Vodafone goes live in Qatar

Vodafone launched its Qatar network yesterday for its first 1,000 customers who signed up under a special promotion.

The first 100 new customers will be able to access the network from 10 March, whilst the 900 others will be granted access days afterwards, Grahame Maher, Vodafone Qatar CEO, said at the launch.

Further tests need to be carried out before the network is switched on next week, Maher said.

To begin with, customers will only be able to make local calls and texts.

Full scale services will be available within a few weeks, Maher told Qatar’s Gulf Times daily newspaper.

The network will become ‘commercially active’ sometime in the third quarter.

“We will have set up adequate number of radio sites across Qatar by then,” Maher said. “More radio sites means greater capacity to connect customers.”

Four Vodafone stores will open in Qatar later this month, with six more to be opened before the network is commercially launched.

Both contract and PAYG services will be available.