Cell broadcast ideal for Maldives public warning: think tank

Cell broadcasting, a messaging system that is found in the two celco networks in the Maldives can be used to send immediate public warning messages to users, a think tank has said.

The cell broadcast facility has to be activated by each phone user.

"It can, if citizens and tourists can be educated to turn on the appropriate channel, serve as an ideal one-to-many channel for disseminating hazard information from the government," LIRNEAsia, a regional telecom policy and regulation think tank, said.

"Cell broadcasts reach further to the sea than normal mobile coverage and can thus serve those in fishing boats, ferries and other craft as well."

In 2008, the Communications Authority of the Maldives had asked LIRNEasia, which has expertise in disaster early warning, to identify the preconditions needed for cell broadcast for early warning and evaluate its commercial potential.

"In the tiny but intensely rivalrous Maldives industry, the operators, each with a customer base less than that of a small city elsewhere, focus almost exclusively on marketing," LIRNEAsia said.

"However, upon being educated on CB’s potential not only for public warning but for myriad commercial and other applications, it is likely that Maldives will become one of the pioneers in effective public warning."

LIRNEAsia says according to the Asian Development Bank, the Maldives was among the worst affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Loss of life was small, but around one-third of the population was affected and property damage was estimated to have been around 60 per cent of gross domestic product.

"Its principal industry is tourism," the think tank noted. "Ensuring public safety and giving visitors a sense of security are thus high priorities for the government."

Because the population of the Maldives is highly dispersed radio and television would be less than ideal for public warning, LIRNEAsia said. Tourists were also unlikely to listen to local channels. The sets also need to be switched on for messages to be heard.

Short message service (SMS) was also an option but phones need to be pre-registered and congestion could also delay message delivery.

"A discreet campaign telling tourists how to turn on the Maldivian warning channel can not only enhance their security but also communicate the image of a caring Maldives," LIRNEAsia said.

For sustained adoption, it will be necessary for the regulator to continue discussions with the operators to develop a framework for commercial CB applications and to encourage such uses.

Source: LBO

Dhiraagu introduces AeroMobile service

Dhiraagu, the Maldives operator, has introduced the AeroMobile service for its subscribers. AeroMobile is a mobile roaming service on aircrafts enabling the subscribers to make calls or send SMS when roaming. Registration is not required for the AeroMobile service, and charges will be billed to the subscriber’s Dhiraagu mobile bill as roaming charges.

The service will also be available for MVR 46.90/minute for outgoing calls to the Maldives, MVR 83.00/minute for incoming calls from anywhere and MVR 10.54 for each SMS sent. While mobiles are still required to be switched off during take-off and landing, subscribers onboard AeroMobile equipped flights will be advised by the cabin crew when they may use their mobiles.

Source: wirelessfederation.com

2008 Asia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - companiesandmarkets.com adds new report

Executive Summary

BuddeComm’s Annual Publication provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and developments in telecommunications, broadcasting and pay TV markets in: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan

As the political and social rebuilding of the country proceeds following years of war and civil unrest, the country has been busy putting new


national telecommunications infrastructure in place. Telecommunications has already started to play a big role in helping repair the Afghanistan economy and society.

A properly functioning basic telephone network has been and continues to be a high priority for the Afghani Government. As part of this commitment, an important step was the creation of the Ministry of Communications in 2002, followed by the establishment of a regulator, the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority in 2005.

With ongoing unrest in the country and the recovery from war not yet complete, one of the big challenges for the country has been to attract and manage foreign investment. There have been some positive signs in the telecom sector in this regard and, interestingly, for a period the telecom sector was the only one in the country that was attracting any foreign capital.

With two mobile operators already in place, the MoC announced in late 2005 that two more mobile licences had been awarded. In July 2006, the Investcom/Alokozai consortium launched its Areeba Afghanistan service in four provinces and by mid-2007 the new operator already had 500,000 subscribers, as the overall market pushed along at an annual growth rate of around 70%. In a similar story, UAE’s Etisalat was awarded a GSM licence in May 2006 and beginning its operations in August 2007, launched a network with coverage of the country’s main cities, picking up 200,000 subscribers in the first month. For the country overview, see chapter 1, page 15.

