Orascom Telecom

MobiNil targets to finalize LINKdotNET deal within a month

On 03.12.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A deadline has been set by Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (MobiNil), to complete the acquisition of broadband provider LINKdotNET (Egypt). MobiNil, which is Egypt’s largest mobile network operator by subscribers, is currently at the center of an owner ship dispute between France Telecom and Egyptian telecoms group Orascom Telecom.

Acquisition of LINKdotNET from Orascom will also be finalized by the company within a month. According to MobiNil chairman Alex Shalaby, the company has set an internal target, within the board, and it would like to see this completed and concluded within 30 days, within a month from the board meeting which took place on March 9.

In 2009, it was reported that Orascom has suspended its sale talks until the MobiNil ownership dispute and earlier this week it came to light that an Egyptian court had delayed the next ruling on the matter until March 27.

Orascom telecom loses appeal against tax demands in Algerian unit

On 03.08.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: An appeal against back-dated tax claims by Algerian subsidiary of Orascom Telecom, Orascom Telecom Algérie (OTA) has been lost by the company. Though the company is not required to pay the full amount, but it will have to pay a further 20% of the claim pending its next appeal with the Central Commission.

Payment of additional US $110 million has been confirmed by Orascom to proceed with the next stages of its appeal and it has already paid US$120 million last December in order to file an appeal against the US$597 million tax demand. The appeal was for the tax years 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The appeal can be filed by OTA in the State Counsel instead of Commission Central and it will receive the amount only if the appeal is successful. OTA’s administrative appeal in relation to a US$50 million 2004 tax reassessment has also been rejected.

Until the tax dispute is resolved, US$257 million of dividends from the Algerian subsidiary will be frozen for the parent company.

Tagged with: Africa • Algeria • LG • Orascom • Orascom Telecom

Zambian government under pressure to release Zamtel valuation report

On 12.28.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Zambia’s civil society organizations have pressurized the Government to release the valuation report it commissioned to sell its majority stakes in a fixed line incumbent Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel).

According to Fackson Shamenda, former Zambia Congress of Trade Union president, there has not been much transparency in the sale of Zamtel and with the release of the information the potential concerns over the sales will be cleared.

Earlier this year the government had appointed RP Capital to evaluate the telco’s assets, after deciding to sell 75% stake in Zamtel. However they never released the report. This led to complaints saying that there has been no transparency in the process.

According to The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), eight companies including Portugal Telecom, Orascom Telecom and Vimpelcom have pre-qualified for the stake sale, and those firms are due to complete due diligence today, with bids due by midday. The ZDA will release the identity of those companies that have submitted bids for the stake and after reviewing the bids announce the shortlisted candidates on January11.

Tagged with: Africa • Europe • Orascom Telecom • Portugal Telecom • Stake • Vimplecom • Zambia • Zambia Development Agency • Zamtel

Prime Capital named by Mobinil to evaluate France Telecom offer

On 12.22.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Prime Capital has been appointed by the Egyptian Company for Mobile Services or Mobinil, to evaluate an offer by France Telecom’s unit to buy up to 100% of Mobinil. Prime Capital is supposed to submit the evaluation before January 5, 2010.

The assessment of the offer will be done before January 9, 2010 on the basis of the evaluation by the Mobinil’s board of directors. An offer from France Telecom unit to buy up to 100% of Egyptian Co. for Mobile Services at 245 Egyptian pounds ($44.42) for the ECMS, was approved by Egypt’s regulator on December 10.

There are disputes regarding France Telecom’s and Orascom Telecom’s stake in Mobinil and the latter has appealed the decision made by the regulator.

Tagged with: Africa • ECMS • Ezypt • France Telecom • Mobinil • Orascom Telecom

Advisor on France’s Tel offer named by Mobinil

On 12.22.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobinil, an Egyptian company for mobile services has appointed an independent financial adviser for evaluating and buying France’s Telecom’s offer. The firm has been at the centre of a long and often rancorous dispute between its two main shareholders, Orascom Telecom and France Telecom.

