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Bahrain fixed line, mobile numbers grow
Bahrain's telecoms regulator has said the number of fixed lines in the kingdom rose from 220,000 at the end of 2008 to 230,000 by the end of Q2 2009. At the end of Q2 2009 there were about 1.4 million mobile subscribers in Bahrain, with prepaid subscribers representing 83% of mobile subscribers, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said.
Saudi Telecom Co offers dual internet networks
Saudi Telecom Co (STC) has launched 'Naqaa Net', a new feature which allows customers to control network access by switching between the standard internet network and a "pure" network which aims to protect users' children and other family members, Saudi Gazette has reported. The new service allows users to control, switch and select between networks as and when required.
Etisalat, Comviva ink partnership
Etisalat and Comviva have announced plans to a long-term partnership to bring Value Added Services (VAS) to Etisalat's more than 100 million subscribers worldwide. Comviva will deploy solutions including mobile voice and video applications and music and messaging solutions.
Egypt prohibits internet voice calls
Amr Badawy, the executive president of Egypt's National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, has announced the start of a ban on international calls made through mobile internet connections, Reuters has reported. 'The ban is on Skype on mobile internet, not on fixed, and this is due to the fact it is against the law since it bypasses the legal gateway,' he said. Under Egyptian law, international calls must pass through a network controlled by majority state-owned Telecom Egypt.
Zain-Bharti deal to close on March 25
The $9bn deal between Kuwaiti telecom Zain and India's Bharti Airtel is expected to close on March 25, Reuters has reported. Due diligence had been done on the majority of Zain's African assets in major countries and only procedural steps, which are unlikely to change the final report, remain, the news service said.
Telecom Egypt delays cable launch
Tarek Tantawy, chief executive of Telecom Egypt, has said the company has proposed a cut on its dividend and delayed the launch of an undersea cable until the second quarter, after posting lowerÜthanÜexpected earnings, Reuters has reported. The TE North cable, which travels from Egypt's Mediterranean coast to Marseille in France, was due to be completed by the end of 2009.
UAE limits VoIP to local firms
Mohammed Gheyath, executive director for technology development affairs at the UAE's Telecoms Regulatory Authority, has said that only local firms will be given licences for VoIP, Reuters has reported. 'No licences for international companies like Skype for the time being, they can join existing licensees and have partnerships with them,' he said. Currently, local operators Etisalat and Du as well as satellite firms Yahsat and Thuraya are licensed to offer VoIP.
LG launches new full touchscreen phone
LG Electronics has announced the launch of its new compact full touch-screen phone, the LG GD510. The new 3-inch WQVGA full touch-screen handset, labelled the 'Cookie POP', features a solar-battery cover that uses the power of the sun to charge the phone and plays music and movies in several popular file formats with 8 GB of expandable memory, and a 3MP camera.
SingTel may back Bharti, Zain deal
Bharti Airtel's $9bn acquisition of Kuwait-based Zain's African assets may receive financial backing from Singapore Telecoms (SingTel), Reuters has reported. Bharti and Zain are in exclusive talks until March 25 for the Kuwaiti firm's operations in 15 African countries and have agreed on an enterprise value of $10.7bn for the assets, including $1.7bn of debt on Zain Africa books.
Skype says it is open to talks over UAE ban
Josh Silverman, chief executive of global VoIP service provider, Skype has said the firm is open to discussions with the government of the UAE over its ban on access to the service, Zawya Dow Jones has reported. "I personally feel it's quite short-sighted of the government. We are always open to discussions," Silverman said at a media summit in Abu Dhabi. "The Middle East is important for Skype. We know they want to use our software, and we want to help them," he added.
Moody's places Qtel ratings under review
Moody's Investors Service has said it has placed the ratings for Qtel under review, following change in outlook to negative from stable of the Ba1 Corporate Family Rating for PT Indosat Tbk (Indosat), in which Qtel has a 65% stake. The A1 long term ratings for Qtel, the A1 rating for Qtel International Finance Limited and A1-rated bonds issued under Qtel's GMTN programme have been placed under review for possible downgrade, Moody's said.
Viva Kuwait extends roaming to 176 countries
Kuwait's telecoms service provider Viva has announced it will extend its roaming coverage to a total of 176 countries and more than 420 operators including the US, Canada, England, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, GCC, Egypt and Lebanon. The company also said it now supports GPRS roaming in 75 countries with more than 123 operators.
Orascom Telecom's tax appeal rejected by Algeria
Orascom Telecom has said its appeal against claims its Algerian unit, Djezzy owed back taxes and penalties from 2004 to 2007 has been rejected by Algerian authorities, Reuters has reported. The company said it 'intends to appeal the rejection according to the Algerian rules and regulations which dictates a three-tiered appeal process'. To do so it will have to pay 20% of the remaining balance of the taxes and penalties the Algerian government claims, or around $110m, which Orascom said it will do shortly. Orascom paid $120m in December in order to file an appeal against a $597m tax bill which Algeria says Djezzy owes for 2005-2007, according to Reuters.
Qatar Telecom '09 profit rises 21%
Qatar Telecom posted a 21% jump in full-year profit as it added new customers and expanded operations, Bloomberg has reported. Net income rose to 2.78 billion riyals ($764m) from 2.31 billion riyals a year earlier, the company said. Fourth-quarter profit dropped 7.9% to 431 million riyals as 'non-operational provisions' hurt earnings, it said, without giving further details.
Sawiris to cede control of Orascom
Naguib Sawiris is preparing to cede control of Egypt's Orascom Telecom, the international mobile operator he founded in 1998, The National has reported. "People like me need to start thinking, 'I cannot keep controlling my company, I need to cede control in exchange for shared control'," he said. "But I don't want to be an insignificant shareholder." Orascom is the world's eighth-largest mobile company by subscribers, with more than 120 million customers in 10 countries across Africa and Asia.
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