I am sure the majority of you have heard of United Networks by now. It is a new Internet company owned and operated by KIPCO (Wataniya/MarinaFM/Showtime/Half of Kuwait). United Networks is targeting something a bit farther then purely providing Internet and attaching a satellite subscription. I believe United Networks are planning on delivering triple play services: Triple play in the telecommunication industry means that a company will serve data/voice/video. You can get all your media needs through one cable, one company. Video is carried over IPTV (Internet Protocol Television); Voice would be running on VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) all attached to the original high-speed line. The reason I believe that United Networks is targeting these services is from its alliances on its website; Showtime (One of, if not, the largest satellite subscription service), will be heading the video aspect. The Data will be operated and maintained by United Networks. And in the future a company will probably be established to deliver voice (Wataniya possibly), this hasn’t been established yet as MOC (Ministry of Communication) is currently controlling all voice lines, among other things. On their website there are many references to providing Voice/VOIP service, although it seems limited to interoffice connections.
What Kuwait needs:
Privatize MOC (Ministry of Communication)
I believe this is the next step for the Kuwaiti government; as it is the biggest reason for our dwindling telecommunication infrastructure. They have given up their hold on the gas industry; this can only come next. The current system/bureaucracy is a joke; you can forget about them ever providing or maintaining any decent service. Except for the fiber rumors .. they say MOC is currently deploying Fiber to the homes (I will believe it when I see it). This in itself is a huge step up as the current limitations in Kuwait in terms of telecommunication is the connection between the homes and the Telephone Exchange (Last mile connection). The current infrastructure will be unable to support IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) .. or VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) in that case. Basically, in a couple years from now .. Homes in Kuwait will have a little red box with a fiber line plugged into it. The box will connect your television, computer and telephone. The possibilities are endless; e.g. you could order shows through the Internet and manage phone calls from your TV. You could even order movies using a Wataniya xpress renewal card.
As always with Kuwait .. Etisalat (UAE) did it first.
hmm.. very interesting..
it seems unusable though.. very good idea but i guess it would take time for us to adjust and learn how to use.. i love my gadgets but took me a while to learn to not be able to live without them if u know what i mean..
Always keeping us abreast on the techie world..
Thanks K
Beyond Q8iya:
The new systems should be easier to use than the old system .. tv will still be controlled by your ’satellite reciever’, dsl will still be plugged in to a ‘router/modem’ and the phone remains just that .. a phone.
The only difference is that instead of having a million boxes all over the house, you will have one with a central control. As for the advanced features that come with the new technology, it will/should be very simple to use (which will play a huge part in its success).
ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.. interesting
the only bad thing of having all the service toghther is that they drop togther
if i can’t trust the privite sector for my Internet
or my TV ( showtimes is crazy sometimes )
why i want to give them more ?
privite sector in kuwait is a joke , its the same as government service but with more money
don’t we need fiber optics for that first?
and i suggest that united work on their customer service before venturing on more projects that they’d eventually choke up on cause of their crappier than crappy support
ForzaQ8:
The private sector does have its shortcomings in terms of the services offered .. however, the current state of the MOC (buildings/network) is in itself a joke. I partially blame the fasttelco fire on the inadequcies of the MOC building.
In terms of the telco companies .. MTC/Wataniya are doing a much better job introducing new services and maintaining their current systems than any government sector.
When the internet companies can fully operate and maintain their networks (currently stuck to MOC for several major links); they will be able to deliver the service the customer expects.
geo:
The fiber network is currently being deployed .. J’noob Surra should be completed within the coming months (I don’t really believe it tho).
As for their customer service .. its garbage to say the least. They don’t know what services they offer and those that they do offer are way to confusing to understand (50% off tv, and 10kd what?). Their website might look nice however, it is missing information(No information regarding majority of products offered), lost pages(try clicking around .. half of the website isnt there and thats when it works) and has useless sections (why add a voice section if you are only doing interoffice PBX).
That said .. I believe it will take some time to iron out the details. Its a fairly new internet company and it shows that their launch was rushed in order to be present at info-2006
oh and the site you linked ( which i think is the same one that they have in the paper they handed me in connect 2006 )
doesn’t work for me , great service !
Privatization is always desirable, but comes with heavy costs to both the government and civilian population. The reason the government maintains MOC the way it does - and nobody in their right mind would believe that it would intentionally create a bureaucracy - is so that it could provide jobs and maintain control over content. Privatizing and the streamlining it would entail would mean that hundreds of rubber-stampers would lose their jobs in the interest of efficiency. You try explaining to them why it is that in a welfare state, the government cannot provide jobs to its citizens. Not to say that it can keep up the game, which is partly why they’ve been complementing salaries of private-sector Kuwaiti employees with subsidies.
Just a random thought.
their internet’s been there ever since they acquired zak-net .. it’s just that now they have dsl along with the crappy satellite connections they offer
K I have been to the MOC and there is a qaraar min el Wizaara that VOIP is illegal! They made it illegal, because they say our infrastructure cant take it! What a load of crap!