Bangladesh

Despite being one of the poorest, most densely populated, least developed countries in the world, Bangladesh has found a way to grow its telecommunications sector. It has done this by creating a highly competitive mobile market and encouraging healthy foreign participation. The country is still struggling with its lowly economic status, frequent natural disasters such cyclones and floods and the slow implementation of much-needed economic reforms. This state of affairs is reflected in the fixed-line segment of the local telecom market which remains stagnant with a teledensity of less than 1%, the lowest in South Asia. With almost 99% of homes lacking a telephone and with a four year waiting list for fixed-line services, the country is still struggling with some of the most underdeveloped telecommunications infrastructure in the world.

So it is with some fascination that the outsider observes what has been and continues to be a booming mobile market in Bangladesh. After a number of years of strong growth, mobile penetration was approaching 25% coming into 2008 and the market was still growing at an annual rate of around 75%. The challenge for the operators is to maintain viable business models, given that ARPU falls as they chase subscribers in the rural areas where 80% of the population lives in 86,000 villages. The market was given a real boost when, in early 2008, the Vodafone Group signalled that it was looking to buy a 30% stake in mobile operator AkTel. For the country overview, see chapter 2, page 35.

The Maldives

The Maldives prides itself on having built one of the most advanced telecommunications systems in the region. With the country’s well-developed national network, the capital Malé is particularly well served, as are the tourist resort islands. The critical issue of connectivity to the rest of the world for its relatively small population of 300,000 has been addressed with considerable success; this has been further enhanced by the recent provision of a major submarine cable connection to Sri Lanka; at the same time the opportunity was taken to provide submarine cable links between the main atolls, thereby substantially strengthening the domestic connectivity. Incumbent national telco, Dhiraagu, which has been criticised over the years for its high tariff structure, has played an undeniably important role in the successful setting up of the country’s telecom infrastructure.

Dhiraagu’s monopoly was officially set to run out in 2008, but the government was keen to open up the market earlier than that. The licensing of a second ISP in 2002 signalled the government’s intention to move ahead of time. Then, in 2004, a second mobile licence was issued. Although the new mobile operator Wataniya Telecom was tardy in becoming operational, it launched in 2006. By September 2007, it had 62,000 subscribers, an almost 25% share of the market. For the country overview, see chapter 3, page 79.

Pakistan

Pakistan has begun to experience sustained growth in its telecom sector, and especially the mobile segment of the market. This pattern has emerged after many years of relatively low growth and market uncertainty. The 2006/07 period has been a remarkable period for the mobile operators in the country, as the total subscriber base moved from 22 million at the beginning of 2006 to 77 million at the end of 2007. By early 2008, the 50% penetration milestone had been reached, probably much faster than most people expected.

There is no doubt that the arrival of two new operators - UAE-based Warid Telecom and Norway’s Telenor, who entered the mobile sector with impressive debuts in 2005 – has had an enormous impact on the market. This quickly resulted in increased competition and spurred growth in the country’s mobile sector. Telenor attracted 839,000 subscribers in the space of a few months and Warid added 509,000 customers in an even shorter period of time. By end-2005, Telenor had 1,870,000 subscribers and Warid Telecom claimed 2,070,000. Between them, they had rapidly grabbed 18% of the booming market. By end-2007, their combined share of the almost 80 million strong market had reached 35%. Strong marketing by the operators has been central to Pakistan’s mobile growth phenomenon.

In the meantime, fixed-line penetration in the country stood at just over 4% (7 million lines) in early 2008, leaving plenty of room for further expansion. The government has indicated that it is continuing to pursue its targeted national teledensity of 7% (around 10 million lines) by 2010. To achieve this target, though, around 1 million additional lines need to be installed each year. Internet penetration remains low in the country, with little apparent interest in the marketplace in broadband access. With competition spreading through the market, however, development is accelerating and it may impact on the Internet segment soon. For the country overview, see chapter 4, page 91.

