Announcement of the Names of Entities Applying for Universal Service Fund Projects

The Universal Service Fund at the Communications and Information Technology Commission revealed today that it had received three bids to compete for the first project of the Universal Service Fund. This came in response to the request for proposals document for the Fund's exploratory project, issued on 28/12/1430H (15/12/2009), which aims to provide voice communications and broadband internet services in the governorates of Khulais and Al-Kamil in Makkah, and the governorate of Al-Mahd in Madinah. The Fund received bids from the following entities:

1. Saudi Telecom Group.

2. Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily).

3. Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain).

His Excellency the Director General of the Universal Service Fund, Eng. Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Mubarak, explained that the Fund will evaluate and analyze the bids, God willing, according to the evaluation criteria and methodology set out in the request for proposals document for the Fund's exploratory project. This will be followed by determining the technically qualified entities according to those criteria, and then beginning to open the financial bids through a public session, attended by representatives of the technically qualified entities, after which the Fund will conduct the final evaluation and announce the entity that won the Fund's exploratory project.

His Excellency the Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Ahmed Al-Jaafari, praised the engagement of all entities that participated in the stages of the competition process, and wished everyone success in these developmental projects aimed at rolling out communications and information technology services throughout the Kingdom.