This is an extract from Arab Advisor’s latest report on Jordan’s cellular boom.
A full 71% of Jordanian households have a cellular line, only 5% short of the fixed line household penetration which stands at 76%.
This is what we Jordanians are best at: “tagg 7anak,” which roughly translates to: “indulging in useless conversations.”
Linda,
Thanks for the recommendation. And that’s a very interesting news story…see technology is grand….but I also agree with ya. It also is an annoyance and like many things, too much of it, is not very good. I do think all the medical breakthroughs and ability to conduct surgery from a remote location has been a great technological development. With all the Playstations, Game Cubes, TiVo, self checkout at the grocery store, we have lost much of the human interation. I remember spending very little time in front of the TV or with the Nintendo, and more time playing ball or just just out exploring the neighborhood with friends.
Luai,
hahahahahaha. Actually, when my dad calls his brother in Jordan, the first ten minutes of their conversation is just like that. But that’s on a land line. hehehe
Yes, i have seen little kids with cell phones here, but mostly used strictly for emergencies. For example, a story that recently came out where i live was one about a little kid who took a picture of a child molester and his car with his camera phone when the man approached the kid on the street. I guess the parents trained the kid to say no to strangers, and take their picture as they leave. The man ended up getting caught because the boy described how he looked from the front and the police had the license plate number and look of the car.
so as you asked, “isnt technology grand” i would not say its grand. its okay. but it is also a disturbance in our lives. I would suggest the reading authored by the Critical Art Ensemble, titled “The Electronic Disturbance”
Linda,
Did you know that cell phone usuage may be permitted on planes while they are in flight, not just after the plane has landed? Imagine on your next flight, hearing the mom next to you yelling at her kids to take out the trash, or her husband to make dinner or having to listen to a three hour conversation on the “red eye” that drags on and on. I agree, it’s really annoying when eating out that at the table next to you they are talking endlessly on their cell. Just last night, this lady in my class answered her cell phone right in the middle of class and started talking. No common courtesy by setting it to vibrate…or silent. Just a loud ring. I was waiting for the prof to let her have it. And that was the second time in a month. ARGH!!!! Some people!!!
There was an article in the JT a while back around this. I think in “Randa Habib’s Corner” (the spelling of her name may be wrong). Bascially these two business associates hold a 10 minute conversation basically just saying “hello” and greeting one another (Man#1: Hello, how are you. Man#2: I am fine thank God. Praise be to God for my good health and that of my family. And you? Man#1: Thank God I am fine.) They go on an and on about how well they are and thank God for this and thank God for that. Finally when they hang up, neither one thinks twice about the converstion and that the topic of business never being discussed. Sounds like many of the conversations I have overheard in Jordan…just calling for the sake of calling. That’s OK sometimes, but every phone call?!?! The strangest thing with cell phones in the US I have seen are kids 4,5, and 6 years old with real working cell phones? And in Jordan, I always chuckle at the Bedouin with a cell phone dangling out of his “thobe” pocket while he herds his flock. Well for them a land line doesn’t really make sense. Isn’t technology grand!
I see. Incidentally, if the CIA and Arab Advisor numbers are correct, there should be an average of roughly 7 persons per household, and each household has on average 2 cell phones. That seems accurate to you?
Arash,
As far as I know it takes only 3 days to have a landline installed in your place. and I believe digital switching is available across Jordan, can’t confirm it but I believe so.
jareer are you talking to me? are u saying people dont understand what i said? im confused.
🙁 i wish i knew how to read and write arabic.
Well you’re the Jordanian! But is digital switching available country wide? Do you get your landline right away when you apply? Things like that. Some numbers for Jordan:
Telephones – main lines in use: 403,000 (1997)
Telephones – main lines in use: 622,600 (2003)
Telephones – mobile cellular: 11,500 (1995)
Telephones – mobile cellular: 1,325,300 (2003)
Source: The CIA World Fact Book
Well Arash,
There is nothing wrong with Jordan’s landline infrastructure. Actually the service improved quite a lot after Jordan telecom was bought by France telecom so I don’t think your analysis applies here….
Jareer il Shareer,
Yeah you can categorize this site as “tagg 7anak”, that’s why I spend so much time on it. lol . I’m a Jordanian after all;-)
Mohammad,
LOL I loved your site lol and I loooooooooove tagg 7anak;-)
This is quite normal. In many developing countries more cell phone lines exist than landlines. It’s because of the lack of infrastructure. Setting up a cellular network costs much less than expanding the insufficient land line system. In Turkey, there are 1.5 times more cell than land lines. Also, usually the cell networks are privately operated and are more efficient than the corrupt state company in charge of the landlines. Having said that, I agree that the ME people yak a lot. Especially Persian and Lebanese girls!