BROWSING: MTC

Consortia gamble on Iraqi licenses

WASHINGTON-A consortium with investors from Iraq, the United States, South Korea and the United Kingdom applied last week to construct U.S.-engineered CDMA technology mobile-phone networks in Iraq, according to sources, despite indications the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority and new telecom ministry may be leaning...

Batelco turns on GSM service in Baghdad

WASHINGTON-A day before the civilian administrator of Iraq addressed the National Press Club and the U.S. Department of Commerce released the details of an auction of Iraqi mobile-phone licenses, a mobile-phone network began operations in Baghdad.Batelco Iraq, a new division of Bahrain Telecommunications Inc.,...

Security problems could undermine Iraqi wireless buildout

WASHINGTON-The U.S.-led occupational force in Iraq will seek bids for three regional mobile-phone licenses in the war-ravaged nation, but growing security problems could undermine wireless and other telecom reconstruction efforts. The Coalition Provisional Authority, led by L. Paul Bremer, said it would...

Motorola to get piece of WorldCom’s Iraq contract

WASHINGTON-Motorola Inc. is getting a slice of the $34 million contract held by WorldCom Inc. to provide mobile phone service to U.S. civilian and military officials in Baghdad, even as pressure builds to have the Bush administration dismiss the embattled long-distance giant as a...

Second GSM network authorized in Iraq

The GSM Association reported that Kuwait-based wireless operator MTC-Vodafone deployed a GSM-based network in southern Iraq designed to support the reconstruction efforts and non-governmental organizations delivering humanitarian aid. The network reportedly is currently providing coverage along supply routes in the southern Iraqi city of...

Bahrain short-lists 3 for second GSM license

LONDON-As the tender process for Bahrain's second GSM license draws to a close, three candidates, including MTC Vodafone, Wataniya Bahrain and Kalaam, have been short-listed from the original list of 10 companies. The final decision is expected to be announced 16 April and the...

Vodafone enters partnership in Kuwait

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc signed a partnership agreement with Middle East operator Mobile Telecommunications Co., which serves more than 600,000 customers in Kuwait.The agreement calls for both companies to cooperate in developing products and services for international travelers and domestic customers, cooperate in the acquisition...

Qualcomm’s Inquam looks to buy Russian CDMA carriers

MOSCOW—U.K.-based Inquam, a consortium of Qualcomm and Omnia, is reportedly negotiating a deal to purchase Russian CDMA carriers Moscow Cellular Communications (MCC), SONET and St. Petersburg-based Delta Telecom.The news followed a statement by St. Petersburg-based Telecominvest holding that it had decided to sell its...

Thuraya Satellite signs agreement with Kuwait operator

BUCHAREST, Romania—Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications concluded a service provider agreement with Mobile Telecommunications Company of Kuwait, a telecommunications operator in the region.As part of the new service provider agreement, MTC will have all rights to distribute and market Thuraya's services and products throughout Kuwait. Included...

World Briefs

SINGAPORESingapore Airlines has deployed Unimobile Inc.'s wireless messaging platform to provide its customers mobile flight alert services. The services, which run on Unimobile's Mobile Messaging Platform and the Unimobile Intelligent Network, will be available to Singapore Airlines customers in more than 30 countries, including...

Mobile growth spurs network expansion and continued licensing

LONDON-The wireless sector in the Middle East continues to grow, with several developments that took place during the last half of 2000. The region saw a number of new mobile operators begin services, as well as announcements of contracts for cellular infrastructure expansion.Chief among...

Competition pushes subscriber numbers upward

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Operators in the Middle East are focusing on extending coverage and considering networks upgrades. The region offers enormous potential, considering the cellular penetration is only 3.5 percent-very low in comparison with world standards. However, penetration rates in some single markets exceed 30...

License questions plague Moldovian market

BUCHAREST, Romania-The Moldova republic, a former Romanian region, is a small country with a population of 4.3 million and a small economy. The mobile market is not currently dynamic, reflecting the general situation of the country. Licensing problems are affecting growth potential for several...

KUWAIT FIRM TO USE MOTOROLA SYSTEM

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Kuwait Mobile Telecommunication Co. awarded a $30 million contract to Motorola Inc. to expand its Global System for Mobile communications cellular network.Motorola's Network Solutions Sector will deploy its latest Horizon GSM infrastructure to provide extra capacity for up to 60,000 cellular subscribers....

SERVING THE RURAL CONTINENT

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Uganda has one of the lowest penetration rates of telephone services in the world. As of July 1995, the Uganda Posts & Telecommunication Corp. (UPTC) had an installed capacity of just under 70,000 lines and approximately 42,000 subscribers. The result is a...

ORGANIZATION TRIES TO CHANGE CELL PHONE EXTENSION LAW

WASHINGTON-A lobbying campaign is underway to kill anti-cloning legislation and cast it as an industry-orchestrated effort to monopolize the cellular phone extension business."CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association) has sponsored S.493 and H.R.2460 for the express purpose of eliminating competition," said the Independent Cellular Services...

MOTOROLA TO GROW NETWORK IN KUWAIT

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc.'s International Cellular Infrastructure Group signed a contract to expand a Global System for Mobile communications network in Kuwait. Motorola values the contract at $7 million.When the expansion is completed, the network will provide service for more than 116,000 subscribers in...

MOTOROLA CONTRACTS TO EXPAND KUWAIT NET

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc.'s International Cellular Infrastructure Group signed a contract to expand a Global System for Mobile communications network in Kuwait. Motorola values the contract at $7 million.When the expansion is completed, the network will provide service for more than 116,000 subscribers in...