In a statement to the stock exchange, the firm attributed that they have appointed Prime Capital which will submit an evaluation of the offer before January 5. However the company will formally announce the results of the evaluation only before January 9, it said.

While Orange Participations, France’s Telecom subsidiary is offering 245 Egyptian pounds ($44.54) for each freely traded share in Mobinil, the last date for the offer for the shares will end with the closing of the trading session on January 14.

Tagged with: Africa • Europe • Ezypt • France Telecom • Mobinil • Orange • Orascom Telecom

Orascom against EFSA’s decision on France Telecom offer

On 12.15.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Egyptian regulator’s decision to allow France Telecom SA to buy 100% of Egyptian Co. for Mobile Services, or ECMS has been challenged by Orascom Telecom Holding, or OT. The company said that it
will appeal against the decision.

According to Orascom Telecom’s Chairman Naguib Sawiris, Orascom is the largest minority shareholder in ECMS with 20% share and the company feels that the price offered by France Telecom SA is not the right price.

The Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority or EFSA approved an offer from France Telecom’s unit Orange Participations on Friday. 245 Egyptian pounds ($44.42) were offered by France Telecom for each freely traded share in Mobinil, Egypt’s biggest mobile company by subscribers.

Tagged with: Africa • ECMS • EFSA • Egypt • Egyptian Regulator • Mobinil • Orascom Telecom

France telecom to acquire Ezypt’s Mobinil

On 12.11.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: France Telecom got a green signal from Egypt’s regulator to acquire the assets of Egypt’s largest mobile carrier Mobinil. The decision puts an end to the dispute between France Telecom and Orascom
Telecom, other major shareholder in Mobinil.

Three offers ranging from EGP187/share, EGP237/share, and EGP230/share were made by France Telecom to buy Mobinil shares. The final offer that was accepted was 245 Egyptian pounds per share (€30.15).

Orascom Telecom is now left with two options, either to respond to the decision by selling all its shares of Mobinil and the holding company to France Telecom or objecting to the offer and challenging it through court or another arbitration round.

Meanwhile, the French Competition Authority fined France Telecom with €63 million, along with its Caribbean subsidiary, Orange Caraibe, following a complaint from Bouygues Telecom’s Caribbean subsidiary. In the complain, the telco is accused of thwarting competition in the mobile and landline markets in the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyana.

In other complaints it is also accused of offering fixed to mobile tariffs to corporate clients at rates that were below reasonable costs.

Tagged with: Africa • Bouygues Telecom • Caribbean • Egypt • Europe • France • France Telecom • Guadeloupe • Guyana • Mobile Tariffs • Mobinil • Orange Caraibe • Orascom Telecom

Orange & RIM introduce BlackBerry Curve 8520 in Spain

On 08.31.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Orange and Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smartphone, a new addition to the BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones.

The slim new BlackBerry Curve 8520 is an incredibly approachable smartphone. For people who like to be connected, it provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook® and MySpace) and features a highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It also features rich multimedia capabilities and access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone will be available from Orange Spain in frost. (more…)

Tagged with: BTRC • cooperation deal • Deutsche Telekom • GSM PUK • kent mcneley • Libercell • Orascom Telecom • Reliance Entertainment • RollOut • Samsung Gloss • Solomon Islands • Sonera • T-DMB • TDC • Telecommunications Act • Telecommunications Bill 2009 • TMN • TTi

RIM launches BlackBerry Curve 8520 in France

On 08.29.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smartphone for customers in France. The stylish handset, a new addition to the BlackBerry® Curve™ series of smartphones, is available from wireless carriers in France.

The slim new BlackBerry Curve 8520 is an incredibly approachable smartphone. For people who like to be connected, it provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook® and MySpace) and features a highly tactile full-Azerty keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It also features rich multimedia capabilities and access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is a quad band phone, and is also Wi-Fi®-enabled to arm customers with fast Web browsing, Wi-Fi calling via UMA where available, and extended data coverage. (more…)

Tagged with: BT Movio • GSM PUK • Libercell • Orascom Telecom • QWERTY • Reliance Entertainment • RollOut • Solomon Islands • Sonera • TDC • TMN • TTi • videos