Qtel successfully concludes Indosat tender offer (Qatar, Indonesia)
Qtel is pleased to confirm that, upon settlement, it will hold a 65% effective stake in PT Indosat Tbk (“Indosat”), the second largest mobile operator in Indonesia.
The majority stake in Indosat, secured by the successful conclusion of co-ordinated dual Tender Offers in both Indonesia and the United States, will mark a significant advance for Qtel in its long term vision of becoming one of the top 20 telecom companies globally by the year 2020.
Indosat is a driving force in the Indonesia telecommunication market: a market which, with some 237.5 million people and mobile penetration rates of just 58% has considerable growth potential for the Group. Moreover, as the country’s second largest mobile operator, Indosat commands a 28.7% share of Indonesia’s GSM mobile market with over 36.5 million subscribers connected to its nationwide network.
Announcing the conclusion of the co-ordinated dual tender offer process, His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of the Qtel commented. This is a landmark development for Qtel and will be looked upon in the years ahead as a defining moment for our Group. Indosat operates in a dynamic and growing marketplace and our achievement today means that, upon settlement, we will have an increased interest in how Indosat capitalises on the opportunities open to us in the years ahead.
“We have always been clear about our vision to become one of the world’s top 20 telecommunications operators by 2020, and a key part of our strategy is to continue to expand our operations in the high-growth markets of Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. This latest development is a significant milestone that puts us squarely on track to achieving this ambitious goal.”
Dr Nasser Marafih, Chief Executive Officer of the Qtel said, “This is excellent news and proves the capability and skill of our Qtel team, which has steered this acquisition to a successful conclusion. The Qtel Group is now a driving force in the communication markets of some of the world’s most exciting emerging economies. It is our exposure to these markets, and our ongoing commitment to delivering services that meet the needs of consumers in these markets that will ensure the continued success of our Group.”
Background and detail to the tender offers
The mandatory tender offers were triggered by Qtel’s indirect acquisition of a 40.81% stake in Indosat on June 22, 2008: a move which, under Indonesian law, required that a tender offer be launched. The Indonesian government determined that Qtel’s total ownership could not exceed 65% of Indosat, limiting the number of shares to be considered for additional purchase at 1,314,466,775, or about 24.19% of Indosat’s total issued and outstanding share capital.
A dual and concurrent tender offer process was carried out to acquire Series B Shares of Indosat (“Series B Shares”) through an Indonesian offer, and to acquire American Depositary Shares representing Series B Shares (“ADSs”) through a U.S. offer.
The final result of the concurrent tender offers was announced on February 20.
In the aggregate, Qtel had offered to purchase up to 1,314,466,775 Series B Shares (including Series B Shares underlying ADSs) in the offers, representing approximately 24.19% of the total issued and outstanding Series B Shares (including Series B Shares underlying ADSs) of Indosat. Because the number of Series B Shares (including Series B Shares underlying ADSs) tendered in the offer exceeded the aggregate number of Series B Shares that Qtel offered to purchase, a proration rule was set. The proration factor is approximately 56.54%.
Applying the proration factor, Qtel has purchased 10,010,572 ADSs at the offer price of US$31.0055 per ADS (which is the U.S. dollar equivalent of Indonesian Rupiah 369,400) and 813,938,000 Series B Shares at the offer price of Indonesian Rupiah 7,388 per Series B Share.
Settlement of the offers will occur on or prior to March 5, 2009, after which Qtel will beneficially own approximately 65% of the outstanding Series B Shares (including the Series B Shares underlying ADSs). All tendered ADSs and Series B Shares that were not accepted for purchase in the offers will be returned to the tendering holders.
About Qtel
Qatar Telecom is a diversified telecommunications group with three business lines including consumer telephony, consumer broadband and corporate managed services, and is committed to expansion in line with the company’s strategic vision of becoming a global top-20 telecommunications provider by the year 2020. Qtel is a full service telecommunications service provider in the state of Qatar. In addition, over the past two years, Qtel has expanded its geographic footprint from 2 to 17countries within the Middle East and Asia. Since the most recent acquisition of 40.8% in PT Indosat, Qtel has expanded to 57 million customers.
For more information, please visit www.qtel.com.qa/
Zap signs up 1,400 customers in Tanzania
Zain Tanzania’s brand new M-Banking service Zap has signed up nearly 1,400 customers in first 10 days of the launch of the service. Zain also reported that “hundreds” of people have also applied to register themselves as Zap agents.
Zap was launched by Zain across East Africa ten days back.
PNB & Smart Communication ink mobile banking and remittances deal (Philippines)
The Philippine National Bank and the mobile operator Smart Communication have joined hands to work together on the mobile banking and remittance services. The Filipinos abroad can use PNB and Smart Communication’s remittance services. Money sent through bank’s branches abroad can be claimed through Smart’s service centres or local ATMs in the country. PNB is also in a deal with Globe Telecom’s Innove Communications unit for the upgradation of its ICT infrastructure.
O2 UK posts a rise of 10.4% in Q4 revenues
O2 UK has added more than 390,300 new subscribers at the end of 2008, totals the subscriber base to 19.47 million. In the prepaid segment, the net additions were 213,000 and accounted for 60.9% of the subscriber base in the fourth quarter.
O2 said it had a strong year for contract customer growth, adding almost 800,000 postpaid users over the full year and increasing the postpaid share to 39.1% of the subscriber base. The incumbent further said, ARPU fell 1.7 percent year-on-year in local currency in Q4, due to declines in both prepaid and postpaid voice ARPU. The quarterly revenues experienced a rise of 10.4% year-on-year in local currency, and OIBDA was up 12.3%.
Rostelecom applies for approval to acquire SkyLink (Russia)
According to the federal anti-monopoly service, the Russian fixed-line operator, Rostelekom seeks regulatory approval to takeover 100% stake in the mobile operator SkyLink.
SkyLink, presently, is half-owned by the Russian services conglomerate Sistema.
SmarTone-Vodafone partners with Teradata to deploy active data warehousing (Hong Kong)
Teradata Corporation, the world’s largest company solely focused on data warehousing and enterprise analytics, announced that it has deployed an Active Data Warehouse for SmarTone-Vodafone, a premium quality provider of total communications services in Hong Kong and Macau.
The new Teradata system is SmarTone-Vodafone’s third-generation data warehouse and its superior performance and scalability enables the company to dig deeper into detailed operational data in order to extract greater business value. With this platform, traditional data warehouse functionality is extended into a more mature and pervasive data environment known as Active Enterprise Intelligence. The term refers to an operational approach to data warehousing in which the database platform supports operational processes in real time as well as strategic decision making. This is the first Hong Kong telecommunications services provider taking advantage of the real-time capabilities of an active data warehouse from Teradata to deliver Active Enterprise Intelligence and puts the power of information-based decision making at the fingertips of SmarTone-Vodafone’s managers throughout their enterprise.
“Hong Kong is one of the world’s most competitive markets for communications service providers and we have been using data warehousing technology since the late 1990s to help strengthen our leading market position,” said Stephen Chau, chief technology officer of SmarTone-Vodafone. “Teradata has proven itself to be a data warehousing solution provider with specialized technology that provides a far superior platform to run our business intelligence applications. Teradata Professional Services consultants worked with us to implement a much more manageable system and our business users have a single user interface for running queries and reporting.”
The solution implemented for SmarTone-Vodafone by Teradata Professional Services is based on Teradata’s Active Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) 5550 platform, Teradata’s massively parallel processing (MPP) nodes, a computer system optimized to execute multiple processes simultaneously.
“The powerful Teradata Database, with its high performance and high scalability, is the foundation for the success of SmarTone-Vodafone’s active enterprise data warehouse,” said Stanley Lam, General Manager, Teradata Hong Kong and South China. “As an experienced data warehouse user, SmarTone-Vodafone is leveraging business intelligence right across the company. The greatest beneficiaries of the new Teradata solution, however, are the users who can now mine data at the atomic level of information.”
SmarTone-Vodafone’s active EDW supports about 3,000 business-user view elements generated for business users to perform their daily business operation. In addition, an executive dashboard enables managers to continually monitor the company’s critical success factors.
