North Korea bans visitors from renting mobile phones
North Korea has reportedly suggested that foreign visitors to the reclusive country are being barred from renting mobile phones in the country. The country has already barred foreign visitors from bringing in their own phones, and offered to rent them 3G phones connected to the new Koryolink network built by Egypt’s Orascom Telecom.
The government controls all the media and tightly monitors information in the country. There has been almost no reporting of the ongoing democracy protests in North Africa and the Middle-East. It is thought that the bar on renting handsets is part of a more serious clamp-down on information about the protests getting to the North Koreans.
However, the rented handsets were unable to connect to North Korean phones owned by residents. Foreigners living in the country for business or diplomatic purposes are understood to be unaffected by the ban on renting phones.
du selects Tata Consultancy Services as an IT Managed Services partner
In its efforts to enhance customer excellence and service delivery levels, dutoday signed a five year contract with leading Indian IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS). As an IT Managed Services Partner, TCS will support du in its aggressive growth strategy and its continuous focus on enhancing the company’s capabilities in offering a better scope in developing and managing customer-centric products and services.
The agreement was signed in a ceremony attended by Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Human Resources and Shared Services Officer, du, and Mr Girish Ramachandran, VP and Head – Middle East, Africa and Mediterranean, TCS, in the presence of Saleem M . Al- Balooshi, Senior Vice President – Technology and Wholesale Operations at du, and Mr. Manoj Agarwal, Regional Director- TCS Middle East and North Africa.
Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Human Resources and Shared Services Officer, du, said: “In a dynamic business sector such as telecom we are constantly looking at enhancing customer experience – made possible by further enhancing our IT operations. With TCS’ capabilities we expect to further streamline our efficiencies in service delivery, quality of service, as well as bringing best practice in IT operations, and create further value for our shareholders.”
Mr. Girish Ramachandran, VP and Head – Middle East, Africa and Mediterranean, TCS, said: “We are delighted to be chosen as a strategic partner to du. With our strong global telecom expertise we are committed to delivering service improvement, flexibility and predictability to du’s IT, which will supports du’s progressive strategy to enhance customer experience.”
TCS started its operations in the Middle East in 1973 and today Middle East & Africa contribute a significant portion of TCS revenue from the developing countries market segment. We do business with some of the top government and private business houses in the different countries that we operate in the region. The nature of projects we execute in the region both from a sheer volume & complexity perspective speaks strongly of our service quality and delivery capabilities. These projects in many ways are unique and create references for TCS. TCS MEA has the world’s best trained IT consultants working in nearly 12 countries, deployed in various client locations and offshore delivery centers.
France Telecom to sell Moroccan bond
France Telecom, which owns 40 percent of Morocco’s private wireless operator Medi Telecom (Meditel) will sell a 7-year bond to raise US$145.78 million.
According to the company’s statement, the bond aims to mainly help Meditel boost its network coverage as part of a US$570.98 million investment plan over the 2010-2014 period and reimburse loans from shareholders.
According to company officials in France, the move will help to increase liquidity and help buttress the private wireless carrier’s efforts to move into a larger portion of the North African country’s mobile network. They hope to increase the ability for Meditel to compete and eventually take on the larger more established companies in the country.
France Telecom in the past year has been pushing hard to enter the North African market, losing out on a battle to acquire an Egyptian mobile company.
Telecom Egypt close to acquire MVNO license, Naeem Says
Naeem Brokerage has revealed that Telecom Egypt is closer to acquire a license that would allow the North African country’s monopoly fixed-line operator to provide mobile-phone services using an existing operator’s network.
According to previous reports by Naeem, the license, by which the company would become a mobile virtual network operator, would help Telecom Egypt contain the impact of users switching to mobile phones.
Naeem, which has a buy recommendation on Telecom Egypt, expects to raise its current price estimate of US$3.6 after the company reports fourth-quarter earnings. According to Naeem, Cairo- based Telecom Egypt is likely to increase dividend payments.
Libya to float two mobile networks on the Stock Exchange
Libya’s chairman of the privatization and investment board has revealed that Libya’s two state-owned mobile networks, Al Madar and Libyana will be listed on the local stock exchange by the end of April.
According to Gamal Al-Lamushe, they are working on it with Al Madar and Libyana, probably about two to five percent is the maximum that will be floated.
Late last year, it was reported that the two networks would offer 40% of their shares, in an apparent change of an earlier policy to sell just 5% of each network. It now seems that the earlier plan has been resurrected by the government.
Earlier last year, Vodafone had signed a non-equity cooperation deal with Libyan state owned mobile network, Almadar Aljadid (Al-Madar) to offer Vodafone branded services in the North African country.
Orascom & Algerian govt to open talk for Djezzy
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Negotiations with Algerian government is set to be opened by Orascom Telecom, the Cairo-based mobile operator that could lead to the nationalization of its highly profitable subsidiary in the north African country. The company has written to the authorities in Algiers seeking talks over the future of Djezzy, its Algerian mobile unit.
However, there are still doubts as in whether Orascom will seal a deal with MTN, Africa’s largest mobile operator as, if it went ahead this would see MTN acquiring most of the Egyptian group’s African assets. Talk between the two companies had been confirmed last month. The discussion started with Djezzy but expanded to include other Orascom operations, including units in Tunisia, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
After the deal became public, the government announced that it would block any sale of Djezzy. According to analysts, the removal of the Algerian subsidiary from any package of assets to be sold by Orascom makes it far less attractive to MTN and the Algerian operation is Orascom’s most profitable business and last year accounted for just over half of the Egyptian company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, which totaled $2.24bn.
Government’s opposition to MTN buying Djezzy had been reiterated by Algerian trade minister. A legislation was brought by Algeria two years ago giving the state the right of first refusal when a foreign owner wants to sell assets in the country. Orascom in its argument has said that the law on pre-emption should not be applied retroactively as the rule was not in place in 2001 when it made its investment in Algeria.
$597m has been demanded from the company by the authorities in back taxes and penalties covering the period between 2004 and 2007, during which it had enjoyed an exemption. The authorities also blocked Orascom from repatriating dividends from Djezzy and prevented the unloading of its equipment in local ports.
Orange & Investec launches 3G network in Tunisia
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A mobile network has been launched by France Telecom’s Orange in the North African country of Tunisia. The venture has been launched in co operation with Investec, a Tunisian subsidiary of the Mabrouk group and Orange holds 49% in the joint venture.
One billion dinars (around EUR500 million) will be invested by Orange Tunisia to set up the network and to launch the operations. Majority of Tunisia’s major cities is already covered by this network and it will be doubled by the end of the year.
According to Didier Lombard, Chairman of France Telecom, Orange is proud to associate itself with Marwan Mabrouk to build Tunisia’s first genuine convergent telecoms operator and together they are committed to a project that will transform the Tunisian telecommunications market, and which in turn will help the country on its way to joining the world’s most competitive economies.
A network of nine shops and 400 distribution outlets will benefit Orange Tunisia. Almost 1,500 people will be hired by the company by the end of this year.
Vodafone signs cooperation deal Al-Madar (Libya)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With an aim to offer Vodafone-branded services in the North African country, a cooperation deal has been signed between Vodafone and Libyan state-owned mobile operator Almadar Aljadid (Al-Madar).
As per the agreement, Vodafone’s range of products, devices and services in Libya will give a special access to Al-Madar. A range of services utilizing home network capabilities will be offered by Vodafone if allowed to use the network besides enjoying extended roaming coverage throughout the region.
