the message board of the “Qatar Living” website expressed their dissatisfaction with the service during the four month test phase, citing patchy network coverage and difficulties connecting calls and receiving text messages.

Full story

Vodafone Qatar has offered to give the first 1,000 customers who used the network during its test phase a full refund following complaints about the service, as the PR battle between Qatar’s new mobile entrant and incumbent operator Qtel intensifies.

From a Q-Tel release:

Broadband Internet users in Qatar can now enjoy a wider range of speeds and more competitive pricing than ever before, with the launch of two new speed plans for Qtel’s ADSL service.

Customers now have a wider choice of options when they choose to surf the Internet, with 4Mbps or 8Mbps now available for those who want to enjoy an even faster browsing experience.

The higher speeds will enable customers to download films, music and games faster and more easily. The enhanced speeds now available are among the many benefits delivered through Qtel’s major ADSL upgrade, which began on 1 April 2009 as part of Qtel’s ongoing ’Broadband Anywhere’ initiative.

The new 4Mbps speed is available for QR400 a month, with the 8Mbps plan costing QR600. Both new speeds are subject to technical feasibility.

Qatar's people, institutions, and government have made steady progress in adopting ICT into daily life, according to Qatar's ICT Landscape 2009, the first country-wide, survey-based ICT study released on May 17th, 2009.

This first report provides a good understanding of where Qatar stands today compared to developing and developed countries in terms of ICT adoption by all sectors of the society, including residents, government, and the business community. It also looks at the education, health, and tourism sectors, as well as the ICT job market.

ictQATAR would like to clarify its position regarding notice of a public consultation it intends to conduct on how internet services within the State of Qatar may be kept safe and secure. The intended purpose of this consultation will be only to seek feedback from interested parties on how confidence in internet use might be increased.
ictQATAR has no legal mandate to regulate internet content. Information submitted in response to the proposed consultation may assist internet users, service providers and others to make informed decisions in managing internet content.
The proposed public consultation is a part of ictQATAR’s commitment to transparency and its dedication to engaging the public on important ICT issues to assist in achieving its objective of an information-based society.

Every parent knows that the Internet is a powerful resource that can connect his children to the rest of the world, bringing valuable information almost instantly that was once only available in libraries. But parents also know that if not monitored, the Internet can expose children to harmful images and information. What can government do to help protect Internet users from harmful content?

Number of Net users set to cross 350,000 this year

THE number of Internet users in Qatar is expected to cross 351,000 by the end of 2009, thereby driving the growth of business opportunities across the country’s IT spectrum, according to recent industry reports.
In line with this, Netgear, a networking solutions provider, has launched its new series of versatile wireless routers, which have been designed to meet the varying needs of Qatar-based clients, especially media enthusiasts, ‘prosumers’ and users who are always on the go.
The new range of heavy-duty wireless routers include the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNDR3700), the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Modem Router (DGND3300), and the 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router (MBR624GU).