The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) is the Communications Regulator in the state of Qatar established by virtue of Emiri Decree (42) in 2014. The CRA regulates the Telecommunications and Information Technology sector, postal services, access to digital media and spectrum. The CRA encourages and supports an open and competitive Information & Communications Technology (ICT) sector that provides advanced, innovative, and reliable communications services.
According to the CRA, as of 2020, there are three licensed Public Fixed Telecommunications Networks and Services providers in the fixed telecommunications market in Qatar, i.e., Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Qatar National Broadband Network (QNBN).The retail market is a duopoly, in which Ooredoo is the incumbent and Vodafone Qatar is the challenger. QNBN is the third service provider and is primarily a wholesale provider of passive fixed connectivity services. Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar form a duopoly in the mobile market in Qatar, concentrated with Ooredoo having a subscriber market share of around 63% in 2018.
Currently, only Ooredoo and Vadafone Qatar operate submarine cable landing stations in Qatar. Qatar-based Gulf Bridge International (GBI), the Middle East’s first privately owned submarine cable operator, doesn't own license to operate submarine cable landing stations in Qatar, while contracting with Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar as landing parties to land its GBI Cable System in Qatar.
Ooredoo operates the following cable landing stations:
Vodafone Qatar operates the following cable landing station: