Communications and Information Technology Commission Announces the Success of the Hajj Operational Plan in the Holy Sites for This Year's Hajj Season 1435H

The Communications and Information Technology Commission Announces the Success of the Hajj Operational Plan in the Holy Sites

For This Year's Hajj Season 1435

Wednesday: 14/12/1435H

This year's Hajj season, 1435H, witnessed a significant increase in the use of communications and information technology services, as communications and information technology traffic on the networks of infrastructure-based communications and information technology service providers more than doubled, increasing by more than 300% compared to last year. The number of successful calls made from mobile communications networks in the Holy Sites exceeded 400 million calls during the Hajj days from the 8th to the 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah, with the average call success rate for this period reaching 98.82% of connection attempts. This rate is considered high given the extremely high density of users within the limited geographic area.

His Excellency Engineer Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Darrab, Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission, explained that the preparations and plans for this year's Hajj season 1435H related to the communications and information technology sector were implemented in an outstanding and successful manner. This success was achieved by the grace of God, and with the support and guidance of the wise leadership of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God preserve him –, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Advisor and Special Envoy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee, His Royal Highness Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Makkah Region and Chairman of the Central Hajj Committee, and His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Madinah Region and Chairman of the Hajj Committee in Madinah, with continuous follow-up by His Excellency the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Chairman of the Commission's Board of Directors.

His Excellency explained that these preparations included developing plans for operating communications and information technology networks and plans for restoring services in emergencies under the supervision of the Communications and Information Technology Commission and in coordination with licensed communications and information technology service providers, in addition to the Commission verifying the level and quality of the services provided by visiting call centers and subscriber care centers of communications and information technology service providers, reviewing live systems and real-time reports issued, obtaining performance-related information, analyzing data to identify causes, and then directing companies in accordance with the Commission's regulations. The Commission also conducts field measurements through an academic and research body as part of the Commission's program for cooperation with academic and research institutions to verify the performance level of mobile communications networks and the quality of service in a number of different locations in the Kingdom, including the Holy Capital and the Holy Sites during the last ten days of Ramadan and the Hajj season. The Commission also conducted a comprehensive survey of the frequencies allocated to government agencies in Makkah and the Holy Sites through a specialized technical team to ensure there is no interference on the frequencies used, in order to provide the best services, and assigned a specialized executive team in the Makkah region present around the clock (24/7) in the Holy Sites, as well as a central executive team in Riyadh to monitor network performance and service levels during the Hajj season, in addition to addressing interference and allocating the frequencies required during the Hajj period. Mobile communications service providers also intensified advanced 4G networks in the Holy Sites, reinforced the network with mobile stations equipped with high capacity and speed for 2G and 3G to serve roads and pedestrian paths that cannot be served by permanent sites, and provided coverage for a number of hotels, hospitals, and bridges in the Grand Mosque area and the Holy Sites to deliver advanced mobile phone services. In addition, coverage was provided for all important facilities within the Holy Sites, such as the Jamarat Bridge and hotels, through indoor coverage solutions to ensure service quality, and all tunnels surrounding the Grand Mosque area were covered. Data traffic performance was also improved by providing wireless internet services via Wi-Fi technology, despite the significant increase in usage and communications traffic. Service providers' networks were designed in an advanced manner to achieve the greatest possible continuity of service, increase their capacity and quality, and use virtual switch technology, so that traffic can be redirected between switches if one switch fails or its traffic volume increases, in order to provide and deliver the best communications and information technology services to pilgrims and the guests of the Most Merciful. The performance of mobile phone networks in Makkah, Madinah, and the Holy Sites was in line with the performance indicators approved by the Commission, based on international standards and metrics used on such occasions to measure the level and quality of service.

Engineer Al-Darrab affirmed that the Commission, with all its staff, will spare no effort in following up with companies licensed to provide public communications services, taking into account the experience and lessons learned from previous seasons, and continuing to begin work early to provide modern, high-quality communications services throughout the Makkah region and the Holy Sites to serve the guests of the Most Merciful. He prayed to God to preserve security and safety for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the land of the Two Holy Mosques, under its wise leadership, and to accept the pilgrims' good deeds, to make their Hajj an accepted Hajj and their efforts appreciated, and to return them safely to their homes.

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