Zain Group and Orascom have each seen their Lebanese mobile operator management contracts extended until 1 February 2011, the companies announced separately.
The Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunication has signed agreements with each, extending their…
Zain Group and Orascom have each seen their Lebanese mobile operator management contracts extended until 1 February 2011, the companies announced separately.
The Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunication has signed agreements with each, extending their contracts for another year.
Zain, which manages MTC Touch, entered the market in 2004.
The operator said it is currently upgrading the network to high-speed 3G HSPA+, in order to support the rising demand for data.
MTC Touch boasts 1.5 million customers, or 52% of the market, Zain said.
Orascom, for its part, manages the country’s other mobile operator, Alfa.
It said that the terms of the new contract remain the same, meaning that it will receive a US$2.5m per month plus 8.5% of total revenue. Orascom, for its part, must cover all network Opex and may keep the remainder as a management fee. The Lebanese state is responsible for Capex.
Orascom, which entered Lebanon in 2002 as part of a BOT contract, said it intended to deploy 3G services and expand Alfa’s network coverage to new areas.
