Iraqi officials have restarted the process to sell a fourth mobile licence, four years after postponing the last process. In that time, two of the three existing operators have listed a 25% stake on the local market, and the country has plunged into further political uncertainty.
Iraqi regulator the Communication and Media Commission (CMC) has invited parties to register their interest in a 15-year licence, four years after postponing another tender.
Existing mobile operators Zain Iraq, Asiacell, which is 30% owned by Ooredoo, and Korek, which is 20% indirectly owned by Orange, would be required to share infrastructure with the new entrant.
The deadline for submitting an expression of interest is 20 November.
Spectrum to be sold comprises 2×7.5MHz in the 900MHz frequency band, 2×22.5MHz in the 1800MHz range, 2×10MHz at 1900MHz/2100MHz and 20MHz in the 2600MHz band.
The country had initially hoped to sell a fourth licence in 2010, with Verizon, MTN, Turkcell, Etisalat, Orange and Vodafone all expressing interest. Under the terms of that tender, the resulting company would have been owned by the winning operator (40%), the public (35%) and the communications ministry (25%).
The process, which the government had hoped would raise up to US$2bn, was then postponed due to a lack of ministerial approval.
The market is led by Zain Iraq, followed by Asiacell and Korek, which is mainly present in the northern Kurdish region. All three rolled out 3G at the start of the year. Having paid US$1.25bn for their 2G licences in 2007, the operators were each required to list a 25% stake on the Baghdad market by 2011. Asiacell listed in 2013, Zain Iraq in Jun 2015 and Korek, which has yet to do so, is being fined on a daily basis.