Qtel, Landline, Internet, Blogging

Qtel is the exclusive telecommunication provider in Qatar and is owned by the government. Without a Residence Permit (RP), an expat would not be able to apply for a landline in Qatar. Even with the RP itself and applying, it takes about 2-3 weeks before they do get to your house to install the line. Landline subscription costs 100 rials every 3 months. You can then purchase Ebhar (prepaid internet cards) cards so you could access the net. The dial-up connection is supposed to give you about a 56k connection but in actuality, I can only get around 31Kb download
speed, as what my connection states (I’m sure it is less). I hope to apply for ADSL connection but I’m having 2nd thoughts about it at the moment. The ADSL would cost me QR200/month. If I apply and subscribe for a 1-year account, the ADSL modem and installation fees are waived. The speed is stated at 512kb download, 128kb upload, limitless monthly bandwidth, and 24/7 connectivity. However, the only thing that bothers me about this is that I can’t have the subscription stopped even when I’m not in the country for my yearly vacation. Well, I lose QR400 a year for the subscription but I’d rather have the ADSL instead of the very slow dial-up, which would get me paying more than 200/month, as the hourly rate for the dialup is QR4. If I use the net for at least 3 hours a day for 30 days, that would be cost me QR360/month. That also means I have to surf with 31kb speed which then triple the amount of time I need to get things done. So, what I need to do is send an email to QTEL, and propose that they offer at least one month free for every yearly subscription! But let’s see how it turns out. Otherwise, I could go to an Internet café, spend 5QR per hour and have ADSL connection….or I could settle with Ebhar.

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1. Qtel to Offer 1Gbps High Internet Service?
2. Slow Internet? Internet Cables Severed in Egypt
3. 8MB ADSL Speed from QTEL!
4. Vodafone Offers Free Mobile Internet for September