Instruction and Order - Intra-GCC Roaming Rates (all IMR services) – Version 1.1. – April 12, 2017

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), following a consultation with service providers, issued on April 12, 2017 a revised version of the Instruction and Order on “Intra-GCC Roaming Rates (all IMR Services)” published on October 12, 2015.

The revised Instruction and Order paves the way towards the effective implementation of the second phase of the regulation originated by the GCC Ministerial Committee for Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology decision to reduce roaming charges in members’ states.

The new regulation will reduce rates for roaming, telephone calls, text messaging and data services throughout the GCC countries, to the benefit of telecom consumers in Qatar and the rest of GCC member states.

The reduction in roaming charges is a continuation of the collaboration and cooperation between the GCC regulators, under the auspices of the GCC General Secretariat.

The first roaming regulation was issued in June 2010 and took full effect in February 2012. It covered roaming voice calls but excluded other roaming services such as mobile data and SMS. The regulation issued in October 2015 and revised in April 2017 finally addresses this gap.