[ Events Calendar ]

[Updated 2009 MWC news]

HEADLINES....

July 2009

Wataniya launches Blackberry solution in Kuwait

Kuwait's Wataniya telecom, in association with Emitac Mobile Solutions and Research In Motion has announced the launch of the Watiniya BlackBerry in Kuwait. more

Mobile phone operator sees subscription surge in North

Egypt-based mobile operator Orascom Telecom earned $312,000 in first-quarter sales this year from its mobile service in North Korea on surging demand among the communist nation’s upper class more

Zain wins two Business awards

Zain, the leading mobile telecommunications operator, present in 24 countries across the Middle East and Africa, scooped up two major prizes at the prestigious 2009 Global Telecoms Business (GTB) Innovation Awards at a gala ceremony in London last week. more

Kuwaiti operator eyes European markets

Hits Telecom plans MVNO in France; chairman says time of bidding for expensive operating licences has long gone. more

VIVA, ALCATEL-LUCENT AND RIM LAUNCH THE BLACKBERRY SOLUTION IN KUWAIT

VIVA, Alcatel-Lucent and Research In Motion announced the launch of the BlackBerry® solution for VIVA customers in Kuwait. more

Econet in bid to block Zain Nigeria sale

Econet Wireless Group (EWG) of South Africa has started moves to block the sale of Kuwaiti-based Zain’s interests in Zain Nigeria until a ruling on a dispute over ownership of the company is passed. more

Mideast telecoms in excellent health

Key industry players at MECOM agree next generation mobile broadband market will enable data revenue to exceed $18 billion by 2014. more

Tunisia provisionally awards 3rd mobile license

A consortium made up of France Telecom and Divona Telecom has been provisionally awarded the third mobile license in the North African country of Tunisia. The license covers both GSM and 3G services, and includes a landline service. more

Swan Telecom Renamed

The Board of Etisalat DB, today announced the ‘change of name’ of the erstwhile Swan Telecom, a joint venture between Etisalat and DB Realty. The company has officially been re-named as Etisalat DB Telecom India Pvt. Ltd. more

Zain prepared to offload Africa operations

Kuwaiti telecoms company Zain is prepared to sell its African operations after receiving several offers including one from Europe's largest entertainment group Vivendi more

June 2009

With Jackson News, a Surge in Web Traffic

Did your Internet connection seem slow Thursday afternoon? It likely wasn’t your computer, it was the surge of interest in Michael Jackson’s hospitalization and death. more

Wataniya Palestine calls for investment repayment as spectrum issue remains unresolved

Wataniya Palestine, the winner of a combined 2G and 3G concession for the Palestinian Territory in September 2006, is demanding that its investment is repaid unless Israel releases promised spectrum more

Sheikh Mohammed joins Facebook

After snapping up one of the personalised web addresses the social networking site launched earlier this month – www.facebook.com/SheikhMohammed – the Ruler offers a rare personal look into his life. more and more

GiCell to invest USD700 million in rural telephony

Nigerian operator GiCell Wireless plans to invest over USD700 million in the next three years to deploy a low cost rural telephony network across the country more

Middle East and Africa: Nitel privatisation

the latest twist in the long-running saga of Nitel's privatisation following the revocation of its sale to Transcorp more

Zain, Ericsson in Nigerian managed services contract

Kuwait-based mobile operator Zain and Swedish telecoms equipment and services provider Ericsson have entered a five-year strategic managed services agreement under which Ericsson will administer the operator’s nationwide GSM/W-CDMA networks in Nigeria. more

Calling all nerds, Part I & Part II

With few signs of homegrown Silicon Valleys on the horizon, Gulf states are spending billions more to attract high-tech know how. more

Telecom Egypt joins throng interested in Meditel

Telecom Egypt is studying the possibility of bidding for a stake in Moroccan mobile operator Medi Telecom (Meditel) more

Roshan Expands Afghanistan's Telemedicine Project to Bamyan Province

Afghanistan mobile network, Roshan has expanded its Telemedicine solution beyond Kabul to include provincial hospitals. more

Etihad Atheeb ends STC monopoly; launches WiMAX

Etihad Atheeb has launched broadband services in two of Saudi Arabia’s largest cities, ending Saudi Telecom Company’s (STC) monopoly over fixed line services in the country. more

UAE saw highest online shopping spend in ME and Asia/Pacific

UAE had the highest average online shopping spend in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, at $1,193 in the last quarter of 2008. more

Telecom Egypt CFO Resigns

Telecom Egypt, the landline monopoly and major shareholder in Vodafone Egypt, has announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Tarek Tantawy is to resign to pursue another career opportunity. No replacement has been named yet. more

Oman Mobile increases 3.5G download speeds to 14.4Mbps

Oman Mobile, the wireless arm of the country’s incumbent telco Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel), has announced it has introduced mobile broadband speeds of up to 14.4Mbps download on its 3.5G HSDPA network. more

Free To Air channels hit 474

Arab Advisors Group research has found that the number of Free to Air (FTA) Satellite TV channels in the Arab World has grown by 28.1% between August 2007 and March 2009 to 474 channels more

Nawras receives fixed line licence

Qtel has announced that its Omani subsidiary Nawras has received a licence to provide fixed, data and international telecoms services through a royal decree. more

Zain may settle $12bn Celtel Africa sale

Sources say Zain is waiting for a response from French buyer more

Batelco finally takes its cap off

Bahrain Telecom (Batelco) has launched a new range of ADSL broadband internet packages including a new 10Mbps (download) package; consumer DSL access speeds were previously capped at 2Mbps. more

Turkcell opens two cases against regulator

Turkish mobile operator calls for reversal of decision on termination rates. more

Etisalat, Huawei seal fresh collaboration deals

Huawei has announced it is partnering with UAE-based telecoms operator Etisalat to establish an Application Innovation Center (AIC) to develop customised solutions and applications. more

Iran shuts down Al Arabiya

A statement by MBC has said that Iranian authorities have closed down Al Arabiya's Tehran bureau, amid heightened tensions and a series of riots following the results of the presidential elections. more

ZTE to deploy WiMAX network for Atheeb

ZTE has announced that it has signed a contract with Etihad Atheeb to extend its WiMAX operations in Saudi Arabia. more

Iran Guards threaten legal action against online media

The Revolutionary Guards threatened Iran's online media Wednesday with legal action if their sites published material that created "tension," in the latest crackdown on the media. more

Du launches credit transfer scheme

Du has launched its new One2One service which enables all Du Pay as You Go and Visitor Mobile Line subscribers to transfer credit to other users on the same network more

Etisalat wins WAN services deal

Etisalat has announced that Citibank has selected the operator’s Managed WAN service to optimise network connectivity across its entire UAE operations more

Iran takes centre stage at Twitter conference

As Twitter comes into its own for reporting on Iran unrest, 140 Characters Conference gets under way. more

MidEast broadcasters plan HDTV roll out

The Middle East has been slow to adopt high definition television (HDTV) but broadcasters and telecommunications companies such as Showtime Arabia and Du, say they are ramping up their plans to roll out the service in the region. more

Media affairs office to fast-track access to officials

Brand Dubai, the emirate’s new media affairs office, will offer for the first time a channel for international and regional media to reach the Dubai’s government and semi-government entities more

Middle East mobile revenue growth slows

Mobile operator revenue growth in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) has slowed down in the first quarter of 2009, although it continues to outperform other world regions. more

Saudi Arabia to permit private radio operators

The Ministry of Information and Culture in Saudi Arabia will for the first time give permit for private radio operators in the Kingdom. more

Zain finalising $2.5 bln loan

Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) is in the final stages to reschedule a $2.5 billion two-year murabaha loan agreement signed in 2007 more

UAE reports high website censorship

Internet users in the UAE reported the fifth highest rate of blocked websites out of nearly 200 countries more

Cisco contact center opens in Egypt

Egypt-based Xceed and the Information Technology Industry Development Agency have inaugurated an international contact center for Cisco customer service and support. more

It's evolution not revolution for new iPhone

Apple's new iPhone improves on earlier models, although owners of predecessors can get many of the advances through a free software upgrade more

Free to Air Satellite TV channels in the Arab World reach 474. 18.5% of these channels' headquarters are located in Saudi Arabia

The Arab World’s FTA Sat TV channels have grown by 28.1% between March 2009 and August 2007. more

Nawras: the second fixed-line license holder in Oman

Qatar incumbent telco Qtel has announced that its Omani subsidiary Nawras has received a license to provide fixed, data and international telecoms services through a royal decree. more

Mobily, Samsung sign SR375 million deal to build largest WiMAX network in the Middle East

Mobily, the largest 3.75G mobile operator and wireless broadband provider in the Middle East and North Africa, and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading provider of telecom systems and mobile phones, signed a second expansion agreement worth SR375m. more

Batelco announces unified data roaming rates for GCC

Batelco has become the first telecom provider to offer unified local high speed data roaming charges throughout the GCC and a number of major Arab countries across the Middle East. more

Microsoft launches Bing

Microsoft Corp today fully deployed its new search engine, Bing, across the world. Located at bing.com more & more

Etisalat announces great savings for customers' subscribing to PTT service during June

Etisalat announced great savings for customers' subscribing to its Push-to-Talk (PTT) service during the month of June. more

