Zain Iraq, the country’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, has contracted European vendor Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for a USD150 million job to expand capacity and simplify and modernise the existing core network. Further details were not provided.Zain Iraq was formed at the end of 2007 when cellco MTC Atheer adopted the corporate brand of parent company, the Zain Group of Kuwait, formerly MTC. MTC Atheer won a 15-year national cellular licence in August 2007 for USD1.25 billion. The parent company acquired rival Iraqna from Egyptian group Orascom late last year for USD1.2 billion, and has since consolidated the two networks. The unified infrastructure served well over seven million customers at the end of 2007, a market share of 57%.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
- December 3rd, 2007
- 2:54 pm
Mobile operator Orascom Telecom has concluded an agreement for the sale of Iraqi mobile operator Iraqna to MTC-Atheer. MTC-Atheer is an Iraqi subsidiary of Zain and has purchased Iraqna for a consideration of USD 1.2 billion. MTC-Atheer will pay 50 percent of the consideration on the first anniversary of completion of the transaction and after six months of the completion of the transaction, will deliver a promissory note for the remaining 50 percent due on the second anniversary. The payments are fully guaranteed by Zain. Completion of the transaction is expected before the end of the year. Iraqna finished June with arond 2.8 million customers. Orascom Telecom said its previously announced joint venture in Iraq with Korek Telecom had lapsed, as the companies were unable to reach a definitive agreement. The Korek deal had been key to extending Iraqna’s operating licence in Iraq.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
- August 17th, 2007
- 3:08 pm
Only five companies will take part in the auction of three Iraqi mobile phone licences, writes Dow Jones, citing the country’s finance minister, Bayan al-Zubaidi. They are the three main operators, Egyptian company Orascom Telecom’s Iraqna, Kuwait’s MTC-Atheer and Kuwait’s AsiaCell, part of Wataniya, plus Korek Telecom, which operates in the Kurdish city of Erbil, and one new candidate, Turkcell. A total of ten companies had originally expressed interest in the auction, but five withdrew due to security concerns, Al-Zubaidi said. The auction is being held in Amman, Jordan, on 16 August and could run into the following day, with the results to be announced on 20 August, according to Siyamend Othman, head of Iraq’s telecommunications and media regulator. PriceWaterhouseCoopers is advising on the auction.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Mobile operator Iraqna reported a decline in profits in the first quarter as the civil unrest in Iraq hampered its business. While revenues were up 9.3 percent from a year ago to USD 136.9 million, EBITDA fell 14 percent to USD 57.9 million on higher security and operating costs. The company said it was experiencing delays in acquiring SIM cards and equipment to expand its network to the north and south of the country, while the ongoing conflict in the country was putting its staff and assets at risk. The continued migration of Iraqis was also raising churn to 17.0 percent, from 4.2 a year ago. Iraqna finished the quarter with 2.844 million subscribers, down from 2.904 million at the end of 2006, but up from 2.166 million a year ago.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
- August 15th, 2006
- 3:00 pm
Orascom Telecom Holdings reported revenues up 36 percent to USD 2.06 billion in the first half, compared with USD 1.51 billion in the year-earlier period. The growth is mainly due to a 93 percent increase in subscribers to 35.32 million at the end of June from 21.21 million a year earlier. The group’s GSM revenue increased to USD 1.85 billion from USD 1.32 billion, the remainder coming from other telecom and internet services. Orascom’s Algerian mobile subsidiary Djezzy accounted for 35 percent of sales, followed by Mobilink Pakistan with 24 percent, Iraqna with 13 percent and Mobinil with 10 percent. Group EBITDA grew to USD 918.66 million from USD 653.08 million, and net profit increased to USD 331.14 million from USD 295.29 million.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com/
Technorati : GSM, Iraqna, Mobinil, Orascom
Ice Rocket : GSM, Iraqna, Mobinil, Orascom
- August 15th, 2006
- 3:00 pm
Iraq will be offering new tenders for licenses to operate mobile phones in the country after the existing licenses expire, an Associated Press report said.Three companies currently operate in Iraq: Iraqna, AsiaCell, and Atheer.
The report quoted Ali al-Dabbagh, spokesman for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, as saying that a committee had been formed to review the bids.
It was not clear, however, when the tender would be offered.
Iraqi officials had not specified how much the new contracts would be worth, or given details on the exact timing of the tender announcement, the report said.
Iraqna, a subsidiary of the Egyptian firm Orascom Telecommunications, a major regional communications company, mainly operates in central Iraq and has 2.5 million active subscribers.
Its contract would expire September 30, and the company confirmed it was interested in bidding for the tender, the report said.
Atheer, the Iraqi unit of Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications, operates in southern Iraq and AsiaCell operates in the country’s northern part.
Officials at both companies could not be reached to provide details of when their contracts would expire, the report said.
Iraqna was first awarded the license to operate in Iraq in October 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and its commercial launch in December of that year marked the first time mobile phones were used in Baghdad, the report said.
Source- http://www.americasnetwork.com
Technorati : AsiaCell, Atheer, Iraq, Iraqna, Mobile
Ice Rocket : AsiaCell, Atheer, Iraq, Iraqna, Mobile
- August 15th, 2006
- 3:00 pm
Iraq will be offering new tenders for licenses to operate mobile phones in the country after the existing licenses expire, an Associated Press report said.Three companies currently operate in Iraq: Iraqna, AsiaCell, and Atheer.
The report quoted Ali al-Dabbagh, spokesman for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, as saying that a committee had been formed to review the bids.
It was not clear, however, when the tender would be offered.
Iraqi officials had not specified how much the new contracts would be worth, or given details on the exact timing of the tender announcement, the report said.
Iraqna, a subsidiary of the Egyptian firm Orascom Telecommunications, a major regional communications company, mainly operates in central Iraq and has 2.5 million active subscribers.
Its contract would expire September 30, and the company confirmed it was interested in bidding for the tender, the report said.
Atheer, the Iraqi unit of Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications, operates in southern Iraq and AsiaCell operates in the country’s northern part.
Officials at both companies could not be reached to provide details of when their contracts would expire, the report said.
Iraqna was first awarded the license to operate in Iraq in October 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and its commercial launch in December of that year marked the first time mobile phones were used in Baghdad, the report said.
Source- http://www.americasnetwork.com
Technorati : AsiaCell, Atheer, Iraq, Iraqna, Mobile
Ice Rocket : AsiaCell, Atheer, Iraq, Iraqna, Mobile
Zain to employ Nokia Siemens for expansion work
