Tag Archives | mobile phone licensing

Iraq Seeks Fourth Mobile Telecom Provider

By John Lee. Iraq has invited interested companies to submit proposals to run a fourth mobile phone service in the country. The state-run Communication and Media Commission (CMC) said the planned license will run for 15 years, with the possibility of renewal. Interested companies have until 20th November to submit papers. Iraq's existing three mobile […]

Zain to Launch 3G by Jan

By John Lee. Zain Iraq is to launch its 3G mobile phone services in January. Reuters reports that Zain, along with rivals Asiacell and Korek, eventually agreed to the government’s terms and formally signed the contracts at a ceremony in Baghdad on Monday attended by prime minister Haider al-Abadi. Zain Iraq recently paid the first […]

$307m Bill for 3G Spectrum

By John Lee. Iraq is reportedly seeking $307 million [358 billion Iraqi dinars] from each of the country's three mobile phone operators for spectrum to run 3G (third-generation) services. According to Reuters, all three operators – Zain Iraq (owned by Kuwait's Zain), Asiacell (owned by Ooredoo) and Korek (Orange) – paid $1.25 billion each for so-called "technology-neutral" […]

Ooredoo hits out at Iraq Delays

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 […]

3G Licences "at Least $307m Each"

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 […]