Fujitsu Technology Solutions wins Egypt's biggest contract issued by the MCIT

Fujitsu Technology Solutionshas provided more than ten thousand notebooks to Egypt's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT)through what is the largest procurement tender to be floated by a government body in Egypt.  more

Intel to open nano tech facility in Saudi Arabia

Intel has entered a joint venture with King Abdul Aziz City of Science and Technology (KACST) to set up the Center of Excellence in Nano-manufacturing Applications. more

Qtel launches Nojoom programme

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has launched a loyalty programme called Nojoom, which will provide points for each Qatari Riyal spent on Qtel services and will enable customers to spend these points on a wide range of gifts and experiences. more

Iraq set for 4th mobile license

Awaiting government approval, Verizon Communications Inc., Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS and Etihad Etisalat Co. are vying to bid for Iraq's fourth mobile phone license more

The Rehabilitation and Employment Centre for People with Special Needs recognises Etisalat support

The Rehabilitation and Employment Centres for People with Special Needs today recognised Etisalat for its leading role in providing career opportunities and developing initiatives. more

Visafone upgrades network, plans USD400 million investment in nationwide backbone

Visafone Communications, Nigeria’s fourth largest mobile operator by subscribers, will spend between USD300 million and USD400 million over the next two years on expanding its wireless network. more

Etisalat cuts mobile internet costs

Etisalat has lowered the cost of its high-speed mobile internet access in a bid to boost its customer base in the UAE market. more

Thuraya Showcases its Satellite Broadband Solution at MECOM 2009

Thurayais among the main speakers at 'MECOM 2009,' the annual telecom exhibition and conference held in Abu Dhabi. more

Asiacell selects Globitel for USDD Gateway, roaming platform

Telecoms solutions provider Globitel has supplied Iraq’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, Asiacell, with its Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USDD) Gateway. more

SingTel plans to raise stake in WaridTel (Pakistan)

Singtel, the Singaporean mobile operator, is likely to step into the Pakistani telecom market, as it’s talks with Abu Dhabi Group for sale out of more stakes of Waridtel are gearing up. more

Asiacell ‘ready to invest in fibre’

Iraq’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, Asiacell, has said it would immediately invest in a submarine fibre-optic connection linking the country to the Gulf if given government approval more

New broadband offers from Oman Mobile

To provide even more choice and convenience to its customers, Oman MobileOman Mobile has now developed two new Mobile Broadband promotions for its Hayyak users. more

Omantel, Dhofar Insurance ink VPN deal

Oman telecoms company Omantel has signed a five-year agreement with Dhofar Insurance Company to link the firm’s branches with its main office through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) more

Zain Nigeria offers Zain Pay4Me collect call service

Zain Nigeria has reportedly introduced a new service which offers the Nigerians to make calls even when they run out of airtime on their phones. more

Iraq mobile TV launched

Mobision, part of the Communication Entertainment Technologies Group, and sister company to Iraqi television giant Alsumaria TV, has started its commercial DVB-H-based mobile TV service in Iraq more

Jordan Cancels 3G License Auction

Orange, the sole bidder for Jordan's forthcoming 3G license auction has had its application rejected by the regulator, allegedly due to failure to comply with the tender rules. more and more

Mobily: Mobile broadband to outstrip fixed line

Mobily CEO Khalid Al-Kaf believes mobile broadband usage will overtake that of fixed line by 2012 in Saudi Arabia. more

Du broadband will be fastest in Middle East

Du, UAE's integrated telecom service provider, has invested Dh100 million to upgrade its IP-based core network to 40 Gbps. more

Batelco Upgrades 3G Network to 14.4Mbps Download Speeds

Bahrain's Batelco says that it has upgraded its 3G network to support peak download speeds of  14.4Mbps. more

Zain Bahrain wins award for supporting Women Gateway Portal

Zain Bahrain was honoured for its support of the popular Woman Gateway Portal that helps to keep Bahraini women informed of news and trends in society. more

Dubai police issue warning on text message scams

Police have warned the public about a spate of scams in which the victims are led to believe that they have won a prize or stand to land a cushy job more

Bahraini telecoms services sales reach USD800m

A report from Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) says that the sector was worth BHD303 million (USD804 million) in service revenues in 2008, up by 6.3% from the previous year more

Mideast IT spending to hit $50 bln in '09

Information technology spending in the Middle East will reach $50 billion this year with the sector in the Gulf Arab region likely to see double-digit growth within three years

Nawras commended for Omanisation achievements

Nawras was honoured to receive appreciation from the Ministry of Manpower during a recent celebratory ceremony held under the auspices of His Excellency Maqbool Bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry. more

Bahrain mobile penetration hits 131%, fixed-line growth continues

Telecoms revenues have doubled in Bahrain since market was liberalised in 2003. more

Turkcell - Decline in Customers As Churn Hits All-time High

The first quarter of the year is traditionally the weakest for growth for Turkcell, Turkey's market leader, but Q1 09 was a particularly poor quarter. more

Iraq media appeal for government lifeline

State-run media in Iraq, where the budget has been hit by the fall in world oil prices appealed for a financial lifeline from the government. more

Minister to cancel 2.3GHz licensing round

Minister of Information and Communications, Dora Akunyili, has issued a directive for the cancellation of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC’s) recent licensing of WiMAX spectrum in the 2.3GHz band more

Etisalat plans to integrate data

Etisalat is developing services that will integrate data systems of healthcare facilities such as hospitals, pharmacies, medical centres and clinics across the UAE more

May 2009

Sheikh Mohammed honors Arab Journalism Award winners

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday honoured the winners of the 8th edition of the Arab Journalism Award, which received record participation this year with the number of entries reaching well over 3000 from 19 Arab countries. more

Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Participant Media announce first film fund investments

The film fund created by Imagenation Abu Dhabi, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company, and Participant Media in September 2008 more

UAE joins partnership signed to fight cyber crime

The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has signed an agreement with the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (Impact) Alliance. more

Qtel to issue up to USD5bn bonds

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) plans to issue bonds worth up to USD5 billion, partly to help refinance debts more

Nawras Managers Are Bullet Proof

As part of a continuing investment in people, Nawras senior managers recently successfully completed a 12 month 'Bullet Proof Manager' training programme facilitated by Prosper. more

Vodafone Qatar could go commercial next month

Vodafone Qatar is aiming to launch commercial mobile operations with limited coverage next month, ahead of a nationwide launch in September more

Mobinil Upgrades Network to End-to-End IP Infrastructure With Cisco

Cisco Systems says that it has been working with Egypt's Mobinil to deliver a single Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP-NGN). more

Maroc Telecom plans $1.3 billion expansion

Moroccan telecoms operator Maroc Telecom, which is 53% owned by French media group Vivendi, has announced plans to invest MAD 10.5 billion ($1.3 billion) in its Moroccan operations to expand its network infrastructure. more

Zain selects Dilithium to offer mobile video services

Zain, Middle East and African mobile operator has selected Dilithium to offer mobile video services to the subscribers. more

Etisalat selects Dilithium for range of video services

Dilithium, the global leader in high-quality multimedia delivery over mobile and broadband networks announced that Etisalat, one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies, has selected Dilithium’s end-to-end video solutions for deployment in UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. more

3G tender attracts single bid

The Jordan Telecom Group (JTG) was the only company to submit a technical and financial bid for the country’s first 3G licence tender more

Vodafone to set up landing station

Qatar's global communications connectivity is expected to drastically improve with the recently forged partnership between Vodafone Qatar, and Gulf Bridge International (GBI). more

Qatar to create government network

Qatar's Supreme Council for Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar) has announced it is creating a secure Government Network to address the need for a safe and reliable data exchange more

Wataniya Palestine launch plans, loans in doubt

Loans earmarked to support the launch of a new mobile operator in the Palestinian Territory are at risk following continued delays in the release of frequencies more

Iraq slaps USD18 million fine on Zain

The government of Iraq is to fine Kuwait-based Zain, the country’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, around USD18.6 million for poor service provision more

UAE Networks in Network Sharing Talks

The UAE's two mobile networks, Du and Etisalat are reported to be in talks that could lead to network infrastructure sharing in an effort to cut operating costs. more

Transcorp three charged with USD110 million fraud

Nigeria’s anti-corruption police have charged the head of local conglomerate Transcorp and two other employees with fraud for embezzling around USD110 million belonging to struggling former monopoly telco NITEL. more

Innovation 'is key' to future telco growth

The telecoms sector has not suffered as much as many other industries during the global downturn and is using this period to develop innovative offerings and services for current and future customers more

Lebanon set to launch HSPA plus high-speed Internet

AlfaCEO and chairman Samer Salameh said that Lebanon is going to be among the first countries in the world to launch the HSPA plus technology, which offers over 20 megabits per second data speed over cellular. more

FT joins Turkcell in list of bidders for Tunisian fixed/mobile licence

France Telecom has submitted a bid for the Tunisian fixed and mobile licence, according to the country’s Ministry of Technology and Communication. more

Etisalat still eyes investment in Iran

Chief Strategy Officer of Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) said that the company is still eyeing the Iranian market, more

Minister announces 3G trial

AsiaPulse reports that Afghan Communications and Information Technology Minister Amirzai Sangin has announced a trial of 3G-based internet services more

Batelco ups HSDPA limit to 14.4Mbps

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has announced the upgrade of its HSDPA-based mobile broadband services to a maximum theoretical speed of 14.4Mbps (download). more

Zain Kenya offers BlackBerry Curve 8900

Zain Kenya has introduced the latest BlackBerry model into the Kenyan mobile market, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone. more

etisalat expands its roaming coverage

etisalathas further expanded its international roaming services by developing its partnership network to include 520 telecommunication companies across the globe. more

Telecom Egypt eyes investments overseas

Telecom Egypt plans to expand its investments inside Egypt and abroad in the coming months. more

Saudi’s information ministry has said that it is planning to introduce new regulations to control news websites in the kingdom.