Sri Lanka

A modern progressive telecommunications sector still remains a high priority for Sri Lanka and the country is continuing its efforts to achieve this. Progress is being made, but with ongoing political problems still hovering in the background. The mobile sector in Sri Lanka has continued to grow at an annual rate of around 50% coming into 2008. With mobile penetration was at around 40% by end-2007, this is relatively low compared with some of the other more developed Asian markets and the current strong growth will more than likely to continue.

The country’s fixed-line teledensity stood at 12% by end-2006, the number of fixed line subscribers having jumped by 100% in a two year period. This was evidence that low fixed-line penetration levels have been more a result of acute supply constraints rather than a lack of demand for service. The growth surge was spurred on by the extensive use of WLL services to meet demand. There were still a significant number of customers waiting for a basic telephone, but there were healthy signs that infrastructure problems were being addressed.

Market reform still demands attention as this is central to ensuring continuing growth. The market has undoubtedly benefited from the liberalisation of the market and the competition that comes with having four mobile operators battling for market share. This is despite one of these – Dialog – having close to 55% market share. Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) progressively losing its monopoly on a range of services has led the way as the market is made more interesting for new players. For the country overview, see chapter 5, page 154.

Key highlights

• Afghanistan’s rapidly expanding mobile market was impressive, with 100% growth in 2007;

• Early signs of a boom in Internet usage in Afghanistan with an estimated one million users by end-2007;

• In Bangladesh, mobile subscriber numbers more than trebled in the two years to December 2007 and the market was continuing its strong growth;

• The Maldives has benefited from its newly competitive market, with overall service improving greatly since the arrival of Wataniya Telecom;

• Wataniya has quickly grabbed 30% of the mobile market in the Maldives;

• Pakistan has also seen its mobile sector boosted by increased competition, with newcomers Warid Telecom and Telenor claiming a big stake in that market;

• By end-2007, their combined share of the almost 80 million strong Pakistan mobile market had reached 35%;

• Fixed-line subscriptions have experienced a surprisingly big surge in Sri Lanka, doubling in the last two years.

Mobile subscriber growth and forecast - by country – 2004 - 2007; 2011

Country 2004 2005 2006 2007 2011

Afghanistan 0.6 1.0 1.6 2.0 4.9

Bangladesh 4.0 10.4 22.0 35.0 70.0

Maldives 0.11 0.17 0.28 0.32 0.35

Pakistan 7.9 15.5 48.2 80.0 150.0

Sri Lanka 2.2 3.3 5.4 6.8 13.2

Source: pr-inside.com

South Asia making great progress in mobile connectivity

South Asia is making rapid progress in the field of telephony, specially mobiles, with even smaller countries in the region throwing up some unexpected facts and figures.

The island-nation Maldives, Asia's smallest country in terms of population, has more than 100 SIM cards per 100 people and all the major islands are covered. Maldives is spread over 26 atolls and 1,192 islets, out of which around 250 are inhabited.

Bangladesh has 98 per cent of the population covered by mobile telephone signals. Nepal is seen as a "laggard" though, according to a South Asian ICT (information and communication technologies) policy and regulation think tank called LIRNEasia.

Sri Lanka, with a 20 mn population, has over eight million mobiles, under a million copper-wire conventional telephones, and close to two million CDMA-based 'fixed' phones that share many qualities of mobiles including the ability to handle short messaging service (SMS).

"Given very rapid roll-out, and based on extrapolations from LIRNEasia/AC Nielsen research, we estimate that 72 percent of households will have some kind of phone in 2008," said Rohan Samarajiva, executive director of the Colombo-based LIRNEasia.

Samarajiva said according to the Sri Lankan Central Bank, some 47 per cent of households had some kind of phone in 2006.

"In addition, LIRNEasia research showed that over 92 per cent of those approached had made or received a call shortly before the 2006 survey was conducted. Therefore, even if people do not own phones, they have shared access," he said.

"Pakistan has around 50 mobile SIMs per 100 population, but it has a greater problem in coverage and access because some areas are very remote. India's numbers are lower in terms of percentage, but growing very fast," Samarajiva said.

India has 300 mn mobile subscribers already and the government is aiming at 650 mn by 2012. Some 90 per cent of the population is covered by a mobile signal.

