In light of the rapid urban expansion and population growth witnessed in Al-Wajh Governorate, residents are increasingly complaining about the poor quality of internet services, asserting that the telecommunications infrastructure can no longer accommodate the significant increase in the number of users, especially with the rise in foreign labor in recent times.

Residents told 'Okaz' that the increasing pressure on the network has directly affected connection speed and stability, impacting vital sectors, including education, business, and government services, amid calls for the development of telecommunications networks and enhancing their efficiency to keep pace with the growth the governorate is experiencing.

Mohammed Sagheer Rafadah told 'Okaz' that the internet is no longer just a means of entertainment, but has become an essential necessity in various aspects of life, pointing out that most banking, commercial, and government transactions are now conducted electronically, and any weakness in the network leads to disruptions or delays. He added that the main reason is the rising number of network users, urging telecommunications companies to review the network situation and find urgent solutions that keep up with the developments in the region.

For his part, Abdullah Majid Abdulwahid explained that the weak internet has posed an obstacle for students amid the digital transformation in the education sector, indicating that completing assignments and taking tests via the 'Madrasati' platform are often delayed due to poor connectivity, negatively impacting academic performance.

Aseel Mazen Al-Fawwal and Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Balawi confirmed that their struggles with weak connectivity double during the school period, while Abdulrahman Saud Al-Balawi and Salman Abdulaziz Abdulwahid noted that disconnections and network freezes occur frequently during most usage times, whether for studying or even for browsing and entertainment.

In turn, Dr. Hani Abdullah Al-Balawi, the director of the Saudi Primary School and Quran Memorization and Intermediate School in Al-Wajh, stated that school administrations rely daily on several electronic platforms, such as 'Madrasati,' 'Noor,' and 'Faris,' in addition to other educational applications, explaining that any weakness in the network leads to delays in completing administrative and educational tasks. He added that the problem worsens during the weekend, calling on telecommunications companies to increase the number of towers and expand fiber optic services, as this plays a role in improving service quality.

For his part, engineer Abdullah Al-Qurashi explained that weak internet has directly affected residents, as the network experiences complete or severe disruptions almost every Thursday and Friday, in addition to low speeds during the rest of the week, attributing this to the high usage compared to the current weak infrastructure of the network.

On the technical side, engineer Ahmed Tamam, a member of the Saudi Engineers Association, explained that the network weakness is due to the increasing number of users and the growing number of devices and applications consuming bandwidth, indicating that the governorate needs to increase the number of communication towers, update existing towers, and develop the infrastructure of networks to help alleviate network congestion and improve service quality for beneficiaries.