The Saudi Ministry of Information is planning to issue special regulations to control news websites operating out of the kingdom more

Bahrainis warned against suspicious telephone calls

Bahrain Telecommunication Company (Batelco)has warned of a telephone scam and asked people to report suspicious calls. more

MTC Touch announces new tariff reductions on selected services, reaching up to 60%

MTC Touch, the leading telecom operator in Lebanon and zain affiliate, announced a series of new tariff reductions on selected 'magic' prepaid and 'touch' postpaid services. more

Omantel sees renting network space as 'win-win'

Competition from the two telecoms companies that are renting space off Omantel's network has been in line with expectations, the firm's CEO said more

Orascom reports 66% plunge in net profit resulting from foreign exchange devaluation

Egyptian telecoms group Orascom Telecom has reported its fiscal results for the three-month period ended 31 March 2008, revealing a steeper than expected decline in net profit. more

Etisalat Customers to Shift to Fibre Network by 2011

Etisalat the UAE-based telecommunications services provider, will migrate 712,000 customers onto its Fibre to the Home, or FTTH, network with plans to connect the entire country by the end of 2011. more

Vodafone Qatar could go commercial next month

Vodafone Qatar is aiming to launch commercial mobile operations with limited coverage next month, ahead of a nationwide launch in September, its CEO Grahame Maher announced more

Nokia extends mobile phone recycling scheme to the UAE

Nokiahas extended its recycling scheme to the UAE to give old phones a purpose. more

FT joins Turkcell in list of bidders for Tunisian fixed/mobile licence

France Telecom has submitted a bid for the Tunisian fixed and mobile licence, according to the country’s Ministry of Technology and Communication. more

Qtel to test water for inaugural bond

Qtel said it planned talks with fixed-income investors about a proposed inaugural bond issue, following the government's $3 billion bond sale. more

UAE's Maiden Satellite on Course for 2010 Launch

Preparations are in full swing for the launch of the maiden satellite of the UAE -- Yahsat 1A -- scheduled to take place in October 2010 more

Maroc Telecom agrees new USD1.3bn investment plan with state

Maroc Telecom and the Moroccan government have signed a MAD10.5 billion (USD1.3 billion) investment agreement under which the former monopoly telco will expand and upgrade its infrastructure, focusing on three key areas. more

Kulacom Jordan launches world-leading Telecommunications Network

Under the Patronage of Bassem Al Rousan, Kulacom Jordan held a ceremony on the roof of its headquarters on the 8th circle to announce the official launch of its advanced telecommunications network in Jordan.  more

Turkcell bids for fixed and wireless licence

Turkish cellco Turkcell has submitted a bid for a combined fixed line and 2G/3G mobile licence in Tunisia, in partnership with a number of local companies. more

Nedjma introduces mobile plans for SMEs

Nedjma, the Algerian mobile operator, has introduced two mobile plans for SMEs under its Nedjma Entreprises brand. more

Qtel covers 80% of population with IPTV, signs up 10,000 viewers

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has announced that it has signed up over 10,000 customers to its IPTV service, Mozaic TV+, after extending coverage of the service to around 80% of the population. more

Meditel stake sale: Etisalat and one other bidder ahead of Orascom

Naguib Sawiris, CEO of Orascom Telecom, says the Egyptian company’s initial bid for a 32% stake in Moroccan cellco Medi Telecom (Meditel) has been trumped by two other interested parties more

Qtel warns of new fraud

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has issued a warning to its customers about a highly sophisticated fraud involving a text message telling them they have won a grand prize in a European lottery. more

Turkcell bids to enter Tunisia

Turkish operator confirms that it has made an offer for fixed and mobile licence in Tunisia. more

Qtel opens office in Singapore

At the conclusion of the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani's visit to Singapore, Qatar Telecom (Qtel) yesterday launched a new office in the country. more

Orascom aims to cut costs

Orascom Telecom Holding is decreasing its capital expenditures in its Pakistan and Bangladesh operations, where falling currencies and social instability have hit profitability hard, while aiming to cut overall operational spending across the group by 10% this year more

OMANTEL SIGNS RO7M CONTRACT

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel)Ministry of Information signed an RO7 million ($18 million) contract with the Ministry on Information. more

DU & DUBAI FIRST LAUNCH PILOT PROGRAMME FOR NFC-BASED MOBILE PAYMENTS

du, the UAE’s integrated telecom services provider, announced a joint partnership for the launch of the first Near Field Communication (NFC)-based pilot programme for mobile payments in the Middle East and North Africa region. more

Dubai Internet City hosts 'BarCamp UAE' for technology and new media professionals

Dubai Internet City announced over 40 professionals attended the first-ever interactive BarCamp UAE conference, an informal gathering for technology and new media professionals from technical and business backgrounds. more

Etisalat Blames Local Partner for Loss of Iranian License

The slightly confused situation over Iran's third mobile phone license was  further complicated over the weekend when Etisalat said that it is still in talks with the Iranian regulator to get the license back. more

Arab Media Group CEO encourages local content for Arab audiences

Abdullatif Alsayegh, CEO of Arab Media Group spoke at the Financial Times conference in Doha, the FT Media, Society and Technology Summit, calling for increased localization of television content and innovative use of new technologies to better serve viewers in the Arab world. more

Omantel ready to compete with new operator

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel)is well-geared to face impending competition now that a second fixed line operator has entered the fray. more

Intel to invest in two Jordan internet firms

Intel, the world’s biggest chipmaker, plans to invest in two Jordanian digital content firms, beefing up its presence in the Middle East, where it has made four investments in the past six months. more

Zain Takes Majority Stake in Palestinian Mobile Operator

Zain has announced that it is to take a majority stake in the Palestinian Telecommunications Company (Paltel) in a share swap deal. more

Mazoon Printing Gets New Head

Mazoon Printing Publishing & Advertising, a leading print house in Oman, has announced the appointment of a new General Manager, Graeme Selby. more

Huawei ranked first for GPON networks in EMEA

Huawei Technologies has been recognised as the largest provider of Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (GPON) solutions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by independent research firm Infonetics. more

Vodafone and RIM launch GPS-enabled BlackBerry smartphones in Egypt

Vodafone Egypt and Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced a portfolio of high-performance GPS-enabled BlackBerry smartphones in Egypt, including the BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Curve 8900, and BlackBerry Bold. more

HP Simplifies Channel Business Model

HP Middle East announced that it will refine its PartnerONE channel programme as of May 1, 2009, providing partners with a streamlined product offering and easier business processes, as well as more competitive pricing and compensation. more

Gulf Bridge hires BT for sub-sea cable

Gulf Bridge International, a sub-sea cable operator owned by Gulf Arab investors, has appointed British Telecom to advise on the construction of a $445 million subsea cable linking the six Gulf states. more

Etisalat to bid for Morocco's Meditel

Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat) plans to bid for a stake in Morocco's Meditel as it seeks acquisitions in the Middle East and Africa after asset prices declined, its chairman said more

Middle East is First Choice for Sale of Nokia N97 Handset

Nokia has announced that it will release its N97 smartphone to the Middle Eastern market first more

Technical issues cited for a halt on MNP service in Saudi Arabia

Mobily has stopped its mobile number port-in (MNP) service due to “technical problems” with the Saudi Telecom Company (STC). more

Kodak Installs Country’s First NEXPRESS

Sidhom & Co. Printing Solutions, the authorized agent of Kodak’s Graphic Arts supplies in Egypt, or-ganized a seminar to celebrate the sale, installation, and commission of Kodak’s first NEXPRESS digital printing machine in Egypt to Cario-based Concord Printing Presses. more

Lebanon’s mobile penetration rises by 10% in Q1'09

The Lebanese mobile penetration rose by 10%, as the two operators added a total of 400,000 subscribers during Q1′09.  more

Police chief to discuss web 'smut' words with Etisalat

The chief of Dubai’s police said he would be meeting with Etisalat officials later this month, to discuss the 500-strong list of offensive words that will be used to block access to internet sites. more

Egypt YouTube pig cull clip sparks outrage

A YouTube video clip showing pigs being culled in Egypt as part of swine flu measures has caused outrage more

Zain Kenya offers caller ringback tone service

Zain Kenya has launched the caller ringback tone service which enable its subscribers to choose the music that callers can listen to while they wait on line. more

Avea awards WCDMA contract to ZTE in Turkey

Avea, the Turkish mobile operator, has awarded ZTE with a WCDMA contract. more

Telecom Egypt says open to acquistion in region

Telecom Egypt is open to acquisitions and would prefer buying an integrated fixed-line and mobile operator in the Middle East and North Africa region more

Rwandatel partners with Cisco Systems, Seven Seas Technologies

Rwandatel, the country's second largest telecom operator, has signed a partnership deal with CISCO system and Seven Seas Technologies. more

Alfa installs 26 new radio stations

Alfa, the mobile operator, announced that it is keeping on strengthening its network all over Lebanon by installing 26 new radio stations since the 23rd of April 2009. more

