Starting today, Tri provides a Worship Starter Pack. This starter pack offers frugal communication for those who are going to make the pilgrimage to the holy land. These include free receiving calls and SMS (free international roaming) while in Saudi Arabia; as well as telephone, SMS, internet savings to Indonesian and Saudi Arabian numbers.
This starter pack is equipped with a Local Roaming Number (LRN) feature so that there are 2 numbers in 1 card, namely the Tri Indonesia number and mobily number – a partner of the roaming operator in Saudi Arabia.
Families in Indonesia can contact pilgrims in Saudi Arabia at a rate of Rp. 1,500 / minute using the access code 01088 to the Tri number or Mobily number in the Worship card.
For customers, phone calls to Saudi Arabian numbers using Mobily numbers are only charged Rp 2,100/minute. Meanwhile, for calls to Indonesian numbers, use mobily numbers at a rate of Rp. 3,800 / minute. To do this, dial*6(DESTINATION NUMBER). Example: *6056345678 and then press 0K/Yes.
Another option is to call using a Tri number by making a direct call or using the Call Back feature. The Call Back feature is charged Rp 2,700/minute. The trick is to press *133*(62)(DESTINATION NUMBER)# then press OK / Yes. Customers are asked to wait a moment to then receive the call.
For direct calls to Saudi Arabian numbers, the rate is IDR 6,500 / minute; with the format (+)(966)(DESTINATION NUMBER). While direct calls to Indonesian numbers are charged Rp 26,000/minute; with the format (+)(62)(DESTINATION NUMBER).
SMS delivery is charged Rp 1,100/SMS and is free of charge when receiving SMS from anywhere. When sending an SMS, make sure the country code is listed.
GPRS-based internet access will be charged Rp 10/Kb.
Hajj content can be obtained by typing HAJJ, then send it to 5353. Customers will get free SMS content of important Hajj information and wallpapers for 7 days. This Hajj information itself consists of practical guidance on Hajj, prayers during the Hajj, historical locations in the Holy Land and Tips for Success in carrying out the Hajj.
Or type REGISLAMI, then send it to 9122 to get free Islamic SMS content and wallpapers for 7 days. Islamic SMS provides information about prayer guides, the history of the Hajj and Islamic health tips.
Furthermore, customers will be charged a tariff of IDR 10,000 / month; this rate does not include VAT.
Hajj Moment, When The Operator Makes a Profit
PERFORMING THE HAJJ is a very important and coveted moment by all Muslims of faith, because it is the last obligation that must be fulfilled after reciting the creed, prayer, zakat and fasting. Being in the last place, this obligation is only for Muslims who are capable, both financially, physically, mentally and environmentally, once in a lifetime.
The obligation of hajj is not applied to people whose physique is no longer strong or who are mentally disturbed, although it is not prohibited. Similarly if the environment is not possible, for example in the event of a war. Basically, the pilgrimage is light, not heavy, because the heavy ones are the souvenirs that must be brought home.
In the middle of the last century, until the 1970s, the pilgrimage was interpreted as an uphill struggle by traveling back and forth for up to three months, because it was by boat for two weeks at a time. Now, with only nine hours of flying, the congregation from Indonesia has landed at Jeddah’s King Abdul Azis Airport. Two more hours of travel can already be
witnessed the majesty of Baitullah, the house of Allah in the Grand Mosque, in Mecca Al Mukarammah.
Not a tourist attraction
Until the beginning of the nineties, it was impossible for that to be done. Moreover, the direct communication of pilgrims with families in Indonesia. The development of mobile wireless telecommunications technology makes communication very easy although it is not cheap.
In that decade, congregations communicated via fixed-line public telephones. In front of the public phone box, a long line of people waiting for their turn to call the family in the country. Now, anytime and anywhere the congregation is located – sometimes even when in a mosque – communication can take place.
The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is very cautious about accepting the entry of wireless telecommunications technology because it fears the impact of negative influences from foreign parties, especially from the un-Islamic west. Until now, there are still frequent searches of congregants who will enter the mosque, because there is a ban on carrying cameras or cameraphones.
This prohibition has been carried out for a long time, although it is now rather loose and there are congregations who have succeeded in perpetuating their existence against the background of the Kaaba, or the Tomb of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and his companions. In the early 1990s, let alone in those two noble places, in Mina or Arafah, askars (Arab soldiers) with flat expressions would slam the camera used to photograph.
