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Wireless Federation » archive for 'Wataniya'

Wataniya-Ericsson in a deal (Palestinian Territory)

  • August 29th, 2008
  • 1:18 pm

Wataniya Palestine Mobile Telecommunications Company (Wataniya) has signed a deal with Ericsson to help build the infrastructure for a second Palestinian cellular network, a media report. The agreement covers the purchase of network equipment, including base stations and towers, the provision of hardware and software documentation and staff training. No financial details of the contract have been disclosed. Wataniya has recently confirmed that the spectrum needed to launch services has been released and the operator expects to launch commercially in early 2009, a report said.

UIR service in 30 states (Riyadh)

  • July 29th, 2008
  • 6:48 am

Unified international roaming (UIR) service in 30 countries around the globe which will charge only SR1 per minute for receiving calls and SR1.50 for outgoing calls within the countries and to the Kingdom.

Saudi Telecom Co. (STC), the region’s largest telecommunications company has launched this service. This move by STC comes following complaints by clients who have used the roaming facility during their travels and were shocked by the high bills. “Excellence in customer service is our No. 1 priority,” said Al-Daweesh (STC President and CEO). “By enhancing our efficiency, we continue to maintain our leading market position and generate additional growth internationally by strategically planned developments, such as the UIR Network, to fulfill STC’s personal communications potential to the maximum extent by providing the best service with the least cost.”

Algeria announces tender for 3G licences

  • May 29th, 2008
  • 2:07 pm

Algeria’s Regulation Authority of Post and Telecommunications (ARPT) yesterday launched the process to issue 3G mobile licences in the country. Local and international parties wishing to participate must register their interest by 30 June. No details were released on the number or type of licences to be issued. The country currently has three mobile network operators; Egyptian Orascom Telecom’s Djezzy, Qatari-owned Wataniya Telecom’s Nedjma and Mobilis, part of state-owned operator Algerie Telecom.

   
 

Wataniya launches 3G

  • May 1st, 2008
  • 2:48 pm

Wataniya Maldives has launched its W-CDMA/HSDPA network with an introductory offer of free video calls. Wataniya’s COO, Abraham Smith, said: ‘We are offering this service for free as a special 3G promotion so that everyone can enjoy the experience of video calls. We will very soon announce the commercial rates and tariffs along with our upcoming Wataniya Mobile Broadband, Wataniya Mobile Video Surveillance and Wataniya Mobile TV services’. Wataniya secured its mobile concession in 2004 but didn’t launch GSM services until 2005. By the end of 2007 the cellco claimed over 25% of the subscriber market.

   

 

 

Wataniya awarded Israeli frequencies to operate in Palestine (Palestinian Territory)

  • October 25th, 2007
  • 2:00 pm

Kuwait’s Wataniya Telecom has been awarded frequencies by Israel’s Communications Ministry, allowing it to offer mobile services in the Palestinian Territory, the Palestinian Telecommunications and Economy Minister confirmed yesterday. According to Reuters, Kamal Hassouneh said his Israeli counterpart had ‘no objection’ to granting Wataniya, which is now owned by Qatar Telecom, frequency spectrum to operate as the second Palestinian mobile network operator. ‘We have been demanding that Israel grant the frequencies needed for Wataniya for a long time. Israel gave its verbal consent,’ Hassouneh said, adding that Israel must grant frequencies under the Oslo peace accords.

Hassouneh went on to say that Wataniya was ready to start operating immediately on receipt of the requisite frequencies.In March 2007 Wataniya Palestine Mobile Telecommunications Company, the company formed by Wataniya International and the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) to launch Palestine’s second wireless network, signed a licence agreement with the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MTIT) bringing the arrival of the new Palestine mobile operator one step closer. The terms of the licence agreement had been in negotiation since Wataniya International successfully bid JOD251 million (USD356 million) for the concession in September 2006. Wataniya Palestine Mobile Telecommunications Company is 40% owned by Wataniya International and 30% owned by the PIF, while the remaining shares will be offered to the Palestinian public through an IPO. Wataniya plans to build and operate a GSM network in the Palestinian Territory and also hopes to roll out a 3G network in the future.

   
 

IPO only open to locals (Kuwait)

  • October 3rd, 2007
  • 1:46 pm

The government of Kuwait has confirmed that a sale of shares in the country’s yet-to-launch third mobile operator will only be open to Kuwaiti nationals. The initial public offering (IPO) is due early next year and is being managed by the Kuwait Investment Authority. 50% of the cellco will be sold to the public; a 26% stake is currently up for sale to a strategic investor, with bids being invited until 18 November. The government will retain a 24% interest in the company which will compete with market leader Zain, formerly MTC-Vodafone, and Wataniya.

   

 

Kuwait telecom giant MTC changes brand name to Zain (Kuwait)

  • September 13th, 2007
  • 3:36 pm

Kuwait’s telecom giant MTC Group on Saturday began operating under the new brand name Zain as part of its bid to climb into the top 10 of global telecom operators, officials said.