Omantel posts Q1 profit of RO 37.943m

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) announced its preliminary unaudited financial results for the period ended March 31, 2009. more

Etisalat Academy GM Urges Operators to Prepare for The Next-Generation Battlefield of Convergence

David Brennan, General Manager of the Etisalat Academy today urged the Middle East's operators to set their minds preparing for the next area of fierce competition in the telecommunications sector which will be fueled by convergence. more

Korek Telecom eyes expansion

Kurdish wireless operator Korek Telecom is planning to invest USD100 million in expanding its mobile network in Iraq more

AMD, Atic construct $4.2bn facility

md has begun construction of the $4.2 billion (Dh15.4bn) manufacturing facility of Globalfoundries a joint venture firm formed by amd and Advanced Technology Investment Company (Atic), which is a part of Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Development Company. more

Turkcell revenues down 18.5%

Turkey’s leading mobile operator by subscribers, Turkcell, has reported revenues of USD1.28 billion for the first quarter of 2009, an 18.5% year-on-year decline. more

Zain wins Iran's 3rd mobile license

A consortium led by Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications, Zain won Iran's third mobile license after failure of talks over the license between Iran and UAE's Etisalat. more

Etisalat slashes price on iPhone 3G packages

Etisalat announced it is slashing the price of its iPhone 3G packages for all customers, including existing subscribers. more

Investment plan to weigh on Zain profit

An ambitious investment plan will weigh on profit growth at Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunication Co, its chief executive said more

TECOM Investments Names Yasser Zeineldin as New CEO of eHosting Datafort

Industry Veteran Brings Over 22 Years of ICT Experience to Region's Leading Provider of Managed IT and Advisory Services  more

Four companies pay NGN5.5 billion for WiMAX licences

the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has cleared four companies to receive spectrum in the 2.3GHz frequency range, commonly used to deploy WiMAX services. more

Batelco acquires 49% stake in S Tel for US$225 million

A Batelco led consortium has completed the acquisition of a 49% of shareholding in Indian mobile operator S Tel Limited for $225 million. more

ictQatar connected speaker series to feature Dr. Soumitra Dutta on Web 2.0 revolution

Acclaimed author and INSEAD professor Dr. Soumitra Dutta understands the incredible impact Web 2.0 and social networking are having on our lives both personally and professionally. more

Government extends deadline for NITEL, M-Tel bids

The government of Nigeria has extended the deadline for the submission of bids for a majority stake in incumbent fixed line operator Nigerian Telecommunications Company (NITEL) and its mobile unit M-Tel, more

Etisalat Signs Satellite Backhaul Deal for Nigerian Network

Africa's Gateway Communications says that it has been awarded a contract to provide Etisalat with cellular backhaul for its Nigerian mobile network. more

Bahrain Broadband lone bidder for service

Bahrain Broadband, a company registered in Bahrain, is the sole bidder for the GSM 1800Mhz guard ban. more

Zain launches high speed data access across 'One Network'

In another world-first, leading mobile network operator, Zain, announced yesterday that it has launched cross-border data services across the Middle East and in East Africa on its award winning 'One Network' platform. more

Zain customer base up 41%

Kuwait-based Zain Group has announced that its international customer base grew to 64.7 million at the end of March 2009, a year-on-year growth of 41%. more

STC offers 40% discount to “My Group” subscribers

STC has started offering up to 40% discounts to its “My Group” subscribers in MMS and SMS to be sent among friends, colleagues or family members at a price of 15 halalas per SMS and 40 halalas for MMS. more

Iran Cancels 3rd Mobile Phone License

The Iranian government has reportedly cancelled the award of the country's 3rd mobile phone license to an Etisalat lead consortium more

Alfa throws down gauntlet to MTC Touch

Lebanese mobile network operator Alfa has presented its operational achievements for the three-month period since Egypt's Orascom Telecom took over its management. more

'Proxy problem' blocks access to major websites

Major websites, including gulfnews.com, were accidentally blocked on Sunday after an apparent error in the UAE's internet proxy. more

Second MVNO launches in Oman

Majan Telecommunication has launched a new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Oman under the brand Renna. more

Dangote partners Huawei for fibre-optic rollout

Dancom Technologies, a subsidiary of the Dangote Group, one of Nigeria’s largest conglomerates, has partnered Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies to build a national fibre-optic network covering the east of the country. more

Etisalat signs up 10,000 BlackBerry subscribers in one month

Etisalat has announced it signed up over 10,000 customers for its BlackBerry services in April. more

Vodafone Qatar IPO is World's Biggest So Far This Year

Vodafone Qatar has confirmed that its Initial Public Offering (IPO) that took place from 12 to 26 April was a phenomenal success. Raising US$1 billion, more

ITC seals deal to boost international connectivity

Saudi broadband operator Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar-based submarine cable operator Gulf Bridge International (GBI), to connect ITC’s network to its international cable infrastructure, linking it with India, Europe and the Far East. more

Kuwait's Zain to slash 2,000 jobs by '11

Kuwaiti mobile operator Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) will cut its 15,500 workforce by about 2,000 staff through to 2011 to cut costs and boost its margin, more

LTT awards FTTH contract to Huawei

Libya Telecom & Technology (LTT) has awarded Chinese equipment vendor Huawei Technologies a contract to provide it with a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network. more

UAE among top 30 countries in network readiness

The UAE ranks among the world's top 30 countries in network readiness and internet penetration more

Vodafone Qatar to list shares in July

Following its fully subscribed initial public offering (IPO) last month which raised USD930 million, Vodafone Qatar has announced that it will list its shares on the Doha Stock market in July. more

Spending on technology in new GCC hotels to top $290m

Spending on communications and technology infrastructure for new hotels in the Gulf in 2009 and 2010 is forecast to exceed $290m more

MTC Touch expands capacity to 1.2m, deploys 150 new sites

Lebanese cellco MTC Touch, managed by Kuwait-based Zain Group, has completed an infrastructure network upgrade project, expanding its network capacity to 1.2 million lines and rolled out 150 new base stations nationwide more

April 2009

Fresh doubts emerge over Orascom deal

Shares in Egyptian mobile firm Orascom Telecom dipped on Sunday after a report that a deal to sell its stake in Mobinil to France Telecom might not go through more

Huge success for FRiENDi mobile

FRiENDi mobile, Oman's third mobile service provider, has recorded an overwhelming response from the people of Oman. more

World’s Top Telecoms Leaders Tell It Like It Is

At a time when other industries are struggling to stay afloat, the Telecoms sector appears to be getting connected. The most prominent profiles in the business will convene in Abu Dhabi next month to chart the future of the region’s evolving telecoms landscape as part of an exclusive CxO summit and roundtable. more

HTC and Etisalat team up to offer free 200MB and 10GB Mobile Business Data Packages

HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, has partnered with UAE-based telecom service provider Etisalat to offer a month of free access to the Etisalat Mobile Business Data Package. more

Comex to host e-government services

Driven by the country's Digital Strategy, Comex 2009 will feature e-government services, aimed at enhancing public awareness of the importance and practical applications of such services towards developing a digital society. more

MobiNil Profits Down on 3G Costs and Debt Interest

Eygpt's MobiNil, which is in the midst of a tussle between Orascom and France Telecom has posted a 6% drop in first-quarter profits to EGP424 million (US$75 million) more

Du posts 54% rise in Q1 revenue

Du has posted its fiscal results for the three months ended 31 March 2009, recording a 54% year-on-year rise in revenues to AED1.166 billion, compared to AED756 million for Q1 2008, attributed to a substantial increase in its subscriber base. more

Etisalat delays system that allows competition

UAE regulatory authorities have accused Etisalat of deliberately delaying the introduction of a system that allows consumers to switch carriers to get cheaper rates when they make phone calls. more

First MVNO launches in Middle East

The Middle East’s first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Friendi Mobile, launched in Oman, setting in motion what industry watchers expect to be a trend for the region. more

Ericsson completes phase 1 of Alfa’s network modernisation

Alfa, the smaller of Lebanon’s two mobile operators, has announced that its technology partner Ericsson has completed the first phase of its network modernisation programme, after swapping legacy equipment for new systems upgradeable to 3G standard more

Etisalat Signs Up to Nokia's Ovi Platform

Etisalat has inked a deal to offer access to Nokia's mobile internet portal, Ovi to its customers. In the first phase of the collaboration, Etisalat's UAE mobile customers will be able to access Ovi Maps and N-Gage Games on their Nokia devices. more

Zain nears USD2.5 billion refinancing deal

Business Intelligence Middle East reports that Zain is in talks with banks to arrange a deal to refinance USD2.5 billion worth of debt maturing on 27 July 2009. more

UAE cracks down on illegal DishTV sellers

The UAE Ministry of Economy said it recently conducted raids against unauthorized DishTV dealers in the UAE, issuing directives to concerned authorities to clamp down on those selling these boxes, which are illegally imported from India and sold throughout the Gulf. more

Vodafone Qatar CEO says IPO progress "comfortable"

The Qatari unit of Vodafone Group said on Friday the progress of its initial public offering which began on Apr 12 was "comfortable". more

Batelco gets new CEO

Gert Rieder has replaced Peter Kaliaropoulos as the new chief executive officer of Batelco. more

