Telecom firms unmoved by boycott campaign

People's anger can be gauged by their Tweets.

Most customers think telecom firms are unmoved by the campaign. (SPA)

JEDDAH: Saudi telecommunication firms face a social boycott launched by clients protesting high prices and "bad services" provided by these companies.
The boycott will cause losses that could reach up to SR50 million if the campaign continues for more than a month, according to an economist.
The boycott started at 6 p.m. Sunday and it will continue for three hours every day. All SIM card users have been requested by campaigners to switch off their phones for three hours every day.
The boycott has been seen as the first of its kind in the Kingdom. Many users of SIM cards complained of an ongoing blocking of free-call applications for smart phones and stopping provision of unlimited Internet packages.
The boycott of telecommunication services has also taken others forms. Thousands of users have unfollowed Twitter accounts of telecommunication companies to create pressure on them to reduce prices and improve services.
One of the Saudi telecommunication companies had announced that it would stop offering unlimited Internet packages, while other firms had said the service and packages would resume. The Communications and Information Technology Commission has remained silent about the decision, sparking intense debates and discussions on social media.
Telecommunication firms have maintained silence too in the face of the boycott. This has encouraged many customers to join the campaign. Most customers think telecom firms are unmoved by the campaign.
Economist Fadal Bou Al-Ainain said telecom firms would lose more than SR50 million if the boycott were to continue for more than one month. The firms review their sales reports every month to check their performance in the Saudi market.
Speaking to Arab News, Al-Ainain said this kind of boycott is happening for the first time in the Kingdom. This boycott has been organized very well and it will give highly positive results. The results would impact on the reputation of the firms.
Several sales branches of telecom firms in Riyadh witnessed a low number of visitors and clients, according to a local report. To make matters worse, the boycott comes at a time when the Saudi market is witnessing a recession.
“The boycott campaign will force Saudi telecommunication firms to review their prices and quality of services. There are no other options to avoid huge losses. Organizers of the boycott campaign succeeded in using the social networking websites to encourage users to join the campaign,” Al-Ainain added.