Tag Archives | Korek

2 of the 3 Mobile Telcos Select Banks for IPO

Asiacell has selected HSBC and Morgan Stanley to manage its initial public offering (IPO) on the Iraqi bourse, according to Bloomberg. Chief Executive Officer Diar Ahmed told the news agency that the company will offer 25 percent of its shares, but did not specify when. The company, which is an affiliate of Qatar Telecom, is […]

Iraqi Telco IPOs Unlikely Before mid-2012

Iraq's three mobile operators are unlikely to conduct initial public offerings until the middle of next year and will not be penalised for missing an August 2011 deadline, the country's regulator said on Thursday, according to a report from Reuters. Under the terms of the 15-year, $1.25-billion, operating licences they secured in 2007, Korek, Zain […]

Telco IPOs a Bullish Sign

The mobile phone operators are finally getting their IPOs [initial public offerings - A company's first offering of common stock to the public] organized. Recently Asiacell and Zain began conversions to joint stock ownership. Zain is also reported to have engaged Citibank and BNP Paribas to work on valuation. So far as I know, Korek […]

Ericsson to Enhance Korek's Iraq Mobile Network

Korek, one of the fastest growing mobile operators in Iraq, has selected Ericsson to modernize and expand its network by a network expansion and service quality improvement project. The agreement will prepare the network for 3G and LTE and further develop Iraq's telecom infrastructure. Through the agreement, Ericsson will deploy and integrate new radio base […]

Iraq Mobile Telcos Unlikely to Make IPO Deadline

Iraq's three main mobile phone companies - Zain Iraq, Asiacell and Korek - appear unlikely to meet a month-end deadline to list on the local stock exchange, raising the chances of them being penalised, according to Reuters. The companies are required by Iraqi law to launch initial public offerings on the Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) by […]

Iraq Mobile Operators Facing Mandatory IPO Deadline

Iraqi operators Asiacell, Korek Telecom and Zain are facing a mandatory deadline for an initial public offering of stock, with reports stating that the companies have to sell-off a 25 percent holding on the local stock exchange within four years of acquiring their licences, according to Mobile Business Briefing. This means that the companies must […]

High Costs Hamper Iraqi Telecoms

Telecommunications should be one of the hottest growth industries in Iraq, but according to a report from Reuters, providers have yet to introduce 3G technology into a market where the military jams mobile phone networks to stop insurgents detonating bombs. Poor infrastructure, high operating costs, conflicts between communications regulators and security problems are stunting development […]

France Telecom Bullish on Iraq

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. […]

Zain Iraq Plans to Invest $100m in Kurdish Zone

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 […]

4th Mobile Phone Licence Could Go for $2bn

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 […]

France Telecom, Agility, Take 44% of Korek

France Telecom-Orange and its partner Agility, a leading logistics company, have announced a binding agreement on Monday with the shareholders of Korek Telecom to acquire a 44% stake in the Iraqi mobile operator. France Telecom-Orange will contribute its marketing, commercial and technical expertise to reinforce Korek Telecom's leading position in the Kurdistan region of Iraq […]