Profits fall 4% at Batelco

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has reported a 4% year-on-year drop in first quarter 2009 net profit attributable to shareholders, to USD70 million, down from USD73 million in 1Q 2008. more

Orascom says France Telecom deal null and void

Egyptian operator says acquisition of shares in Mobinil is off, local press reports. more

3G Competitors to Drive Mobile Service Uptake in Egypt

Mobile penetration in Egypt will reach 97 percent by year-end 2014 from 54 percent in 2008, driven by significant changes in its competitive landscape, according to a new report from Pyramid Research. more

Etisalat Interested in Investments in Syria and Lebanon

UAE­ based Emirates Telecommunication Co. (Etisalat) is seeking opportunities in Syria and Lebanon as licenses and privatisations are launched. more

STC hit by exchange rates in first quarter

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has posted a 17.9% drop in net profit in the first quarter of 2009, largely due to fluctuations in foreign currency. more

Mobily is the 1st Mideast operator to get Ericsson’s eco-friendly tower

Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) became the very first operator in the Middle East to get Ericsson’s state-of-the-art, environmentally and aesthetically friendly relay tower. more

Afghan Wireless in Shareholder Dispute

A lawsuit has been filed in London's High Court in a US$400 million shareholder dispute over the ownership of the Afghanistan based mobile phone network, Afghan Wireless Communications Company (AWCC). more

Zain Saudi Arabia introduces 35% discount

Zain has launched a new scheme offering 35% discount on lines in Saudi, for all local and international calls, SMS video calls and Internet services. more

Nawras launches low-priced modem

Nawras has launched low-priced mobile broadband Internet modem, coinciding with attractive, new mobile broadband Internet offers. more

AT&T launches business operations in UAE

US-based communications company, AT&T has launched its operations in UAE and will offer the full spectrum of its business services. more

Omantel to invest in 2G, 3.5G networks in 2009 - CEO

Omani incumbent plans to launch range of new services, including mobile TV, this year. more

Etisalat to bid for Syrian mobile licence, still interested in Lebanon

UAE’s Etisalat will make a bid for Syria's third mobile network operating licence this year and also remains committed to bid for a cellular concession in Lebanon whenever the country privatises the sector more

SK Telecom deploying WiBro network in Amman

South Korea's SK Telecom (SKT) has announced that it will launch WiBro internet services in Jordan before the end of May. more

UAE tops ICT rankings in region

The UAE has improved its rankings in a new global IT report, and emerged as the top Middle East and North Africa region country on the list. more

Egyptian Radio and Television Union selects TANDBERG Television to expand contribution network

Egypt's national broadcaster moves MPEG-2 4:2:2 content over 14 site microwave SDH network more

Qatar TV selects Vislink's satellite uplinks and RF equipment for the Arab Summit

Qatar TV, in coordination with systems integrator INC, chose Vislink's satellite uplinks and wireless cameras for its highly successful state of the art media centre at the Arab Summit. more

Syria to auction third mobile licence within year

Licence will be auctioned late this year or Q1 next year; government in discussions over submarine cable. more

Arabsat to launch four satellites worth $1.2bn by 2012

Satellite operator says it will launch one satellite per year through 2012. more

du hopes to offer iPhone soon

du, the UAE's second entrant into the telecom scene, hopes to offer the iPhone to its customers very soon, more

Mobile Operators in the MEA Region can save over $8 bn in the next 5 Years by sharing their network towers

Delta Partners, the leading telecom advisory and investment firm, released a new white paper today about the potential of network sharing in the MEA region, entitled “Tower Sharing in the Middle East and Africa: Collaborating in competition”.  more

Zain introduces One4One promotion, offers 50% discount on calls (Nigeria)

Zain Nigeria has launched the One4One promotion, offering a 50% discount to its subscribers on on-net calls. more

ME mobile retailer in aggressive expansion plan

Middle East mobile phone retailer Axiom Telecom is doing more than just weathering the financial storm by announcing ambitious plans to open 135 new retail outlets. more

Batelco introduces BlackBerry Curve in Bahrain

Batelco, the Bahrainian incumbent, has launched the Blackberry Curve, available at Batelco shops across the nation. more

Etisalat in final stage of FTTH deployment in Abu Dhabi

Etisalat has announced it has nearly completed its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network covering the whole of the country’s capital Abu Dhabi. more

du's new monthly plan targets frequent users

Du telecom operator has launched a new monthly plan to bring more value to its customers. The "Elite Plan" priced at Dh125 is aimed at customers with high mobile phone usage. more

etisalat to offer bonus airtime for recharging

etisalat has announced a new recharge offer for its Wasel customers, which will allow them to gain up to 20 per cent bonus airtime. more

Zain & MTN apply for m-banking licences in Nigeria

Zain and MTN, the Nigerian incumbents have applied to the Central Bank of Nigeria for m-banking licences as they seek expansion in mobile banking foray. more

Qtel launches BillXpress for business firms

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) yesterday launched 'BillXpress', a new solution which will enable businesses to manage communication costs more effectively. more

CCC eyes Egypt and Iran retail channels

Dubai-based Concentration Computer Company (CCC) plans to expand its regional retail channel reach at Digital Consumer Channel (DCC) MEA. more

Egypt Lifts Ban on GPS Capable Mobile Phones

The Egyptian authorities have announced plans to loosen the restrictions on the use of GPS devices within the country. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has lifted a ban on civilian use of GPS which had blocked the (official) import of most mid to high end mobile and smartphones. more

Bahrain ICT Committee approves company to oversee National Call Center project

The Supreme Committee of Information and Communication Technology (SCICT) held its 25th meeting at Qudaibiah Palace on Tuesday, 7th of April, 2009. more

TRA Says Etisalat Yet to Share 'Cost Price'

Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) said on Wednesday that it does not favour any of the two domestic telecom service providers and promotional offers of both are subject to a price control policy which is available on the authority's Web site. more

Police highlight negative aspects of YouTube

A session held at Dubai Police highlighted the negative aspects of YouTube as part of the Juvenile Association in Dubai's duty to raise public awareness on the dangers of the internet. more

Egypt’s Capital Market Authority rejects France Telecom offer for additional MobiNil stake

Egypt's stock market regulator, the Capital Market Authority (CMA), has rejected an offer by France Telecom (FT) for an additional stake in cellco Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (MobiNil). more

Etihad Atheeb receives its licence

Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications has formally been awarded a fixed line licence after it completed establishment procedures and its initial public offering (IPO) for 30% of its share capital. more

Oman ranks 50th in networked readiness out of 134 countries

The World Economic Forum released last week its ranking of countries for internet readiness in The Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009. more

Maroc Telecom introduces online bill payment system

Maroc Telecom has launched an online billing payment service for its fixed-line, mobile and internet subscribers holding a Moroccan bank card or international Visa or Mastercard. more

Orascom ordered to sell MobiNil stake to France Telecom

Egypt-based telecoms group Orascom Telecom has been ordered to sell its shares in cellco Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (MobiNil) to France Telecom (FT) by the International Court of Arbitration. The ruling comes as a result of a case that was brought in front of the court in August 2007. more

CIT Global, IT Matrix to host 'Banking Technologies Transformation' seminar

CIT Global, an international provider of high quality, innovative eCommerce / mCommerce solutions and services, with cooperation with IT Matrix, the information security providers in Saudi Arabia, announce one of its strategic initiatives in Saudi Arabia, which is 'The Banking Technologies Transformation' seminar in Riyadh, on 12th of April 2009. more

Etisalat plans to lock next shipment of iPhones

Etisalat is seeking approval from the UAE telecommunications regulator to lock the next shipment of iPhones to its own network, according to a source familiar with the plan. more

Free Mawjood service is another first from Nawras

Nawras customers are first in Oman and could well be first in the GCC region, to enjoy a new Mawjood notification service. Mawjood (meaning available) is a free service designed to let customers know when a number they have tried to reach is active again after having been switched off for some reason. more

More than 50% of households in Qatar now have broadband

Qatar's ongoing efforts to develop a thriving knowledge economy achieved an important result in March 2009, with the news that Broadband penetration has exceeded more than 50% of households for the first time. more

Apple iTunes opens line to Skype

The Skype internet telephone service is the most popular free download on the UAE version of the Apple iTunes Application Store, despite a ban on the software. more

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation inks agreement as Microsoft Gulf network partner

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft Gulf to become a network partner for the software giant's BizSpark program.

