After years of declining in its services and the rise of Yemen Mobile and YOU telecommunication companies, along with the expansion of their reach, the SABAFON mobile phone company has brought itself back to the forefront by introducing 4G high-speed internet service to its subscribers in the city of Aden (southern Yemen) and the governorates under the control of the internationally recognized government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC).
Although the company did not issue a detailed official statement explaining the nature of the introduction of 4G service, it merely posted on its Facebook page, indicating that subscribers could visit its service centers to obtain new numbers with high-speed internet, as described.
After two previous experiences, in which the YOU telecom company was shut down in Aden and the discontinuation of the Y Telecom company and the Yemen Mobile company's 4G service, the citizens in Aden have so far received the news indifferently and normally until now, as evidenced by the lack of crowds at the company’s branches in the city. Further, people are divided on this issue between those supporting the move due to the current weak internet services and others who are skeptical about the success of the service amid the conflicting interests between the political forces in the southern governorates.
Aden Net Portal
An administrative source at the SABAFON mobile phone company in Aden told "Khuyut" that the 4G service has already been launched through the sale of 4G SIM cards, with the aim of expanding the service to neighboring governorates, noting that the company seeks to expand its services and activity in the southern governorates.
The source, who is not authorized to speak to the media, said that the company's internet services will operate through the Aden Net portal, noting that the price of one SIM card is 60,000 Yemeni riyals and that it will be offered in various packages, with the addition of a 15 GB data bundle upon purchasing the SIM card, adding that the company will launch new numbers for its SIM cards, starting with (722).
Although 60,000 Yemeni riyals may seem like a large and high amount given the difficult living conditions, internet users who have paid between 1,500 and 3,000 Saudi riyals for an Aden Net SIM card have a different perspective. They consider it a relatively low price if the service is stable, unlike Aden Net, which is known for high prices and unreliable service with its irregular broadcasts.
On the other hand, the prices of SABAFON's internet packages are higher than those offered by Aden Net. For example, the weekly Aman bundle offers 4 GB for 3,000 riyals, the monthly Aman package offers 15 GB for 15,000 riyals, and the monthly Aman bundle offers 35 GB for 18,000 riyals.
Failures, Discontinuation, and Closures
Over the past decade, Aden and its neighboring cities have not experienced the best conditions in terms of telecommunications and internet services. However, the limited networks and services available at the time contributed to relative stability. Now, despite the increase in the number of companies and the introduction of high-speed internet services, the southern city, which has become the temporary capital of the country, is experiencing turmoil and instability in this crucial sector.
In early 2019, Aden Net, a high-speed internet service provider, started offering 4G internet services. However, over the five years since its launch, the company has failed to expand its operations and services beyond the city of Aden.
Despite the company's pledge to improve services and expand its coverage and operations towards neighboring governorates, the recurrent sudden outages in the company's broadcast over the past years due to the targeting of the submarine cable connecting Aden and Djibouti, coupled with the company's inability to emerge as the best alternative for providing Internet services in the southern governorates despite the support provided to it, and the high cost of its SIM cards along with their involvement in brokerage, have led to a decrease in the number of subscribers and a decline in public trust in the company.
In late June 2022, security forces in the city of Aden abruptly shut down the YOU telecom company, just months after the company announced its plans to introduce 4G service to its subscribers in Aden and neighboring provinces. Subsequently, in late August of the same year, the company resumed its broadcasts for a few hours before being interrupted again.
While YOU telecom company remains closed and out of service in Aden for the second year in a row, the same company continues to operate and provide services in neighboring provinces, particularly Abyan and Lahj, which are adjacent to Aden.
“The Southern Transitional Council is concerned that YOU Telecom company is associated with the Houthis; despite the fact that it operates in the provinces of Lahj and Abyan, which have a large presence of STC forces and are among the most prominent areas of its influence and movement.”
Southern Transitional Council Concerns
On the other hand, conflicting reports have surfaced about the motives behind the company’s shutdown. Some sources attribute the shutdown process to the company's lack of coordination with government authorities. Regarding the launch of the 4G service, a previous decision by the Public Funds Appeal Prosecution Office in the city of Aden mandated the precautionary seizure of the funds of the Yemeni-Omani company YOU telecom until it paid the accumulated taxes from 2015 to 2017, which amounted to about 24 billion Yemeni riyals.
While a third narrative pointed to the role of the Southern Transitional Council in this aspect as part of its security concerns regarding the company’s links to the Houthis, despite the fact that it operates in the provinces of Lahj and Abyan, which have a large presence of STC forces and are among the most prominent areas of its influence and movement.
Likewise, after nearly nine months since its inauguration and launch in the city of Aden in November 2022, the Y Telecom company halted its operations. This decision occurred despite the company's earlier promotion of its services, including the promises of the launch of its 4G service and the sale of SIM cards to a large number of subscribers, without the service actually starting to operate, following disputes between the company's operators and owners and AdenNet, the internet portal provider for the company.
“Is this move related to any undisclosed agreements or understandings between the Head of the Southern Transitional Council and the Chairman of the Board of SABAFON Company, despite the fact that the two previous meetings between Al-Zubaidi and Al-Ahmar were not definitive indicators of their relationship development?”
What Guarantees Provided to SABAFON?
Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council and head of the Southern Transitional Council, Major General Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, met with tribal sheikh and Member of Parliament Hamid Al-Ahmar for the first time in April 2022, following the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council, before they met again in January 2023 at the funeral of Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ahmar, Hamid’s older brother, who chairs the board of SABAFON Mobile Phone Company.
Moreover, the recent introduction of SABAFON's high-speed internet (4G) service in Aden has sparked questions and discussions in the city's political and social circles regarding potential undisclosed agreements or understandings between the Head of the Southern Transitional Council and the Chairman of SABAFON's Board company. Although the previous official and unofficial meetings between Al-Zubaidi and Al-Ahmar cannot be solely relied upon as a measure to assess the evolution of their relationship.
While SABAFON's 4G service was launched, other telecommunications companies in Aden were either shut down or ceased operations for several reasons. However, one of the main reasons relates to the deteriorating relationship and the lack of coordination between the owners of these companies and the Southern Transitional Council.
Notably, the leadership board of the Southern Transitional Council, in a meeting on May 9, called on traders, investors, businessmen, as well as local, regional, and international companies to contribute to the development of the economic resources in the south through investment in the oil, gas, electricity, and service sectors.
The meeting, chaired by Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, emphasized the importance of the government’s role in providing all necessary facilities for investors and overcoming any obstacles they may face, according to the council’s media outlets.
Although the news did not clearly mention the telecommunications sector, it is possible that this call is a preemptive move to prepare the environment for this step or such a development.
Furthermore, the source at the SABAFON company in Aden refrained from providing any confirmation whether the company had received guarantees regarding its operations, given the Southern Transitional Council's control over the city. However, he indicated that the company's secure system and its operational control from Aden could be positive contributing factors to the company's continued operation in the city.
The source added that this alleviates some concerns for the de facto authority in the city represented by the Southern Transitional Council, placing SABAFON in a relatively better position compared to other telecommunications companies that have faced issues related to weak coordination and conflicting interests among political forces.
However, the company's modest announcement came with discretion and timidity, as it did not explicitly mention the launch of the 4G service by name, despite the fact that the company has been operating in Aden since 2020, with limited services and reliance on internal communications within the network scope.
