Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!bionet!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: 76340.2761@compuserve.com (Mike Doughney) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Saudi Arabia's Telephone System Message-ID: <14269@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 2 Nov 90 17:34:28 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 107 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 785, Message 1 of 6 I'm in the middle of an extended visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here's a summary of the telephone system in the Kingdom. Telephone Equipment: Stores here sell Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean telephones of all descriptions; in hotels here I've seen ITT, Stromberg-Carlson, Northern Telecom, and French made phones. American phones work here without electrical modification, but there's no standardization on connectors. In addition to the RJ11 and four pin plugs used in the U.S., a two pin plug, a plug with four large pins in a trapezoid arrangement, and a three wire slot type plug are also seen here. Every building is different, depending on what organization built it, and this lack of standardization extends to the AC power, which is 120 volts on U.S. type connectors or 220 on European two-pin or U.S. type connectors. I noticed in a newspaper article here that Hitachi switches are one of the brands used. Dial-tone, busy and ringing sounds are European, but hotel PBX's and certain exchanges provide U.S. type dial tone. I haven't had any difficulty completing local calls here, and transmission quality is generally good. Since I haven't seen any standard phone type in businesses here, I'm fairly sure that the Ministry of PTT doesn't usually provide a phone. Some stores sell a Korean made phone which has the Saudi logo and both Arabic and Western numerals on the keys. (Yes, numerals here are completely different from those used in most languages.) Touch-tone service is apparently standard at no extra cost. Calling Area: The entire city of Riyadh and a few small towns nearby are a local calling area. Calls in this area cost 0.05 Saudi Riyals (1.3 cents) per six minutes from a private phone, or 0.10 SR per minute from a pay phone. Calls outside this area, but inside the country, range from 0.20 SR (5.3 cents) to 1.50 SR (40 cents) per minute; a nearby city about 60 km away is in the 0.20 SR band. Kingdom-wide toll-free 800 number service is available; some of these numbers begin with 1. USA Direct service was temporarily available on 1-800-100; I don't know if it's still available as the PBX I'm on won't allow me to dial the number. International Calling: Direct international dialing is available from private phones, the access code is '00'. International calls are allowed from specially marked payphones only. Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, and Yugoslavia are listed in the phone book as direct dial countries, while the USSR, Poland, Romania and China are listed in the rate directory but are not direct dialable. Israel is not included in either list. Rates to the continental US are 9 SR ($2.40) per minute direct dialed, 36 SR ($9.63) first three minutes station to station operator handled and 9 SR each additional. Alaska is 16 SR ($4.26), Hawaii is 18 SR ($4.81) and Puerto Rico is 22 SR ($5.87) per minute direct dialed. For all countries there is a 20% discount from 23:00 to 08:00 daily, except for the UK and the US where regular rates apply between 08:00 Thursday to 23:00 on Saturday. The weekend here is Thursday and Friday. Rates to the adjacent countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are 3.50SR ($0.93) per minute, and 2.45SR ($0.65) per minute from 22:00 to 08:00 daily, Friday from 08:00 to 22:00, and on certain Islamic holidays. The rate list includes "Antarctic" at 18 SR per minute direct dialed. I think this was some kind of inside joke! The Phone Book: The phone book is two volumes: an English and an Arabic version. Both look a lot like a standard American phone book, with a big color photo on the cover and a modified Yellow Pages logo. It almost looks like American workers had a hand in its production; the Yellow Pages includes all the little promotional ads like "There are eight directories Kingdom-wide - increase your business by advertising in more than one" and "The Yellow Pages works 365 days a year"; also lots of reminders to "Call before you dig". There's a full page section on how to make Inmarsat telephone and telex calls; calls from the Kingdom to a ship are billed at 24 SR ($6.42) per minute. Mobile telephone service is advertised; it is some type of VHF system and not cellular as we know it. Emergency, business office, and directory assistance numbers are three digit numbers in the 900 range. Telephone exchanges begin with 220 and end at 786; apparently there are none starting with 8 or 9, at least in Riyadh. All phone numbers are 7 digits. Police is 999, fire is 998, ambulance is 997, traffic police is 993, and a "speaking clock" in English is on 963. There are maps showing where the subscription and billing offices are located, and a detailed city map showing the areas that each exchange serves. The term "NXX" is used on the map and on a table showing the different billing cycles by exchange number. The term "rate center" is used on the national rate chart. Send followups/questions directly to me, I'm not regularly reading the Digest right now. Mike Doughney, IDB Communications Group Inc. Unit K-5, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (76340.2761@compuserve.com) "Affiliation given for identification purposes only" [Moderator's Note: Thanks for an excellent report! And for those with followups, do please send them to the Digest as well as direct to the writer. Thanks. PAT]