UAE to spend $21m on internet upgrade in state-run schools

The UAE Ministry of Education plans to spend AED79 million ($21.5 million) this year to increase the number of computer units and improve internet connection in government schools more
 

Vodafone receives additional time to launch new network

Vodafone has been given an additional six months to accomplish the target of nationwide coverage and launch services by the telecoms regulator ictQatar.  more

Turkcell denies interest in buying HanseNet

Vodafone, Telefonica, United Internet all reportedly eyeing Telecom Italia's German Internet unit. more

Eitsalat says Q1 2009 revenues positive, unaffected by global economic crisis

Etisalat has suffered no impact from the global financial crisis and expects to post positive first-quarter revenue figures, according to its chief executive Mohammed Al Qamzi. more

Qatar Airways to enable in-flight email, SMS

Qatar Airways announced an agreement to install Mobile OnAir in-flight passenger communications services on board the airline's single-aisle fleet. more

Mobily launches latest BlackBerry phone

Mobily launched the latest BlackBerry phone, the Curve 8900. "Sporting elegant, modern design, comfortable dimensions and a long-lasting battery, the Curve 8900 can be bought for a competitive price of SR2,299," the company said in a statement. more

Oman Mobile sponsors 3rd Businesswomen's Conference

Oman Mobile has supported the 3rd Businesswomen's Conference, which was attended by a number of Omani businesswomen who discussed economic developments in the Sultanate and abroad. more

Nawras introduces Mobile Fax and CSD service

Nawras has introduced the Nawras Mobile Fax and CSD service (Circuit Switched Data) in response to feedback received from corporate customers. more

Nortel Opens High Tech Executive Briefing Center in Dubai

Solutions Showcase Lets Regional Customers and Partners See for Themselves How nortel Can Support their Business more

Avaya launches a new era of Business Communications (UAE)

Avaya  announced the launch of a new era of business communications with Avaya Aura™, a breakthrough architecture that easily integrates communications across multi-vendor, multi-location and multi-modal businesses more

Algerian Railways Selects Nortel for GSM-R Expansion

­Nortel Networks has been selected to deploy a GSM-R wireless communications system for a new railway line in Algeria. The line links the cities of Ain Toutta and Msilla, as part of the High Plateaus railway system that crosses the country from East to West. more

Wanted: world’s largest cellco seeks partner for USD2 billion MTN asset purchase

China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless network operator by subscribers, is reportedly seeking a partner for its plan to buy the Iranian, Syrian and Sudanese assets of South Africa's MTN Group. more

Hits Telecom ends 2008 with total assets of KWD145.6Mn (Kuwait)

Hits Telecom, a mobile operator based in Kuwait, has reported a KWD 1.7 million profit for its fiscal year 2008 on revenues of KWD 96.1 million. more

Cisco opens new facility in Bahrain

Bahraini Cabinet Affairs Minister Sheikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa officially opened Cisco's new office and Internet data service facility at Bahrain Financial Harbour. more

First 3G licence up for grabs in May

Jordan's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has rescheduled its award of 3G licences for 26 May. more

Lebanon 65th most affordable country in ICT

The International Telecommunication Union's 2009 Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Price Basket in 150 nations ranked Lebanon as the 65th most affordable nation worldwide and the 8th most affordable country in the Middle East & North Africa region more

March 2009

-Qtel aims for double digit 2009 growth

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) chairman Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud al-Thani said during the annual general assembly meeting that Qtel aims to increase profits by between 9% and 11% and revenues by 20% to 22% this year. more

Mobily expands Saudi network in $116m deal

Motorola announced a contract worth $116 million with Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) to expand the telecom operator's network in Saudi Arabia. more

Omantel CEO quits on 'personal grounds'

Omantel announced on the Muscat Securities Market website that the telecom service provider's chief executive officer Mohammed Al Wohaibi had resigned from the company. more

MTN launches mobile GPS

MTN has partnered with Garmap, a provider of satellite navigation and mapping services in South Africa, to provide the next generation of Garmap’s mobile phone navigation - Garmap for Mobile Online - on BlackBerry more   

Etisalat launches enhanced audio conferencing service (UAE)

Etisalat announced an attractive promotion for its Business Audio Conferencing service which facilitates convenient collaboration between clients, customers or staff both in the UAE and internationally, at the touch of a button. more                                 

Local loop unbundling this year for Bahrain

Bahrain's telecoms regulator the TRA has launched a consultation on draft access regulations which order the incumbent Bahrain Telecom Company (Batelco) to add local loop unbundling (LLU) to its Reference Access Offer. more

Nawras lowers 48-hour internet package tariff to OMR 2 (Oman)

Nawras, the Oman based mobile operator, has reduced the price for its 48-hour unlimited internet plan to OMR 2 until 15 May more

Mada expands into Jordan

Kuwait-headquartered Mada Telecom Group, in partnership with Zain Telecom Jordan, has announced the launch of an 802.16e network in Jordan. more

Powerwave Deploys World’s Largest Indoor Wireless Coverage System for Mobily in Mecca

Many of the 2.4 million pilgrims who visited the holy city of Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this past December for the annual Hajj season – or those who reside in or visited the Al-Bait Towers at King Abdul Aziz Endowment – benefited from uninterrupted access to wireless voice and data services more

Etisalat plans $1bn investment in Indian market

The announcement was made to Khaleej Times by Etisalat Chairman Mohammed Hasan Omran after the company's annual general meeting. more

Key Telecom Operators, ISPs, Regulators and Solution Providers to convene at COMMS Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific Global Summit 2009 in Doha

Magenta Global Pte Ltd, an international specialist conference outfit based in Singapore, is organizing the 'COMMS Middle East-Africa-Asia Pacific Global Summit 2009: Telco Convergence, New Rollouts, New Emerging Opportunities'. more

Zain exploring India telecoms acquisition

Kuwait-based mobile group still open to possible investments in Datacom or Loop Telecom. more

Google launches Arabic blog

Google has released an official Arabia blog for the Middle East and North Africa. more

Oman Mobile launches promotion for Hayyak subscribers

Oman Mobile has revealed its latest promotion for prepaid Hayyak service subscribers, offering them an extra 15% free talk time on top-ups of OMR 10 or more. The promotion ends on 30th April. more

Mada Communications launches WiMAX network

Mada Communications has announced the commercial launch of an 802.16e-based WiMAX network using equipment supplied by Motorola. more

Tunisia to link North Africa to Europe with undersea cable

Tunisie Telecom’s high capacity fibre optic cable brings resilience and diversity for Tunisia’s broadband users more

Cisco completes smart IT network design for Knowledge Economic City

has completed the design for a smart IT network at Knowledge Economic City (KEC). It was handed over at a meeting held recently attended by Eng. Tahir Bawazir, CEO of KEC and Thierry Martens, vice president, Cisco Advanced Services, among others. more

Syrian Network Orders Network Optimisation Software

Network optimisation vendor, Optimi says has been selected by MTN Syria to provide a software solution for automated network optimization. more

BlackBerries Arrive in Tunisia

Tunisian mobile network operator, Tunisie Telecom has announced the commercial launch of the BlackBerry solution in the country - with the system being supplied by Alcatel-Lucent. more

SyriaTel to list on Damascus stock exchange

Syria's largest mobile operator by subscribers, SyriaTel, is to list on the newly opened Damascus Securities Exchange, providing a timely boost to the fledgling market more

One Year Anniversary of In-Flight Phone Calls for Emirates Airlines

One year ago, the first in-flight commercial mobile phone call was made on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Casablanca - and since 160,170 passengers have switched their phone on during a flight to make calls or send text messages. more

Vodafone Qatar IPO Approved, Looks to Raise US$928.6 mil.

Vodafone Qatar will offer 40% of its shares in an initial public offering (IPO) worth 3.381 billion Qatari riyals (US$928.6 million) more

Etisalat home fixed line customers can now enjoy an additional 50% discount on the International off-peak rates with Etisalat's super off-peak plan

the new International Super Off-Peak plan - which would provide home fixed line customers more savings on their off- peak calls to international destinations all over the world.  more

Bravo inks distribution deal with Mashail Al-Kaleej (Saudi Arabia)

Bravo, the Saudi Arabian telecom service provider, inks a distribution partnership deal with Mashail Al-Khaleej, a specialized dealer in sale and maintenance of mobile handsets. more

Etisalat will be first operator in Gulf region to launch BlackBerry Storm

Etisalat announced plans to launch the highly-anticipated BlackBerry Storm 9500 smartphone device in the UAE with it being the first operator in the Gulf region to launch the device. more

Qatar Telecom, Vodafone sign strategic deals

The Outdoor Site Sharing Agreement allows Vodafone Qatar to share Qtel mobile towers and Qtel to share Vodafone Qatar
mobile towers. more

Telecom Egypt Revenues Up on Vodafone Investment

Egypt's landline monopoly operator, Telecom Egypt (TE) has reported a ten-percent rise in full year profits for 2008 to EGP2.79 billion (US$492.2 million), driving largely by its 45% stake in Vodafone Egypt. more

Ericsson wins in Turkey

Ericsson has been selected as the main supplier of W-CDMA/HSPA equipment by Turkey’s largest mobile operator by subscribers Turkcell. more

Bahrain Telecommunications Company plans $2bn acquisition in Africa

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) plans to make a $2 billion acquisition in Africa within six months, its CEO Peter Kaliaropoulos told more

Vodafone Qatar turns on network; full launch expected July/August

Vodafone Qatar has switched on its network, connecting the first 100 customers. more

Etisalat reports 500,000 residential broadband subscribers

United Arab Emirates-based telco Etisalat has announced it has reached 500,000 residential broadband subscribers, bringing the country’s broadband penetration rate to 11.4%. more

Saudi Zain's CEO resigns

The CEO of Zain's affiliate in Saudi Arabia has resigned, reported Reuters.  more

Africell expands network coverage

Lebanese-owned Lintel SL, which operates under the banner Africell, has launched a new cell site in the small town of Lakka, west of the capital Freetown. more

Qtel posts record results; launches unlimited mobile broadband

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has posted consolidated group revenue of QAR20.3 billion (USD5.6 billion) for 2008, up 93% year-on-year. more

H.H. Sheikh Hasher opens CABSAT MENA and Satellite MENA

His Highness Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Director General, Dubai Department of Information, today opened the 15th CABSAT MENA Exhibition and the inauguration of Satellite MENA Exhibition in Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. more

