2007
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400,000 phone lines for Syria
Syria's Communication Establishment is to set up 400,000 fixed telephone lines this year, taking the total number to more than 3m, reported the Syria Arab News Agency citing the Al Thawra newspaper. Subscribers in Aleppo will receive 70,000 of the lines, while Damascus and its surrounding areas will gain 60,000, with Homs receiving 40,000 and Hama 38,000.
Egypt to offer licences
Two international call licences will be offered by Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority by the end of February, reported the Daily Star, Egypt. The release of the licences has been delayed by a year as the NTRA has sought favourable market conditions and has allowed Telecom Egypt, the sole current provider, more time to prepare for a loss of revenue. In 2005, 27% of the firm's revenue came from overseas calls.
Batelco, Algerian roaming deal
Batelco has signed a mobile roaming agreement with Orascom Telecom in Algeria. Batelco mobile customers can now make and receive calls while in the North African country. Batelco says it has 309 commercial roaming agreements worldwide.
Big three face Bluetooth suit
Nokia, Panasonic and Samsung are being sued by US-based Washington Research Foundation for alleged patent infringement in the use of wireless Bluetooth technology, the Guardian reported. WRF claims the companies are using a "simplified high-frequency broadband tuner and tuning method" originally patented by one of its scientists without paying royalties.
MAXg at Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastore in the UAE has expanded its portfolio of USRobotics' wireless products to include MAXg and 54g. MAXg allows WiFi high-speed connections up to 50% further from an access point, and has in-built security measures to protect networks, USRobotics said in a statement.
Mobile penetration at 150%
The mobile phone penetration rate in Bahrain reached 150% in 2006, with a total of more than 900,000 subscribers, Bahrain Tribune reported. Batelco had around 600,000 mobile users and competitor MTC Vodafone Bahrain about 300,000 at the end of year. The telcos are ramping up services to differentiate their products in the heavily saturated market.
Nokia access to Egyptian directory
Nokia users can access Egypt Yellow Pages through Nokia Mobile Search, after the mobile phone maker released a search plug-in. The device connects users to yellowpages.com.eg. It can be accessed in Arabic and English.
SMS sex spam anger
Mobile users in Abu Dhabi are angry about getting unsolicited mobile text messages offering young Arab women for sex, Gulf News reports. Police are investigating. UAE state telco Etisalat says it only allows licensed companies to send bulk SMS advertisments but is unable to monitor the content of messages.
Dubai IT Association launched
Dubai Internet City has created an association of IT professionals to drive ICT growth in the emirate. The Dubai IT Association will promote the adoption of technology, education and innovation to accelerate ICT development, DIC said in statement. Founding members include 3M, Ducont, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, Market Vision, Nokia, and Sun Microsystems.
Melody wins Dynacord account
Melody House says it has taken over the distributorship for Dynacord products in the UAE from NMK Electronics Enterprises. Dynacord, a maker of audio systems, is a subsidiary of Telex Communications, which was recently taken over by Bosch.
No charge for failed messages
Etisalat says it is not charging for SMS messages incorrectly sent without the required 050 prefix, local news papers reported. Users get a message advising of a failed sending attempt. All calls and SMSs to Etisalat mobiles now require the 050 prefix, with calls to new telco Du requiring a 055 prefix.
Aspose opens Saudi office
Aspose, an Australian .net and Java component publisher, has opened an office in Saudi Arabia. The company says the move will help it serve its local resellers, partners and customers. Osman Hamad will head the office.
Telecom subscriptions surge
Increased competition between telecom firms and the adoption of mobile phones in countries with low penetration rates has led to a surge in mobile subscribers in the region over the past 12 months, Gulf News reported, citing statistics compiled by Zawya.com. The number of subscribers across 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa went from 62m in September 2005 to at least 87.9m in Q3 2006.
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