The reason is simple, if the congregation is freed to take pictures in front of the Kaaba and the Tomb of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, both will become tourist attractions. People will scramble to take pictures, instead of worshipping solemnly.
This year around 215 thousand Indonesian citizens, along with millions of people from all over the world are in Padang Arafah to perform the Hajj. Devotees are obliged to be in Arafah on the 9th of Zulhijjah (this year on November 16) between the time of the call to prayer
zuhur till sunset, as he chanted the maghrib’s call to prayer. Beyond that the hajj is illegitimate.
The field of Arafah, as well as Mina, is only crowded with humans during the hajj season. Outside it was deserted, only there was a swish of the wind and the rolling of the blades that were snatched and carried away by the wind.
The city of Mecca is also so, even though it is a normal day that this holy city is never empty of umrah devotees, performing tawaf, rituals around the Kaaba and sa’i, going home between the evidence of Shafa and the Hill of Marwah, seven times each.
The city, with a population of less than 500 thousand people, suddenly became a city crowded with four million people. So all kinds of needs, ranging from hotels and inns, food and water supplies, and telecommunications, flooded. In Mecca and Arafah as well as Muzdalifah and Mina, hundreds of additional bts were built that could be moved around, to accommodate the needs of the congregation to communicate.
Cellular traffic in places where devotees carry out the ritual on the day around wukuf is very high, so it takes BTS with micro antennas or pico, so that the operator can serve all calls from the congregation or vice versa. “It is the market that determines the tariffs,” said director of PT XL Axiata, Nicanor V Santiago. Please note, telecommunications tariffs in Saudi Arabia are among the most expensive in the world.
’Roaming and juling’
Users also need to be careful about using cellphones numbered by Indonesian operators in Saudi, because pockets can be broken. As an illustration, an Umrah pilgrim in just 7 days in the Holy Land with an Indonesian operator number (roaming) his eyes ‘crossed’ when he got a bill of Rp. 4.5 million. People say, if you go to Arabia, use a local number, if you don’t want to be attacked by ‘roaming and squint’.
The offer of the Indonesian operator, which claims to be the cheapest for the congregation, is not all trustworthy. PT XL Axiata, for example, offers an unlimited package for BlackBerry of IDR 75,000 a day (in Indonesia it is only IDR 90,000 a month), and sends SMS idr 4,000/SMS. Xl customer congregations who call relatives in the country get a 25 percent discount and receive a 60 percent discount call, without saying how much the tariff is. But XL customers in Indonesia can call pilgrims at a rate of Rp. 1,800 / minute, get free 1.5 minutes after 3 minutes.
PT Telkomsel ‘only’ charges Rp 200,000/3 days for BB packages, unlimited for Halo cards. While for Sympathy and As it is more expensive a little. There is a package to save SMS, Rp 125,000 for 50 SMS and Rp 200,000 for 100 SMS. With an 80 percent discount, Halo card users can call Indonesia with ‘only’ IDR 14,500/minute and IDR 4,000/minute to receive calls, while Simpati and As users charge IDR 18,500 and IDR 4,500.
For Simpati and As, the super-saving tariff is only Rp 5,000/minute by dialing *131*+62#. However, the congregation needs to be careful, because the USSD call back process also takes time before it is connected. When we think the talk is only two minutes, it could be that the operator counts four minutes from the time yes is pressed.
PT Indosat did not say how big the tariff is, but for Indosat customers in Indonesia who call Saudi numbers, the tariff is only Rp. 30/second or Rp. 1,800/minute by utilizing a flatcall, pressing 101016 966 then a local Saudi number. Every 8 minute call will get 2 minutes free.
Axis customers are like returning home, because anytime they arrive in Saudi, they will get a local number (LRN ) and free to receive calls from anywhere because Axis belongs to STC, Saudi Telecom. Relatives in Indonesia call only Rp 1,388/minute to STC numbers in Saudi with access 01012966. While the Axis unlimited BB service, claimed to be the cheapest, is IDR 50,000 / day.
In any case, if you don’t want to concede, it’s best to study each operator’s offer. It is also recommended that congregations use local (Arabic) operator cards.