Motorola to provide wireless equipment to Abu Dhabi

Motorola has announced that it will provide Abu Dhabi police with wireless mobile video surveillance equipment. more

STC slashes internet tariffs as it prepares for competition

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has cut internet tariffs by 70%. more

Jordan: Internet-users to reach 1,126,700 by end 2009

The number of internet users in Jordan is expected to cross 1,126,700 users by the end of 2009, thereby driving the growth of business opportunities across the Kingdom's IT spectrum, according to recent industry reports. more

Turkcell seeks USD750m loan

Turkcell, Turkey’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, is seeking a USD750 million loan to help fund expansion of its infrastructure at home and also to help finance a bid for Macedonian operator Cosmofon. more

High definition TV coming to ME in 3-5 years, says CEO

The Middle East will have 24-hour high definition television broadcasts within three to five years, says the head of an Abu Dhabi-based HD production company. more

USD2 billion credit facility will help Qtel achieve global aims

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) says that a new USD1.5 billion credit facility, which it intends to extend to USD2 billion, will give it ‘enhanced capacity to continue executing its strategic vision to become one of the top 20 telecommunication companies by 2020’. more

AMD and its Abu Dhabi partner have confirmed plans to build a new semiconductor plant in New York

AMD which is handing over its manufacturing activities to the new company, and Advanced Technology Investment Co. (ATIC) of Abu Dhabi said in a statement that the $4.2-billion facility would be located in Saratoga, New York. more

Huawei Submarine wins Tunis Telecom undersea cable deal

Huawei Submarine, a joint venture between Chinese flagship telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies and UK-based marine engineering company Global Marine Systems, has won a contract to build a undersea cable project in Tunis. more

UAE to register 'Emarat' domain

The UAE's Ministerial Council for Services has passed a proposal to register the domain address of 'Emarat' for the country's Arabic websites. more

Morocco adds new phone numbers to keep up with demand

Morocco's telephone network is set to expand Saturday when over 200 million new numbers will be created to keep with increasing demand for mobile phones. more

Zain Bahrain reaffirms commitment to security with main sponsorship of the Bahrain Security Forum and Exhibition

Zain Bahrain was the main sponsor of the Bahrain Security Forum & Exhibition (BSFE) that took place in Bahrain's Ritz-Carlton Hotel on February 24-25, 2009. more

Asiacell expands coverage to all regions; cellcos to float on Baghdad exchange

Iraqi wireless operator Asiacell announced it has expanded its network to cover the regions of Al-Anbar and Diyala. more

Zain Customer Base Jumped by 50% in 2008

Kuwait based Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) has reported that its full year revenues jumped 26% to US$7.44 billion despite currency fluctuations. Net profit was up 6% to US$1.2 billion, while the customer base increased 50% to 63.5 million. more

Oman Mobile launches 3.5G network

Oman Mobile announced the full commercial launch of its 3.5G services. Oman Mobile subscribers will benefit from a range of new and improved offers, delivered over the brand-new 3.5G network. Customers can be connected, informed and entertained wherever they are – on the move, at home or in the office – all at amazing 3.5G speed. more and more

February 2009

Maroc Telecom Takes over Mali's Sotelma

APA- Rabat (Morocco) ­The Moroccan telecommunications group said on Saturday it had acquired 51% of the Malian national telecommunication company (Sotelma) after making a €252 million bid. more

Omantel subscriber growth begins to slow

State-owned telco Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel), has increased its mobile subscriber base by 15.2% year-on-year to 1.71 million. more

Prestigious mobile number auction will support Qatar community

Qtel's tenth charity auction of Easy-to-Remember (ETR) mobile numbers will take place more

Mena Telecom Launches Student Broadband and Laptop Offer

Mena Telecom, a leading telecommunications provider based in Bahrain, launched its new broadband and laptop offer targeted specifically at the students market. more

Macalla provides mobile payments platform for Viva, new mobile operator in Kuwait

Macalla, the specialist and innovator in mobile payment solutions, announced that Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has engaged Macalla, working in conjunction with its partner ITS (International Turnkey Systems), to provide the Macalla Platform, payments engine and a range of applications for its new commercial entity in Kuwait - Viva. more

New Nawras Store Unveils Unique Interactive Customer Experience

Continuing to transform and redefine mobile telecommunications in the Sultanate, Nawras has proudly taken the wraps off its latest and most exciting Nawras Store yet. more

Yahsat launches 'YahSecure', highly secure satellite service

Abu Dhabi Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJsc (Yahsat) a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) to provide 'YahSecure', the highly secure and reliable satellite communications service to military, government agencies and mission-critical commercial applications. more

Nawras to launch fixed line service by end-2009

Nawras Telecom, Oman’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced it will launch a fixed line service in Oman by the end of 2009. more

Mobily launches iPhone 3G in Saudi Arabia

iPhone 3G combines three products in one - a revolutionary phone, widescreen iPod and breakthrough internet device, to create an incredible mobile experience. With fast 3G networking, GPS mapping and support for enterprise features including Microsoft Exchange, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. more

Qatar tech park set for opening

The official opening of Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) will take place in the presence of the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned at a glittering ceremony on March 16, 2009. more

Etisalat receives award for customer care from the Middle East Excellence Awards Institute

Etisalat received an award at the 3rd Middle East Customer Care Excellence Awards, organized by the Middle East Excellence Awards Institute. more

Lebanon signs deal for telecoms cable with Saudi Arabia

Lebanon will get a new international telecoms cable boosting connections with Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria, according to the Telecommunications Ministry in Beirut. more

Du opens point of presence in London

Extending the geographical reach of its voice and data services and to better serve the needs of global carrier customers, Du, the UAE's integrated telecom operator, announced the opening of a Point of Presence (PoP) at the Epsilon Global Hub in London. more

Zain Saudi Arabia Passes 2 Million Subscriber Mark

Zain's Saudi Arabia subsidiary has reported revenues of US$135 million in 2008, with active customer numbers totaling 2.01 million. The company, which only lauched services on August 26th, 2008 has secured a market share of 7%, based on Zain estimates. more 

Qtel Group first telco group in Mena elected as board member of Mobile Entertainment Forum (EMEA Chapter)

The Qtel Group was elected as a board member of the prestigious Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Chapter more

Libya launches licence tender

The General Telecommunication Authority (GTA) announced the launch of an international tender for a fixed and mobile licence covering Libyan territory. more

TT signs submarine cable deal

Tunisie Telecom (TT) has signed a contract for a submarine fibre-optic cable linking Tunisia to Europe. more

Qtel Chooses Ditech Networks’ Voice Quality Equipment

Qatar Teleco (Qtel) is seeking to improve voice call quality by deploying Ditech’s Voice Quality Assurance (VQA) and Experience Intelligence (EXi) applications on its Quad Voice Processor (QVP) platform throughout its mobile network. more

New cable to boost internet, expected in two months

Lebanon’s telecoms minister Jebran Bassil has signed a preliminary agreement with Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and Kuwait-based Mada Communication to deploy a new cable linking the country to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria, which is expected to help boost available peak internet speeds for Lebanese users by a factor of 20 more

Omantel to provide services for Muscat Golf Project

will provide telecom infrastructure services and integrated networks for the Muscat Golf Project. A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect has been signed between Omantel and the Muscat Golf Project. more

Afghan Wireless launches EDGE in Jalalabad

Afghani wireless and broadband communication services provider Afghan Wireless has enhanced its GSM network with EDGE capability in Jalalabad city more

Tunisie Telecom doubles ADSL speeds

Tunisian fixed line incumbent Tunisie Telecom has announced that it will double the speeds of all new ADSL subscriptions at no additional cost to customers. more

Algerie Telecom sale off

The Algerian government has cancelled the privatisation of national fixed line operator Algerie Telecom. more

Qtel unveiles new enhancements to their Mozaic Mobile TV service

Qtel unveiled new enhancements to their Mozaic Mobile TV service, bringing an amazing choice of channels from two packages, along with simple subscription. more

Wataniya full year 2008 profit up but 4Q profit slides

Wataniya, Kuwait’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, reported a 2.1% percent increase in full year 2008 profit at KWD82.4 million (USD284 million), up from KWD80.7 million in 2007. more

Vodafone Qatar selects Oberthur Technologies as preferred SIM and Scratch Card provider Alfa and NSN to rollout Lebanon’s first 3G trial network

Oberthur Technologies, one of the world’s leading smart card suppliers, has been selected by Vodafone Qatar , part of the Vodafone Group, the world’s largest mobile network, to provide the company with SIM Cards and top-up cards. more

Alfa and NSN to rollout Lebanon’s first 3G trial network

Alfa, Lebanon’s second GSM operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to roll out the country’s first 3G trial network, to go live by June this year. more

Ericsson and Zain power Millennium Village site by wind and sun

As part of the Millennium Villages project, Ericsson and pan-African operator Zain have built a green-powered site in a remote village in northeastern Kenya. more

Qtel launches HSUPA, prepares to face Vodafone

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has upgraded its 3G/3.5G mobile network with a High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) platform across the country more

Afghan Telecom and Uzbektelecom sign agreement

According to the Afghani press, Afghan Telecom and Uzbek telecom have signed an agreement aimed at improving international links between their two countries of operation. more