India is already considered the second largest wireless market in the world behind China, and the number of mobile phones it adds each month - in real terms - is currently the largest among any country.

Samarajiva acknowledged that Afghanistan has obvious problems, even though mobile telephony is growing fast there as well. After the introduction of a second operator, Bhutan's growth has picked up too.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Wataniya Telecom Maldives Selects Harris Stratex for Network Expansion

Wataniya Telecom Maldives has selected Harris Stratex Networks, a supplier of turnkey wireless transmission and network assurance solutions, to upgrade its core transmission network to provide multiple SDH trunks across Maldives.

As part of the contract, Harris Stratex Networks will supply the new TRuepoint 6500 ultra-high capacity, carrier-class all-indoor radio, together with network consulting and turnkey services, taking responsibility for the complete upgrade of the network.

Raj Kumar, vice president of Asia Pacific sales and services at Harris Stratex Networks, said: "Wataniya Telecom Maldives has our total commitment. We understand their requirements and appreciate the need for a robust high-capacity core network and that's why we are supplying our new TRuepoint 6500 products, together with our experienced service offerings."

Source: redorbit.com

Wataniya Telecom Maldives Selects Harris Stratex for Network Expansion

Wataniya Telecom Maldives has selected Harris Stratex Networks, a supplier of turnkey wireless transmission and network assurance solutions, to upgrade its core transmission network to provide multiple SDH trunks across Maldives.

As part of the contract, Harris Stratex Networks will supply the new TRuepoint 6500 ultra-high capacity, carrier-class all-indoor radio, together with network consulting and turnkey services, taking responsibility for the complete upgrade of the network.

Raj Kumar, vice president of Asia Pacific sales and services at Harris Stratex Networks, said: "Wataniya Telecom Maldives has our total commitment. We understand their requirements and appreciate the need for a robust high-capacity core network and that's why we are supplying our new TRuepoint 6500 products, together with our experienced service offerings."

Source: redorbit.com

Wataniya Launches its 3g Service in the Maldives

Wataniya Maldives has launched its 3G network - with an offer of free video calls. Wataniya inaugurated the first 3.5G HSDPA Network in the Maldives on 30th January 2008, but is only now launching its commercial service.

Speaking at the launch of the 3G network and a range of new tariffs said, Wataniya’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Stanley Henning said, “TalkPlan allows customers to choose their Wataniya FREE Buddies and call them for free. TalkWeekender Free allows customers to make calls to any Wataniya number during the weekends absolutely for free as well. Now these customers will only need to get a 3G handset and make free Video calls anytime they want. And the best part is they won’t even have to pay anything to get these services”

Source: http://www.cellular-news.com

Wataniya in business with Palestinian Authority, not Israel

Yesterday Fuad Al-Ablani, Wataniya Telecom's Deputy General Manager, denied reports claiming Wataniya won Israeli frequencies to operate in the Palestinian territories. He said of the erroneous reports of Israeli-Wataniya business dealings, "That is totally categorically not true. I repeat, what has been reported in the local newspapers is 100 percent not true." Al-Ablani emphatically stated, "All of our dealings are with the Palestinian Authority, not Israel.

Speaking to reporters at Kuwait's International Fair Grounds, Al-Ablani said, "The license that Wataniya has won is fair and international. It was licensed to operate a mobile operation within the territories that are governed by the Palestinian Authority. This is very clear in the conditions of the license." He further stressed the fact that, "The media was well aware of it.

Al-Ablani noted that Wataniya, as a Kuwaiti company, is "very interested in upgrading the infrastructure within the Palestinian Authorities." He further stressed that, "It is part of our role as an Arab country. Kuwait is one of the most stringent countries with regards to boycotting Israel.

Wataniya Telecom, which was the first privately owned telecom in Kuwait, was founded in 1999. Last March, Kuwait Projects Company Holding Company KSC (KIPCO) sold 51 percent of Wataniya to Qatar Telecom. Qtel is the only telecom provider in Qatar and is expanding in the Middle East and North African region, currently operating in 10 countries. Wataniya Telecom currently operates in Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, the Maldives, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia and is committed to its expansion in the MENA region
.

