The latest Iraqi communications news, including developments and opportunities in communications and media from Iraq Business News.
By John Lee. Mobile operator Asiacell has posted a 12.2 percent drop in annual net profit. Reuters reports that the company, part of Qatar-based Ooredoo, made a net profit of 581 billion dinars ($498.62 million) in 2013, down from 662 billion dinars a year earlier. Profit was impacted "non-recurring items - mainly related to tax […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has announced that it will shortly offer licenses to mobile operators to give customers 3G internet service, AFP reports. The colossal increase in mobile phone ownership in Iraq post 2003 has been one of the notable developments in the country, a nation which still has a highly limited fixed-line network. Mobile […]
By John Lee. Reuters reports that mobile phone company Zain is being sued for $4.5 billion over its 2007 acquisition of Iraqi telecom operator Iraqna. The company bought Iraqna for $1.2 billion from Egypt's Orascom Telecom after it dropped out of the running for a long-term mobile licence in Iraq. According to Reuters, the Kuwaiti firm […]
By John Lee. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan say they must self-censor on topics like religion, social inequality, and corruption associated with powerful officials. Their report states that over the past few years the nonprofit advocacy group Metro Center to Defend Journalists, based in Sulaymaniyah, has recorded in […]
By John Lee. Kuwait-based Zain reported an 8 percent rise in first-quarter profit on Monday, as earnings from Iraq and its domestic business rose. According to the company's report: "Zain Iraq ... performed exceptionally well in the first quarter of 2014 with revenues of US$432.3 million, EBITDA of US$167.8 million and net income of US$78.3 […]
By John Lee. Hewlett-Packard (HP) sees big future opportunities in Iran and Iraq. Mathew Thomas, general manager for printing and personal systems at HP Middle East, told GulfNews: “We are waiting for the green signal from the World Trade Organisation and HP worldwide to give us the direction of when ... As of now, we […]
This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. E-Waste Comes to Karbala: Old Phones and Computers Threaten Public Health In the relatively prosperous city of Karbala, locals are used to buying cheap mobile phones, then simply throwing them out […]
By John Lee. The Government of Iraq has reportedly renewed its one-year $960,000 PR contract with Podesta Group to "promote a better understanding with the US of its priorities and concerns". The work, which runs through 2014, is designed to “further the purposes of the Strategic Framework Agreement” and facilitate a dialog with the American […]
Anam Technologies, a Irish mobile messaging software solutions provider for mobile operators, has announced that they have been selected by Asiacell to provide its SMS Firewall service ANTISpam. The service was selected by Asiacell to enhance the operator’s ability to detect and block spam traffic from entering its network and protect its customers from receiving […]
By John Lee. Qatari telecommunications operator Ooredoo, which owns the Iraqi mobile phone company Asiacell, has hit out at prices quoted by the Iraqi government for a long-delayed auction for 3G spectrum licences. Company CEO Dr Nasser Marafih (pictured) told Arabian Business: “The country needs it, the people need it. We are ready to deploy […]
By John Lee. Ahmed Alomary, a former commissioner at the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), told Reuters that Iraq plans to auction third-generation (3G) telecommunications licences for a minimum of $307 million each. Current 2G services are supplied by Zain Iraq (a unit of Kuwait's Zain), Asiacell (a subsidiary of Ooredoo) and Orange affiliate Korek, who […]
Logicom has announced a new strategy to enhance its coverage in Iraq. This investment is part of Logicom’s commitment to grow Cisco’s business in the Middle East. Logicom will be the only authorized Cisco distributor to cover the entire Middle East region, both through a local presence and remotely, through its partners in Iraq, Lebanon, […]
