Communications and Information Technology Commission (Saudi Arabia)

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Communications and Information Technology Commission, CITC (Arabic: هيئة الاتصالات و تقنية المعلومات‎, Hai'at al-Itisalat wa Taqniat al-Ma`lumat) is the Saudi communications authority. It was first established under the name of Saudi Communications Commission in accordance with the decision of the Council of Ministers. The name was changed after the Commission was assigned new tasks related to information technology. Since October 2006, CITC has been handling the DNS structure and filtering in Saudi Arabia in the place of KACST (King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology).^[1]

[edit] Criticism

CITC has been heavily criticized for being slow in issuing licenses to new telecom and Internet services providers. The suggested reason behind this is maintaining the monopoly of the Saudi Telecom Company over the land-line and Internet and data services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Exclusive control of the mobile telecommunications domain was ended when Etihad Etisalat/Mobily was issued a licenses to provide mobile and data services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, many people considered the commission to be late in doing so, with some even blaming the commission for being responsible in hindering and hampering the process.