Qtel mobile customers reach 1.8 million mark

Qatar Telecom (Qtel), exclusive telecommunication provider in Qatar, has achieved 1.8 million mobile customers, up from the 1.5 million announced in November 2008.

Company representatives attribute the sharp rise in customer numbers in 2008 to the re-launch of two of Qtel's products: Hala Pay-As-You-Talk service, which saw record numbers of new customers apply for prepaid accounts, and the all-new Shahry postpaid mobile phone service.

Both services enabled customers to have lower bills. Besides, Shahry's 'One Free Number' plan allowed customers to choose one free number they could call free for life, said Qtel.

Adel Al Mutawa, Executive Director of Group Communications, said: "Qtel is delighted to report such strong success in the opening months of 2009, with our customer services business continuing to see growth and development."

"We have always said that competition would be good for the people of Qatar and good for Qtel, since it will enable us to demonstrate just how attractive our services are, and will encourage us to fully understand our customers' needs. We will continue to launch new innovations and deliver great value throughout the year and into the future, as we solidify our position as the first choice for world-class communication services in Qatar," he added.

In reaching its 1.8 millionth customer, Qtel has significantly grown its mobile phone customer base from 1.26 million recorded in 2007. Customer acquisition now exceeds the total population of Qatar, as people look to own multiple phones for business and personal use.

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