The latest Iraqi communications news, including developments and opportunities in communications and media from Iraq Business News.
Asiacell has stated that its revenues increased 17% year-on-year to US$377.29 million in Q1, according to a report from Wireless Federation. EBITDA rose 14% to US$213.63 million, with EBITDA margin falling 1% to 57%. Revenue and EBITDA growth was driven by increased customer base and increased usage. At the end of Q1, Asiacell had 8.306 […]
Zain Iraq is unifying its subscriber data, currently distributed across the network, into a single database using the Nokia Siemens Networks’ One-NDS platform. One-NDS enables real-time data access across multiple applications. It addresses Zain’s need for a resilient and high capacity subscriber data repository to meet its growth targets by introducing flexibility not found in […]
According to a report from Reuters, Iraqi telecom operator Kalimat plans to invest $250 million in 2011, and to launch an initial public offering (IPO) next year. The company's chief executive, Wilson Varghese, said the planned IPO should help the company to expand as it eyes a nationwide rollout of services by the end of […]
Dr. Abdulmalek Al-Jaber, CEO of Zain Jordan, part of Kuwait's Zain Group, has announced the full hook-up of its network to neighbouring Iraq via an optical fibre cable, Kuna has reported. The Jordanian network has been linked to the Iraqi network using an optical fiber cable that continues to Baghdad, he said. "The hook-up enables […]
Basra Investment Commission has granted an investment licence to the Al- Mawada Company for Media Production and Broadcasting. The project includes the construction of a media complex in Kut Al- Faranki, and it will be completed within 6 months. The total value of the project is estimated at 5.24 billion Iraqi dinars ($4.4 million). The […]
Elie Girard, executive vice-president of strategy and development at France Telecom, said he was bullish about the prospects for Korek Telecom, the mobile operator based in Kurdistan, in which France Telecom recently bought a minority stake. "There is huge growth potential in Iraq," said Girard, adding that Korek would grow some 30 percent a year. […]
Iraq Business News has received information suggesting that AsiaCell is suing Warka Bank for the return of funds amounting to around 29 billion Iraqi dinars [$25 million]. According to one source, this could be enough to do serious damage to Warka. While the full picture is still not entirely clear, we are attaching an official […]
By Lisa Knight, Creative Director & Founder of The Brand Foundation. Multinational brands have been and continue to land in Iraq, attractive to Iraqi nationals perhaps due to the trade embargos of the past, and Saddam's dislike of Iraqi's owning western brands. It is hardly surprising that brands that were formerly unavailable domestically are now […]
Iraq Business News recently had the pleasure of interviewing the Kurdistan Regional Government's High Representative to the United Kingdom, Ms Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman. Iraq Business News: Ms Abdul Rahman, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. May I ask you firstly for your opinion about the ongoing protests in the […]
The Iraqi unit of Kuwait telecoms firm Zain is planning to spend $100m this year as part of its plan to expand throughout the entire Kurdish region over the next five months, its chief executive said yesterday. Emad Makiya, CEO of Zain Iraq, the country’s biggest mobile phone operator, said the firm planned to extend […]
UAE telecom Etisalat has not ruled out expansion into Iraq after dropping its $12bn bid for a chunk of Kuwait’s Zain that would have given it access to the market, a senior executive said, according to a report from Arabian Business. “We are looking at all opportunities,” said Ahmed Bin Ali, group senior vice president […]
Iraq's communications minister said he expected the country's planned fourth mobile phone licence to fetch between $1 billion to $2 billion [2.4 trillion Iraqi dinars] in an auction expected by the end of this year. According to Reuters, Mohammed Allawi said the expected cost for the licence, including installations and infrastructure costs, could be in […]