About SmarTone-Vodafone
SmarTone-Vodafone is a premium quality provider of total communications services in Hong Kong. Its goal is to better enrich customers’ lives by getting them closer to the things that matter to them. It is leading the way in mobile, fixed-line and broadband markets, leveraging its best-in-class service pillars – segmented services and products, superior network performance and unbeatable customer experience.
SmarTone-Vodafone is a Partner Network of Vodafone Group Plc, the world’s leading mobile telecommunications company. Its holding company, SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited, was established in 1992 and has been listed in Hong Kong since 1996. The company is a subsidiary of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, one of the largest property companies in Hong Kong.
For more information, please visit www.smartone-vodafone.com.hk/
About Teradata
Teradata Corporation (TDC) is the world’s largest company solely focused on raising intelligence through data warehousing, data warehouse appliances, consulting services and enterprise analytics. Teradata is in more than 60 countries
For more information, please visit www.teradata.com
Virgin Mobile plans to enter GSM network space (India)
Virgin Mobile India, a JV between UK based Virgin Group and TTSL, intends to enter the GSM mobile network space as it awaits TTSL’s soon-to-be-launched GSM service.
Currently, Virgin Mobile operates as a CDMA service provider under TTSL’s brand franchisee arrangement. Under the arrangement, Virgin Mobile provides TTSL with designing, marketing and servicing of the services and both companies also have a revenue sharing arrangement between both the companies.
“Our agreement with TTSL is technology neutral. At present, our services are restricted to CDMA. Once TTSL unveils its GSM network, we will extend the Virgin services into GSM as well. TTSL is our preferred partner for the GSM brand extension in India,” said Virgin Mobile India CEO M.A. Madhusudan.
Virgin Mobile will launch its GSM services soon after TTSL enters the foray of GSM operators.
“Nearly 73% of the Indian mobile market is controlled by GSM operators. An entry into GSM will help us to expand our addressable market and also increase our average revenue per user (ARPU). Currently, our ARPU is nearly 30% higher than the industry average,” said Madhusudan.
TIGO launches “longer longer” promotion for its prepaid subscribers (Ghana)
The telecom operator, TIGO, has launched “longer longer” promotion to give a cushion effect to its subscribers in order to lower the burden of mobile phone costs that the subscribers incur due to economic recession. The “longer longer” promotion enables TIGO’s prepaid subscribers to pay half of the normal price of the airtime on voice calls and SMS on local numbers during weekdays.
This scheme is designed to make subscribers feel relaxed while making calls and sending SMS without thinking about the airtime they are consuming.
Anita Erskine, Corporate Affairs Manager of TIGO, at the launch of the promotion said “It’s an exciting moment; we are in the season of giving and receiving and there is honestly nothing better than giving our loyal customers a reason to talk more for less.”
She further revealed 2009 to bring greater prospects for the subscribers as they can enjoy a combination of enhanced services, innovative products and promotions. This “longer longer” promotion which began in February, will end on March 20, this year.
Successful bidders for grant of MNP licences to be announced by 5th March (India)
The successful bidders for grant of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service licences will be announced by 5th March 2009. They will also be issued Letters of Intent (LoI) by this date.
The Government has stated that there is no delay in implementation of number portability. The Government has issued Guidelines for award of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service licence(s) on 01.08.2008. As per the said guidelines, MNP is to be implemented in all ‘Metro’ and Category ‘A’ service areas within six months of the award of the licence and in rest of the service areas within one year of the award of the licence. The tender for grant of MNP service licences has been floated on 25.11.2008 after following due procedure. As per the present schedule of events of the tender, the date for announcement of successful bidder(s) and issuance of Letter(s) of Intent is 05.03.2009.
This was informed in a statement by the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Shri A Raja.
For more information, please visit http://pib.nic.in/
Vodafone inks sixth MVNO deal with ERG Petroli (Italy)
Vodafone has inked a deal with ERG Petroli to provide network capacity for a new MVNO. From April, ERG will offer the mobile services at its petrol stations, dubbed as ERG Mobile. The service will include ERG’s existing loyalty programme, enabling users to accumulate benefits with top-ups. Vodafone will provide platform for integrating the two companies’ systems whereas ERG will be handling the full customer relationship and pricing. The services like voice, SMS, roaming and data will be included in ERG’s mobile service. This is Vodafone’s sixth MVNO agreement in Italy.