Yesterday, Wataniya launched its newest service, the WCam at Kuwait's International Fair Grounds in Mishref. The WCam is a unique camera device which enables customers to call from their 3G mobile phones from anywhere within the Wataniya 3G coverage area and be connected to their WCam which must be set up within the Wataniya 3G coverage area.

The connection is a live audio and video feed via the WCam. Whether checking in on the children at home or on a live video conference with a branch office, the WCam fully connects people. General Manager cum Chief Executive Officer of Wataniya Telecom Scott Gelgeinheimer said of the WCam, "We are proud to be the first operator in Kuwait to launch this kind of service." He noted, "It is a great solution that caters to the needs of customers with a busy lifestyle who need to keep an eye on things that matter
to them the most.

Convenience and privacy are key to the WCam's appeal, "We look at helping our customers to have a convenient life, therefore we've developed the WCam as being a typical solution to achieve this goal," said Gelgeinheimer. "The camera is very secure and is only accessible by pin code," said Wataniya Public Relations Manager Abdulaziz Al-Ballool . There is an option allowing the user to approve a wide list of people who are allowed access to the WCam.

Al-Ballool noted that multiple people may use the pin code making it a family friendly device. Addressing the possibility of the camera being hidden, Al Ballool said, "It is very visible (about the size of a baseball)." making it difficult to hide. Features of the device include a zoom in and zoom out capability, volume control, a recording option, and night vision access. The unit price, including service for one year is KD 99 at 75 fils per minute with a second year of service for KD 27 per month.

Al-Ablani said of the fiber optic cables recently damaged in the Mediterranean Sea causing days of glitches in Internet services to Kuwait and much of the Gulf, North Africa, and parts of Asia, "Most companies which provide Internet services through the cable have been affected and we are not isolated.

Source: kuwaittimes.net

Alcatel India MD Sharma resigns

Alcatel India MD & South Asia region head Ravi Sharma is believed to have put in his papers. The sudden move comes close on the heels of the recent restructuring in the company, which has raised many an eyebrow.

In the changed dispensation, South Asia regional unit — which consists of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan — has been reorganised by merging Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives with another regional unit.

India along with Nepal and Bhutan is now known as the India regional unit. “I am head of South Asia regional unit (including India) till the year end,” is all that Mr Sharma had to say when contacted. He, however, added that Vivek Mohan, who was heading services business in Alcatel, is being appointed as head of India RU.

Sources say, in the new organisation announced last week, Mr Sharma was promoted as advisor to president on Asian regional operators. So it comes as a surprise that a head honcho, who is credited with the transformation of South Asia for the telecom major, should quit at a time when he is being awarded with a higher responsibility.

Sources, however, point that the reduced size of the India unit in the new dispensation might have crystallised Sharma’s decision to move on. And even though the new position looks like an elevation for Mr Sharma, it will take him away from the hub of action that is, South Asia including India.

Mr Sharma, who had an excellent rapport with Alcatel global chairman Serge Tchuruk and got his whole-hearted support in expanding India operations, is credited with putting Alcatel on a fast track in South Asia.

He established India as a manufacturing hub for Alcatel by getting in to “transfer of technology” agreement with ITI and established two GSM manufacturing facilities with ITI at Mankapur and Rai Bareli.

Source: The Economist

Alcatel India MD Sharma resigns

Alcatel India MD & South Asia region head Ravi Sharma is believed to have put in his papers. The sudden move comes close on the heels of the recent restructuring in the company, which has raised many an eyebrow.

In the changed dispensation, South Asia regional unit — which consists of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan — has been reorganised by merging Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives with another regional unit.

India along with Nepal and Bhutan is now known as the India regional unit. “I am head of South Asia regional unit (including India) till the year end,” is all that Mr Sharma had to say when contacted. He, however, added that Vivek Mohan, who was heading services business in Alcatel, is being appointed as head of India RU.

Sources say, in the new organisation announced last week, Mr Sharma was promoted as advisor to president on Asian regional operators. So it comes as a surprise that a head honcho, who is credited with the transformation of South Asia for the telecom major, should quit at a time when he is being awarded with a higher responsibility.

