RIYADH: Etihad Etislat (Mobily) on Tuesday launched TD-LTE (4G) as the first operator in the Middle East and North Africa to do so.

The launch is through its subsidiary Bayanat al oula as part of Mobily\'s continuous efforts to provide unprecedented wireless speeds in the region.

According to Mobily, the first phase of coverage includes the cities of Najran, Jazan, Al-Kharj, Ras Tanura, Al-Gurayat and Al-Dudamy.

The service will be launched in two weeks time in Hail, Baha, Al-Mujamaa, and Wadi Al-Dawasir, then to be followed by the third batch constituting of Riyadh, Jeddah and Damamm, around the middle of October as planned.

Mobily stated that targeted areas for 4G coverage will expand to 32 cities and towns representing 85 percent of the populated areas in Saudi Arabia.

Mobily\'s CEO and MD Khaled Al-Kaf said the launch of 4G services in the Kingdom was a historical moment and a turning point in the world of communication technology.

"Furthermore, it is an added value to the data users as it offers unprecedented high speed services without the hassle of technical set up and installation," he added.

In the beginning of this year, Mobily signed agreements with international vendors to cover all cities and main districts across the Kingdom