STC Develops Performance Indicators to Enhance Service Quality

STC Develops Performance Indicators to Enhance Service Quality
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STC Develops Performance Indicators to Enhance Service Quality

STC Develops Performance Indicators to Enhance Service Quality

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is working to improve the quality of telecommunications services in the country, after announcing yesterday that it has issued a new update to regulate the quality of service provided by licensed telecommunications service providers.

STC revealed Thursday that the new update includes organizing the standards and key performance indicators of landline and mobile telecommunication services in addition to advanced internet services for end users.

In this regard, Saudi Arabia Communications and Information Technology Commission clarified that the new update will become applicable starting the fourth quarter of 2018.

"This aims at developing ICT services, providing high quality communication services to subscribers and enhancing transparency among subscribers through the dissemination of benchmark data for service providers and guaranteeing a minimum quality of telecommunications services to subscribers; which is a key element in stimulating digital transformation to achieve the objectives of the National Transition 2020 Program, Kingdom Vision 2030 ».

Regarding the mobile telecommunication services, the latest STC report revealed that the number of mobile services users reached by the end of last year around 40 million subscribers, while the prepaid subscriptions reached around 74.8 percent. The report noted that the number of landlines reached 3.6 million by the end of last year.



Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
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Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.