Sources, however, point that the reduced size of the India unit in the new dispensation might have crystallised Sharma’s decision to move on. And even though the new position looks like an elevation for Mr Sharma, it will take him away from the hub of action that is, South Asia including India.

Mr Sharma, who had an excellent rapport with Alcatel global chairman Serge Tchuruk and got his whole-hearted support in expanding India operations, is credited with putting Alcatel on a fast track in South Asia.

He established India as a manufacturing hub for Alcatel by getting in to “transfer of technology” agreement with ITI and established two GSM manufacturing facilities with ITI at Mankapur and Rai Bareli.

Source: The Economist

Wataniya Telecom Maldives appoints CEO

Yasser Abdel Hakim has successfully completed his tenure as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Wataniya Telecom Maldives, the company announced today. Under his leadership, Wataniya Telecom Maldives revolutionized the market by introducing a unique customer oriented approach and specifically, propelled the International pricing rates to the desired levels of today’s discerning customers.
Mr. Yasser leaves Wataniya to join the Qtel head office in Doha and to spearhead the Revenue function for the entire group of 15 operations including Maldives.

Yasser Abdel Hakim joined Wataniya Telecom Maldives at the very beginning and maintained the head of financial responsibilities through out the company’s successful launch in August 2005.
Under his guidance Wataniya completed the latter stages of the WARF submarine cable project which was successfully brought to completion in March 2007.
Backed with strong business and financial managerial skills and immense experience in GSM operations Yasser has lead Wataniya through to two successful years of operations. Today, Wataniya provides the best quality calls at the most competitive rates the Maldives has ever seen, whether it is calls made locally or calls made abroad.

Yasser Abdel Hakim commented saying, “The success we see today is due to the strength inside the Wataniya family. I thank my team for the dedication and commitment they have shown in these last two years. Now with the recent acquisition of the Wataniya group by Qatar Telecom group, Wataniya Telecom Maldives, its employees and the people of the Maldives are looking at a new dawn of innovation, quality and service. The role of Wataniya will become more and more important and I am proud to have led the team towards the success we see today”.

To further strengthen the operations management and to lead Wataniya Telecom Maldives in to the future of a limitless horizon in the Maldives Mr. Abraham Smith has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer effective October 1st, 2007.
Mr. Abraham brings to Wataniya Maldives a rich recognized business management experience in addition to an international executive experience in mobile operations.

Mr. Abraham Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Wataniya said today, “It is an honor for me to take the helm of the company that has given so much to the people of the Maldives in such a short time. We are also sad to see Yasser leave Wataniya Maldives after three years of deep commitment and we wish him luck in his new position in the headquarters in Doha”

Effective 11th October 2007, Mr. Abraham Smith will assume the full responsibility and leadership of Wataniya Telecom Maldives.

Source: Wataniya

Wataniya 1Q share value soar after Qtel takeover

Kuwaiti-based mobile operator Wataniya Telecom reported consolidated net profit of US$88.4 million for 1Q07 to end March, with its share value rising an equivalent to 283% year-on-year.

Revenues rose 34% year-on-year to US$315.8 million for the quarter with the company reporting a 43% annual increase in subscribers for the same period, to 7.25 million.

Wataniya, which holds a 45% market share in the Kuwait behind MTC, reported that EBITDA rose 52% year-on-year to US$136.6 million. Wataniya also has stakes in operational companies in Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, the Maldives and Saudi Arabia, and is preparing to launch in Palestine.

Wataniya officials credited the favourable results to the company’s assimilation into the Qtel group following the Qatari-based company’s acquisition of a 51%majority shareholding in Wataniya Telecom for US$3.72 billon in March 2007.

“While we differentiate ourselves as the leaders in innovation in our markets, our promise remains the commitment to grow the value that Wataniya Telecom offers. Wataniya is now part of a larger Qtel group and the synergies and efficiencies that are expected to be achieved from the enlarged Qtel group will benefit all the Wataniya group companies and will enhance the long term value for the shareholders,” stated Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, chairman of Wataniya Telecom.

Source: ITP

Qtel buys Pakistan telecom operator

DUBAI: Qtel yesterday said it had agreed to buy a telecom operator in Pakistan, its first in the country, as it seeks to expand outside its home base where it is losing its monopoly.

