. RIYADH – STC announced that it has completed preparations to serve pilgrims for the 1433H Haj season, by employing all its technical and human resources to develop network technologies and capabilities, and to raise network capacity by approximately 60 percent. The company increased connection capacity between its servers by 100 percent, in addition to boosting international link circles by more than 192,000 circles, in an effort to keep pace with the growing numbers of pilgrims. STC also supported its networks in Makkah and Madinah with more than 747 new locations, aiming to raise the efficiency of mobile and 4G LTE networks. The change brings the total number of stations to more than 2400 in Makkah and Madinah, made available by STC to better serve pilgrims, to enhance the efficiency of the company's network and the services it offers to pilgrims while they visit the Kingdom. STC improved the services it offers to pilgrims by expanding its network coverage to “Mawaqeet” regions and the roads that connect them to Makkah, and by employing the latest mobile 2G technologies, and 3G with speeds reaching 42.2 Mbps, in addition to covering 53 sites in the Haram with a comprehensive list of telecommunication services, continuing to consolidate its leadership by providing the best and latest technologies with the highest international standards of quality. These projects fall in line with STC's commitment to continuously improve current services and to identify and respond to additional requirements for visitors and pilgrims by studying their demands and analyzing the potential growth in the market and in the increase in demand, to explore the possibility of expansion and redesigning of services to accommodate the increasing demands in the Haram region. It is worth mentioning that STC is the first operator to introduce the 4G technology in Makkah, where it achieved a leap of progress in data transfer speeds, allowing customers the convenience of 100 Mbps internet speeds wherever they are in Makkah. Meanwhile, STC enhanced the interactive TV “Invision” service features in an innovative way that allows customers to enjoy watching the latest movies on demand through their post-paid Invision account, or by entering their pre-paid SAWA card serial number, giving them a variety of options on their method of payment, and enabling them to control their own show time, not to mention their ability to select desired films according to their SAWA card account balance, a feature especially handy for parents as they can give their children a certain balance, giving them control over the amount of movies rented from Invision. Through STC's video on demand (VOD) service, Invision customers have the convenience of watching many of their favorite movies, dramas, and various programs in a modern way that reflects their need to control what they watch on their devices. Invision also offers exceptional internet speeds that reach 200 Mbps in addition to unlimited calling across the Kingdom, all in one bill, and for free. Customers also get to watch visual content in an impressive, interactive fashion, furthermore, they get to watch, pause, record, and replay their favorite shows. – SG
