Telecoms & ITC

Dubai Silicon Oasis set to be world class multi-function zone

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), which spans 7.2 million square meters along Emirates Road, aims to become a world centre for electronics, research and development. DSO has developed more than 30 per cent of its industrial land, which spans 1.2 million square feet or 35 per cent of the area. Since its inception in October 2005, the government-owned free zone has attracted a number of technology manufacturing companies, educational institutions and foreign investments in technology-related industries. Examples are solar energy, plasma screens, telecommunications services and chip design. The development will include 1,047 villas, over 37 commercial towers, world class educational institutions, health care and lifestyle facilities. In its bid to attract international IT companies looking to set up their regional headquarters and research and development divisions in the MENA region, offers a wide range of incentives including 100 per cent ownership, capital repatriation, state-of-the-art infrastructure, low overheads, comprehensive logistics support, accessibility to talent, competitive tax free environment, and flexible employment policies.

Egypt considers offering 4th mobile license

Egypt's telecoms regulator may offer a license for a fourth mobile operator if the current three mobile firms do not comply with pricing regulations, the daily al-Mal said. "There are no obstacles to issuing a fourth mobile license in Egypt ... but offering the license will mainly depend on market demand in the coming period," the paper quoted Amr Badawi, head of the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA), as saying.

Syria denies Zain’s operation in its market

A Syrian official denied media reports indicating the operation of the Kuwaiti Zain mobile company here as the third telecommunications operator. Director general of the Syrian telecom authority Nadhim Bahsas said that the reports were incorrect, adding that the authority did not hold any talks on the issue with any company or country. He said that several international mobile operators have expressed desire to operate in the Syrian market which increases competition in offers provided to the Syrian government. Legal procedures are still being studied, he said, pointing out that the authority did not receive any offer from Zain or any other company.

Saudi Telecom to start Bahraini operations in Q1

The Bahraini unit of Saudi Telecom's (STC) plans to start its operations during the first quarter, a spokesman said, a year after acquiring a license in the country. "We're working (to launch) within the first quarter, but we haven't decided on the exact date yet," a spokesman said. STC acquired Bahrain's third mobile license for US$230 million in January 2009. It initially planned to start operations at the end of last year. It will compete with incumbent Bahrain Telecommunications (Batelco) and the local unit of Kuwait's Zain over mobile customers in Bahrain, a small market with a population of about 1.3 million.

Injaz Telecom signs MVNO deal with Nawras

Injaz International Telecommunications has become Oman's fifth mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) after signing a reseller agreement with Nawras. The announcement comes less than a month after Nawras was fined OR100,000 (US$260,000) by Oman's TRA after Injaz complained that Nawras had refused to conclude an agreement to provide resale services. Injaz Telecom is an Oman owned company and part of Injaz International Projects, led by Sheikh Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al Harthy. The new operator will work closely with its sister company Al Makhah, the largest distribution channel of SIM and scratch cards in Oman. But questions remain about the viability of yet more players in a country that has a population of just under 2.8 million people and a mobile penetration rate of about 118 per cent.

Qtel partners with Tata Communications

Qatar Telecom and Tata Communications have join hands to launch the enterprise network services, enabling a range of dedicated Ethernet services to be offered to customers seeking connectivity in Qatar and globally. The partnership enables Qtel to extend its reach by offering Layer-2 Global Ethernet services into and out of Qatar, while Tata Communications, one of the leading providers of global Ethernet services, can now extend its global network coverage across the region. Through this agreement, Qtel will be positioned to fully leverage Ethernet services as part of its approach to fully support Qatar's leading services and enhance their business success, said top official.

Egypt seeks FranceTel, Oracom meeting over Mobinil

Egypt's communications minister has called for France Telecom and Orascom Telecom to meet to settle the dispute over the ownership of Mobinil, Egypt's largest mobile phone company by subscribers. "The dispute is commercial and we are asking the two parties to meet once more to discuss a solution that would satisfy them," Ahmed Raouf, spokesman for minister Tarek Kamel, said.