State-controlled Qtel and Saudi Arabia’s A A Turki Corporation for Trading and Contracting (Atco) agreed to buy 75% of Pakistan’s Burraq Telecom for $12.3mn, the companies said in a statement.

The deal still needs regulatory approval. Burraq Telecom offers international calling, wireless telephone and broadband Internet services, according to its website.

“The price is very reasonable to access to the Pakistani market, which is a fast-growing market with huge potential,” said Marc Hammoud, a telecom analyst at Dubai-based investment bank Shuaa Capital. “They can do a quick return on investment on this.”

Pakistan is Asia’s fourth-most populous country. As competition has risen at home, Gulf telecom operators have been hunting for foreign assets. Asia is a top priority, Hammoud said. Emirates Telecoms (Etisalat) bought a 26% stake in Pakistan Telecom for $2.6bn in 2005, and this year started a telecom software unit in India.

Qtel is expanding outside Qatar as the state prepares to sell a second mobile phone licence this year, ending the last Arab monopoly. Qatar will also sell a second fixed-line licence. In Asia, Qtel bought a 25% stake in Asia Mobile Holdings, a unit of Singapore Technologies Telemedia, in January.

It also took control of Kuwait’s National Mobile Telecoms (Wataniya) in March for $3.72bn, the largest Gulf telecom acquisition, giving customers in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, the Maldives and Iraq.

Qatar, home to 840,000 people and with a mobile penetration of more than 100%, invited expressions of interest in the country’s second-mobile licence this week.

Source: Reuters

Changes in Wataniya International Leadership – Qtel CEO takes the lead

Qtel’s CEO Dr Nasser Marafih is to take over the role of CEO for Wataniya International following the decision by Ahmad Haleem not to renew his employment agreement as CEO of Wataniya's international operation.

The integration of Qtel and Wataniya will be a top priority for Dr Nasser who will combine roles as CEO of both Qtel and Wataniya International.

Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman at Qtel, commented. “It is with regret that we announce the departure of Mr. Haleem who has expressed his wish to pursue personal endeavors. Mr. Haleem has been a major component in the success of Wataniya. His outstanding efforts to drive Wataniya's international operations and its rapid operational expansion into Tunisia, Iraq, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the Maldives in a span of just over four years establishes a legacy that Qtel is fortunate and proud to inherit.”

Sheikh Abdullah continued. “The decision for Dr Nasser to take the lead in Wataniya’s international operations is a very positive one for our enlarged group. As CEO of both Qtel and Wataniya International, Dr Nasser’s dual roles will provide many synergies to add value to both Qtel and Wataniya International operations, and, ultimately, it is our shared customers who will feel the benefit.”

Qtel is steadily pursuing its international growth strategy as it seeks be a top 20 telecommunications company worldwide by 2020. The acquisition of Wataniya, in which Dr Nasser played an important role, follows a number of key acquisitions spearheaded by Dr Nasser since he became CEO in 2002, including Qtel’s deal with AT&T to gain an equity stake in NavLink, the region’s leading provider of Managed Data services, and a strategic alliance with ST Telemedia to give Qtel a strong foothold in South East Asia.

Dr Nasser said, “I am delighted to take on the role of CEO in Wataniya International. With our two companies now part of one enlarged group, we have been making the necessary adjustments to maximize our growth potential. As CEO of both Qtel and Wataniya International, I look forward to ensuring that we pool our resources and strengths in order to reach our common goals.”

© 2007 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)

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Source: Mena Report

Kuwait’s Wataniya Q1 jumps 131 pct to record

KUWAIT - National Mobile Telecommunications Co. NMTC.KW (Wataniya), Kuwait’s second mobile phone operator, posted a 131 percent jump in first-quarter profit, its biggest quarterly earnings on record.

The firm, in which Qatar Telecommunications Co. QTEL.QA (Qtel) bought a majority stake in March, made 25.74 million dinars ($88.90 million) in the three months to March 31, compared with 11.15 million dinars in the year-earlier period, it said in a statement on the bourse Web site.