But all the companies you mentioned that are doing this triple play has one common factor: Hamed Sabah Ahmed Al-Sabah.. bingo! Doors open and rules bent!
He is doing some good things, but the normal person doesnt get the same chance either!
Well I hope they get dont with Janub al Surra soon, I want to see the results.. I hope they dont screw it! I want them to finish the last mile problem once and for all!
ForzaQ8
Kipco (Wataniya/MarinaFM/UnitedNetworks) have good designers .. shitty admins. Half their websites don’t work .. and when they do they are missing info.
Boss
Sabah Al-Ahmed said that he could fire 80% of the government workforce and have it run much more efficiently .. but thats impossible. As for my post, I was merely looking at the best process from a technical prespective .. as for a political one, the bureaucracy works. Who else would hire a bunch of people that sit around and drink tea for four hours a day!
geo
They launched a complete data center .. that in itself is a huge accomplishment. There are big plans for United Networks; just wait and see.
Marzouq
VOIP is illegal because MOC is losing money .. any company that has international contacts can save thousands each year. I save over 100kd a month and I don’t use my phone that much.
The thing is, they are even banning VOIP pbx systems .. you have to go through alot of paperwork to get the equipment (even if its for interoffice). With the current trend in PBX systems .. there won’t be any non-VOIP ones in a couple years and the government will be forced to open the doors (like Saudiya and the camera phones).
In terms of Hamed Sabah Al-Ahmed .. I actually like what he is doing. The government puts so many restrictions on what can not be done .. he bends the rules and in the end the consumer benefits (can’t say the same for rival businesses).
As for Jnoob al9urra .. I will believe it when I see it, and even then .. what services will be offered. You can’t just run fiber and have nothing on it.
hmm.. interesting…
Dear KtheKuwaiti,
This sounds promising if it works out. I agree they should privatize all telecommunication services in kuwait.
truly,
Misguided
I am surprised, KWI is essentially a third world country with 1st world money pots outside the country. It like the landlord of a building that maintains it enough to keep the residents but nothing more nothing less.
There is no planning, no structure, nothing works and frankly I am amazed I even have an internet connection!
Why, because unless an until Kuwaiti’s realize they are not as smart as they think they are, nothing will change, this is Disneyland and the cartoon clowns are used to the same act day in day out. If they wanted change this country could be devastatingly efficient as they have the cash to make dreams reality, but somehow I think everyone is happy the way it is…
Fwiw, I criticize my country as often as the next person. However, the internet here is cheaper (and in some cases) faster than what is available in Europe. The roads here are cleaner, wider and much better maintained than 90% of the roads I traveled on in America.
Frankly your view is the same stale one I see from most foreigners who hate living here.
K, I’m with you all the way about what you said of most foreigners who hate living here… All they do is criticize and slander us… But I have to admit that the internet here is over-priced and slow compared to most European countries, unfortunately…
I’m optimistic that with more ISP’s launching it will only serve to benefit the situation and make it more reasonable for everyone…
Slowly but surely we’ll get there…
JoJo-Q8:
I am with you on the current situation of internet in Kuwait; its far from ideal. However, the issue is not due to the capability (or lack of) Kuwaiti ISPs. The cost (and speed) of internet is in direct correlation with the service provided by backbone links such as flagtel. With only one decent backbone connection (in itself is overpriced) Kuwaiti ISPs have their hands tied.
I believe the MOC needs to put an emphasis on developing better backbone links to the internet.. as the speed/quality issue does not lie within the inner-Kuwaiti network.
My issue with ‘Brit in KWI’ is that they ranted about Kuwait with no real correlation to the original topic. Unless you provide a solution to the issue at hand, its mostly sour grapes.
I just hope to god the internet gets better in our country, it’s very pathetic when you look at services offered in other countries. There’s a connection you can get in Japan, it’s 100MB down, and costs less than what i’m paying for a 512kb connection from Qualitynet. Let me rephrase that… 100mb is technically 200 times faster then a 512kb connection and is still cheaper !
Dear God, I hope the goverment starts to wake up and privatize MOC, or allow ISP’s more freedom. Honestly, I can’t blame foreigners for laughing at our country because alot of things are a joke.
Kareem ~
I’m sorry K, but Brit in KWI is not wrong. Internet in Europe is MUCH cheaper than here in Kuwait. I paid £15 (approx 8KD) a month for an 8Mb connection. And that was an unlimited monthly contract. In France it’s even cheaper and faster.
I read up a lot about Kuwait before I came here and one of the things I read was that Kuwait is renowned for its telecommunications. I can now see why.
I don’t think brit in KWI hates living here, he’s probably just as frustrated as many of us who come here by the lack of infrastructure, the high prices and the excessive bureaucracy.
Your title included “future of Kuwaiti internet” and I think he addressed that by giving an argument as to why little changes here and how slow change is.
BTW has anyone done a review of United Networks ADSL service? Is it reliable?
Get qualitynet, it’s the one that sucks the least out of the 3 mainstream (fasttelco, unitednet, Quality).