“The move will bring all the company operations in 21 countries under one brand name. It is a part of our strategy to become one of the top 10 global companies,” the CEO and general manager for Kuwait, Barrak al-Sabeeh, told a press conference.

The company’s operations in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Sudan will immediately come under the new name, while its operations in 14 African countries, Iraq and Lebanon will change later.

MTC in Saudi Arabia, slated to launch in early 2008, will operate as Zain. The company has been awarded the third mobile licence in the oil-rich kingdom for 6.1 billion dollars.

Sabeeh said that Zain headquarters will shortly be based in neighbouring Dubai or Bahrain or in the Dutch city of Amsterdam.

He said the company will continue to expand globally by chasing every investment opportunity. Currently, Zain is bidding for licences in Qatar and Algeria.

The company’s customer base increased 40 percent to 32.15 million on June 30 compared to 22.9 million subscribers a year ago.

The group, in which the Kuwaiti government has a 24.6-percent stake, saw its capitalisation double to 28 billion dollars, after making a number of multi-billion-dollar acquisitions in the past few years.

It is one of two mobile operators in Kuwait, along with the National Telecommunications Co (Wataniya). A third company is currently being established with operations expected in the first quarter of 2008.

   
 

STC joins Kuwaiti bidders (Kuwait)

  • September 3rd, 2007
  • 3:06 pm

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has joined the growing list of firms interests in bidding for Kuwait’s third mobile licence. 26% of the new cellco is being offered by the Kuwaiti government; another 50% will be offered to the public, while the government will retain a 24% interest. Bids are due by 7 September, with at least 15 companies reported to be interested, including UAE-based Etisalat, Orascom of Egypt and Batelco of Bahrain. The new cellco will join MTC-Vodafone Kuwait and Wataniya in a market which is currently home to more than 2.5 million subscribers.

   

 

 

Saudi Telecom to bid for third Kuwait mobile operator (Saudi Arab)

  • August 27th, 2007
  • 6:27 am

Saudi Telecom (STC) announced Saturday it will bid to acquire 26 percent of Kuwait’s third mobile company, which is expected to start operations early next year.

The Saudi company, which enjoys a monopoly over landline services in the kingdom in addition to its vast mobile phone market, will present its bid before the Sept 7 deadline, SPA state news agency reported.

‘This is a chance to continue Saudi Telecom’s policy of pressing with foreign expansions and to enhance the possibilities for operational consolidations in the Gulf region,’ STC’s chairman Mohammad al-Jasser said, according to SPA.

A law to establish the new mobile company in Kuwait has set aside 24 percent for state institutions, 50 percent to be sold to citizens in an initial public offering, and the rest to go to a core investor.

Kuwait has two mobile operators, Mobile Telecommunications Co, established in 1983, and National Mobile Telecommunications Co (Wataniya), which started operations in 1999.

In June, STC announced it will acquire a strategic 25 percent stake in Malaysia’s Maxis Communications in a deal worth 3.05 billion dollars.

STC was partially privatised in 2002. Since that year, it has been competing in the mobile telephone market with Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates.

   

 

Etisalat may bid for Kuwaiti telco (UAE)

  • August 24th, 2007
  • 8:38 am

UAE operator Etisalat said on Thursday it was interested in bidding for a stake in Kuwait’s third mobile phone operator to tap demand for telecoms in the Middle East’s fourth-largest oil producer.

Kuwait’s government has invited companies to express an interest in bidding for a 26% stake in the operator that it is setting up, by a September 7 deadline.
“We are very interested in bidding,” said Jamal Al-Jarwan, general manager of international business at state-owned Etisalat, the third-largest Arab telecom provider by market value.

“It makes a lot of a commercial sense for us to have operations in many countries, especially in the Middle East… Kuwait’s GDP per capita is high,” he said by telephone.

Etisalat chairman Mohammed Omran told Reuters last month the company was evaluating the Kuwaiti invitation, though had not make a decision about bidding.
Still, it is not clear the Kuwaiti government will allow foreign companies to compete for the stake, Jarwan said.

Kuwait’s Al-Seyassah newspaper said on Monday the Kuwaiti government had decided against allowing foreign firms to take part.

On Thursday, Kuwait’s Al-Wasat newspaper reported as many as 11 foreign and 14 local companies, including Saudi Telecom (STC) and Egypt’s Orascom Telecom, were considering competing for the stake.

Others include Oman Telecommunications (Omantel), National Bank of Kuwait and Kuwait Finance House (KFH), the newspaper reported, without saying how it got the information.

Kuwait’s Global Investment House, Bahrain’s operator Batelco and Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) may also bid, the newspaper said.

A CBK official, who did not want to be identified, said the bank was preparing a bid in partnership with Noor Financial and a telecom operator he would not identify.

Kuwait’s government will sell 50% of the planned operator in an initial public offering, 26% to an operator and keep the rest.

Kuwait has two mobile phone networks, one run by Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) and the other by National Mobile Telecommunications (Wataniya), which is controlled by Qatar Telcommunications (Qtel).

Hatim Al-Gammal, head of investor relations at Orascom, and a spokesman of NBK declined to comment. A spokesman for Batelco could not immediately comment.