Earnings per share more than doubled to 56.84 fils in the first three months, from 24.72 fils a year ago. There are 1,000 fils to the dinar.

Wataniya did not explain the rise in earnings, which were the highest for a single quarter according to Reuters statistics going back to 2004.

The company’s former Chairman Faisal al-Ayyar told Wataniya’s annual shareholder meeting in March he expected the firm’s net profit to grow by 20-25 percent in 2007.

Wataniya has expanded abroad with mobile phone networks in Iraq, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and the Maldives.

Qtel bought 51 percent of Wataniya from a consortium led by Kuwait Projects Co. KRPO.KW for $3.72 billion in March, the largest-ever Gulf Arab telecom acquisition.

Qtel said earlier this month a court had been asked to shut down Wataniya’s Iraq affiliate, Asiacell Telecommunication Co., which contributed 49.7 million dinars to Wataniya’s net profit in 2006, the single-largest non-Kuwait contributor.

Source: Khaleej Times

Dhiraagu upgrades Call Me Back service

Dhiraagu is pleased to announce that Dhiraagu Call Me Back service has been upgraded with effect from 05 April 2007.

With the upgrade, two major modifications have been made to the service. Dhiraagu Call Me Back service will now be limited to 10 requests per day for each customer. After each request is sent the number of requests remaining for each customer will be displayed in the confirmation message on the mobile phone. Customers who exceed the number of requests for the day will also receive a similar message alerting that the request was not sent.

The second enhancement to the service is a new feature that allows customers to send Call Me Back requests informing the recipient to call them on a different mobile number than the one used to send the initial request.

To use this new feature, type in *100* followed by the destination number, * again, and the number you wish the recipient to call, followed by # and then SEND.

i.e : *100*destination number*requesting number#

This service is upgraded to facilitate the different needs of our customers and to improve their service experience with Dhiraagu.

Source: Dhiraagu

SATRC workshop agrees to form working group

The participants of South Asian Telecom Regulators’ Council (SATRC) Workshop on “Interconnection in Convergence” have agreed to form a SATRC Working Group to share skills, information, and expertise on various issues among SATRC Regulators. The workshop also agreed to set up a common “Telecom Indicator Database” of SATRC countries, which would be shared by all the member regulators. The three-day workshop, organised by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), concluded here Wednesday

The participating delegates from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Sir Lanka, and Thailand also agreed that for future workshops and trainings the SATRC may invite a consultant of international repute having experience of the developed and developing world. A “model reference interconnect offer” for converged networks for SATRC countries would also be developed, the meeting decided. Issues pertaining to spectrum management, Quality of Service (QoS) and licensing in converged networks were also discussed during the final session of the workshop chaired by PTA Member (Technical) Dr. Muhammad Yaseen. staff report

Source: Daily Times

PTA to host workshop

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is hosting a South Asian Telecommunications Regulators’ Council (SATRC) Workshop on “Interconnection in Convergence” from 2-4 April 2007, here at Margalla Hotel.

According to a press release, this is a training workshop in which about 18 delegates from different countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand) and representatives from Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Secretariat will participate.

Source: Daily Times

Nokia plans customer care centres in Maldives

Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of mobile devices, announced Wednesday its plan to build a Customer Care network in Bangladesh with a view to providing service to its customers within the shortest possible time.

Detailing the plan at a press conference at a local hotel, general manager of for Emerging Asia, Nokia, Prem Prakash Chand said 22 customer care centres, including five in Dhaka, will be set up all over Bangladesh to troubleshoot problems facing the Nokia users and extend all possible help to them.

Nokia established its regional headquarters for 'Emerging Asia'-encompassing Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives-in Dhaka June 2006.

Prem said 10 such centres would be ready by mid-March and the rest by June 01 next.

On the prospect for growth of Nokia's business in Bangladesh, he said the company recorded a 100 per cent business growth in the year 2005-06 and expects the same to grow at a rate of 40 per cent in 2006-07.

Prem also explained the activities the Nokia has carried out since its inception in Bangladesh, including the launch of Bangla language mobile phones for the local market and consumer education campaign on the buying of only authorized Nokia mobile devices, including the handsets.

Source: The Financial Express