MyAdhan Blog

Link: Pornographic Material on Saudi Teenagers Phones

A new study published by Professor Abd Allah El Rasheed showed that 70% of the materials on Saudi Arabian teenager’s mobile phones are pornographic materials! Obviously in a country where Islam is dominant religion and where there are strict traditions and values this is atrocious. The study then focused on men arrested for harassing women by the ‘Amr Be Al Marof Wal Nahy An El Monkar’ group and their mobile phones. These men’s phones further proved the study. In addition to this, the study showed that 88% of Saudi Arabian women say they have been harassed via Bluetooth! Obviously it is very hard for the country to curb this pandemic as there it is extremely difficult to catch those who spread these materials using Bluetooth. I also imagine it’s hard to completely ban Bluetooth in Saudi Arabia as it is also a great tool to share pictures of family members and clips of the Holy Quran for example! This problem is not only present in Saudi Arabia, it occurs everywhere in the world and I have seen it in nearly every Arab country I have visited.

Link: Oman: Arab Telsat 2007 exhibition culminates tomorrow

Telecom and IT professionals only have until tomorrow to visit the Arab Telsat 2007 Exhibition, which was formally inaugurated yesterday and is being held at the Oman International Exhibition Center in Muscat.

Link: Sudan: Lakes State minister to discuss telecommunications facilities in Juba

The Lakes State Minister of Information and Communication, Adak Costa Mapuor has said Telecommunication Services should be improved in Lakes State. Speaking at Rumbek airstrip before her take off on Friday for Juba, Adak Costa told Sudan Tribune she would meet with Government of South Sudan’s (GoSS) Minister of Telecommunication and Postal services, Gier Chuang Aluong. She added that she would also meet with the new Ministers of Information and Social Development on issues of women empowerment.

Link: Pakistan: Cellular network errors irk customers

Despite repeated warnings issued by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), millions of mobile phone customers continue to suffer as the networks of major cellular operators remain out of work due to issuance of excessive connections. A senior PTA official on condition of anonymity told Online that most of the complaints had been lodged against Mobilink, a subsidiary of Egypt-based Orascom, which shared almost 50 per cent of the total 90 million mobile phone customers in the country.

Link: Iran and China Plan Closer Telecoms Cooperation

At a meeting in Beijing last week, China and Iran agreed to closer cooperation, especially in the fields of communication, telecommunication industry and information technology. In a meeting between Iran’s Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Soleimani and his Chinese counterpart Wang Xudong, the two sides also underscored the need for developing technical cooperation and training manpower and exchanging experiences in the fields of communication and information technology, reported IRNA. Soleimani referred to the good relations between Tehran and Beijing and said that the desirable level of ties has provided an appropriate ground for developing cooperation in the field of communication.

Link: Pakistan: PTCL revenues to grow by 8-9pc after expansion

After taking the control of Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL), Etisalat has announced a five-year expansion plan for the company to restructure the organization, improve customer care, increase revenue, enhance cost control and change the mindset of employees in order to bring about a positive change in the operations and running of the company. It is expected that as a result of the expansion of the company, revenues would grow at a rate of 8 percent to 9 percent.

Link: Iraq Telco Services Markets Anticipated to Reach $1.5 Billion for Cellular Systems and $2.26 Billion for Broadband Wireless Local Loop Systems

The number of mobile subscribers in Iraq for the three largest companies is at 9 million users at the end of 2006, representing a mobile penetration rate of approximately 33%. The market added a total of 1.36 million subscribers over the quarter to end-2006, representing the strongest number of user additions since launching service in December 2003. There are a large number of operators besides the top three, operating outside the registered spectrum. Many of these are using a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) wireless local loop or WiMAX equipment.

Link: Malaysia: The Drainage and Irrigation Department To Issue Flood Warnings Via SMS

The Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS) will use the short-messaging service (SMS) to operate its new flood warning system with the people living near Sungai Damansara to be the first to benefit from it. JPS director-general Datuk Paduka Ir Keizrul Abdullah said besides the siren system, which was installed throughout the country, the flood warning system via SMS would be introduced in stages to alert the people to be prepared for floods. For a start, he said the SMS alert, which was for free, would be sent to the people living near Sungai Damansara and its surrounding areas once floodwaters reached a certain level.

Link: Pakistan: Lesco to SMS bill details

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has offered its consumers the modern facility of providing all details of electricity bills through Short Messaging Service (SMS). Lesco Director Customer Services Khalid Mahmood Friday said customers could get details of electricity bills by sending the 14-digit reference number mentioned on every bill to Lesco through SMS on 5,372. “All details including the meter-reading and the total amount payable within and after the due date will automatically be shown on the screen of the cell phone, to be paid in any of the online branch of a commercial bank connected with the Lesco network,” he added. Detailing on the other salient features, he said if a consumer decides to register free of cost with Lesco ‘all relevant information’ regarding billing, the shut-down schedule, and other alerts will be provided on their cell-phones, he explained.

Link: Oman: ArabTelsat conference from tomorrow

ITA supports the first ArabTelsat 2007 conference and exhibition that is being held in Oman for the first time ever from October 28 to 30. It is a landmark event for the IT and telecommunication sector of the country, which is endorsed by the Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union (ITU), thus heralding the technology era. ArabTelsat 2007 will be formally inaugurated by Al Sayyid Abdulla bin Hamad bin Saif Al Busaidy, chairman State Audit Institution at 9am tomorrow at the Golden Tulip Hotel Ballroom. Dr Salim Al Ruzaiqi will deliver his keynote address at the opening ceremony. This will be followed by the formal inauguration of the exhibition at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. ITA will hold an exhibition in this event addressing focused group of audience updating them with the aim and progress of eOman championed by the ITA.