Iraq’s cabinet has approved a plan to auction a fourth nationwide mobile phone licence for the country.
In a statement on 24 May, the Iraqi Ministry of Communications said it would auction a 65% stake in a new mobile operator. The Iraqi government will…
Iraq’s cabinet has approved a plan to auction a fourth nationwide mobile phone licence for the country.
In a statement on 24 May, the Iraqi Ministry of Communications said it would auction a 65% stake in a new mobile operator. The Iraqi government will retain the remaining 35% stake.
The statement failed to say whether the ministry had brokered a deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government to allow the new operator to gain access to the Kurdish-controlled northern provinces of the country.
Iraq’s three incumbent mobile operators each won nationwide 15-year, 2G licences in August 2007 with bids of US$1.25bn each. Kuwait’s Zain and Qtel-owned Asiacell paid their licences on time, but Korek Telecom, which is owned by a group of Kurdish businessmen, repeatedly failed to pay for its licence.
Korek has held talks with the UAE’s Etisalat about a possible cash injection since February 2008. The talks have yet to result in a deal.