Turk Telekom ready and willing to buy, Avea gains from MNP

Turk Telekom announced, in a statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange, that an investment mandate decision had been agreed at a board meeting earlier this week, reports Reuters. more

Saudi Telecom Company blames contractors for disruption

STC blamed two construction contractors for the disruption of its mobile phone and DSL services for more than two hours during the day. more

Etisalat confirmed as summit partner at Informa's Broadband Global Summit

Etisalat confirmed that it will be headlining at Informa's Broadband Global Summit as summit partner, reinforcing its position as a leader in providing broadband in the Middle East. more

Arabsat signs new deals worth $590m

Arabsat signed contracts for manufacturing and launching of two new satellites at a total cost of $590 million. The contracts were signed with French EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space for manufacturing and with Arianespace for launching the two new communications satellites 5C and Badr 7. more

Wana awarded third 2G licence

The prime minister of Morocco has approved the award of the country’s third 2G mobile licence to Wana, a subsidiary of domestic conglomerate Omnium Nord Afrique (ONA), after studying a recommendation by the National Agency of Telecommunications Regulation (ANRT). more

Wataniya bags USD85 million funding for network rollout

Wataniya Palestine, the second licensed mobile network operator in the Palestinian Territory, has secured funding of USD85 million for the rollout of its mobile network infrastructure more

Still no IPO date for Vodafone Qatar

Vodafone Qatar’s CEO Grahame Maher has told the Gulf Times that the start-up is still awaiting approval from the Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) for an initial public offering (IPO), a pre-requisite for launching services in the country. more

Apple and etisalat strike deal to launch iPhone 3G in the UAE

The UAE will be one of first countries in the Gulf to see the launch of the Apple iPhone. more

BT and 2Connect form alliance

UK-based telco BT Group has formed a partnership with Bahraini alternative telco to expand its operations in the kingdom. more

Jordan Telecom ends 2008 with 2.52Mn subscribers

Jordan Telecom has posted a subscriber base of 2.52 million at 2008-end, a rise of 3.4% since 2007-end. The overall rise was driven by the growth in Orange’s internet subscriber base along with the rise in Orange Mobile subscriber base which reached to 1.76 million from 1.71 million. more

Qatar Telecom to delist from Bahrain Stock Exchange

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has decided to delist the company from the Bahraini bourse with effect from February 26. more

Etisalat Plans $5 Billion Investment in Iran

UAE based Etisalat says that it expects to invest up to US$5 billion over the next five years in its new Iranian network, its chairman, Mohammed Hassan Omran said more

ictQATAR finalises telecom billing guidelines

ictQATAR, the telecommunications regulatory authority, has proposed a single bill for all post-paid telecommunications services provided by the same service provider. more

Wataniya acquires Fono in Kuwait

This acquisition will enhance Wataniya's customers' experience by increasing the availability of points of sale and reassuring its commitment to convenience for customers. more

January 2009

Etihad Atheeb opens USD80m IPO

The Saudi fixed line licensee Etihad Atheeb has launched an initial public offer (IPO) as it seeks to raise SAR300 million (USD80 million) by selling 30 million shares, equivalent to 30% of its capital. more

MTN to invest USD1.6 billion in network

MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest cellco by subscribers, has announced plans to invest up to USD1.6 billion during 2009, according to Punch Nigeria. more

First retailers sign up with Friendi mobile

Friendi mobile, Oman's new mobile service provider announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance more

TT reports half a million fixed line losses

Turk Telekom says it lost 500,000 fixed line subscribers during 2008, though it is hoping to halt the customer losses this year and finish 2009 with user numbers at their current level of around 17.5 million. more

Paltel estimates USD10 million worth of damages following conflict

Globes Online is reporting that Palestinian Telecommunication Company (Paltel) has estimated the cost of damages to its network as a result of the recent Israeli military operations at USD10 million. more

Oman Mobile launches 3.5G network

After mobilizing an extensive team, ranging from telecome engineers to marketing specialists, Oman MobileOman Mobile yesterday announced the launch of its state of the art 3.5G network. more

Turk Telekom confirms wireline investments

The CEO of Turk Telekom (TT) has confirmed that the company is sticking to its investment goals for fixed line services in 2009, with an expected spend of around TRY1.3 billion (USD799 million). more

-TCI sale delayed

The Iranian government has delayed the planned sale of a stake in the country’s monopoly fixed line operator Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI). more

-Tunisia to select new telecoms operators in June

The government of Tunisia plans to announce the winner of fixed line and mobile service licences in June 2009 in a bid to end the monopoly of state-controlled Tunisie Telecom (TT) and to attract foreign investment into the fast-growing domestic telecoms market, more

-Batelco picks 49 % stake in Indian new entrant, S-Tel for $ 225 mn

Bahrain Telecommunications, popularly known as Batelco announced entry into the lucrative Indian market by acquiring 49 percent stake in Indian mobile services new entrant S-Tel, a name probably which many within the industry may not even remember to be existing. more

- Maroc Telecom Buys out 51% of Malian Public Operator

APA-Bamako (Mali) ­Maroc Télécom has offered 250 million euros to take the lead of contesting companies for the buy out of 51% of the Malian public company (Sotelma) shares more

Vodafone Qatar plans commercial launch by year-end

Vodafone's mobile service will be made commercially available to customers in Qatar before the year-end, Gulf Times has reported. more

Lebanon awards mobile management contracts to Zain and Orascom

"Lebanon's Telecommunications Ministry has handed one year management contracts for the country's two mobile phone networks to Egypt's Orascom Telecom and Kuwait's Zain Group. more

Qtel buys stake in Liberty Telecom

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has acquired a 'substantial stake' in Liberty Telecom Holdings more

Batelco completes NGN

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has completed the migration of its legacy fixed line infrastructure to a next generation network (NGN), which will allow it offer triple-play broadband internet access, IP telephony and IPTV over a single line to residents and businesses nationwide. more

Nawras offers Gulf Cup mobile coverage

Nawras, member of Qtel Group, official telecommunications partner of the 19th Arabian Gulf Cup is providing its customers with live mobile TV coverage of games from Al Jazeera during the Gulf Cup. more

- Viva launches mobile broadband

Viva, Kuwait’s third mobile network operator, has announced the launch of mobile broadband services for its customers. more

 IT Insight is the first and only IT, Telecom and Media (ITTM) e-magazine covering Middle East, North Africa & Asia. Published online, it provides news, reports, articles, in-depth analysis, and interviews of industry leaders and commands a readership of ITT&M decision makers. Its MENA arm itinsigtme.info focuses specifically on the Arab/Gulf market.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) arm of IT INsight Magazine

 next page

- Telecoms World ME 2008

- IPTV World Forum MEA

- SAMENA: Convergence in Jordan

- Cards Middle East 2008

April 2008....

- Beyond Connectivity 2008 Dubai, UAE

March 2008....

- MEGNA, Dubai, UAE

Februrary 2008....

CAPACITY MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA 2008
25 & 26 February, Dubai, UAE

January 2008....

- WiMAX Workshop, Dubai, UAE

Did you know?

• Saudi Arabia ’s Internet users spent over US$ 3.28 billion in B2C e-commerce during 2007.

• 89.8% of Lebanon ’s GSM users report using SMS; amongst the young, SMS use increases to close to 96%.  

   

• 94.2% of households in Kuwait have Sat TV receivers.

   

• 370 Free to Air Sat TV channels in the Arab World by August 2007. The UAE leads the region by hosting 22.2% of all FTA Sat TV channels

• UAE Internet users spent over US$ 1.15 billion in B2C e-commerce over the past 12 months. (sept 2006 - 2007)

2009

Google takes to the high seas more

2008 November

Wolfram Alpha shows data in a way Google can't more

Gadgets: Top 10 objects of love more

Blu-ray uptake could be stalled by recession more

Recession Drives the Greening of the Electronics Industry more

Telecom Carriers Should Consider Partnering With Google more

A tale of two airlines and their Facebook fiascos more

Web 10.0 more

Hidden Websites more

Networking widens EMBA net more

What does Sun Microsystems Mean? more

Sony Chases Apple's Magic more

How IT can cut carbon emissions more

Bendable, ultra-thin fuel cells coming soon more

How Nike's Social Network Sells to Runners more

2008 Aug

Making Mobile Networks Cheap and Green more

2008 May

- Concept Mobile Touchscreen Tablet more

- Touch Screen Market to Reach $3.3 Billion by 2015 more 

- Over 550 Million GPS-Enabled Handsets Will Ship by 2012 more

2008 April

- Face Book: a key forum for innovation and experimentation More

- Google Applications: Threat to Microsoft More

- Going green: Sustainable growth strategies More

- Science 2.0 -- Is Open Access Science the Future? More

2007

- Microsoft: No more keyboards (video) more

- Touchlight 3D Technology (video) more

- Personalized IMS -- Anytime, Anywhere, Everything (video) more

Vendor World:

Cisco's Emerging-Markets Gambit more

Cisco refrains from job slashing but freezes new hiring, restructuring to take place more

Nortel Unified Communications more

2007

- Ericsson IMS more

- Ericsson: Fixed-Mobile Strategy (Romania country Manager) More

- IPTV Ericsson More

- Nokia Siemens Networks - new logo  more

- Nokia Siemens Networks more

- Avaya Unified Communications Demo more 

- Cisco Unified Communications (very interesting) more

- Microsoft Unified Communications more 

20