Africa & Middle East Telecom weekly news

26th of July to 2nd of August 2007

AFRICA:
Atlantique Telecom partners with Thuraya to extend GSM coverage
PT to merge its African subsidiaries into one holding company 

BOTSWANA:
Mascom introduces mobile Internet service 

EGYPT:
Egypt’s mobile phone company Orascom interested in French UMTS license 

GHANA:
Government in talks with Celtel to sell its stake in Westel
GT introduces Broadband4U service in Sekondi-Takoradi
T-DMB TV service launched in Ghana 

IRAN:
YES allowed to enter VoD market 

ISRAEL:
Xfone intends to enter Israel’s VoB inland telephony market 

JORDAN:
Jordan Telecom releases 1H ’07 results 

KENYA:
JTL to deploy USD 5 million Metro Fibre Network
KPLC might get an entry into the Kenyan telecom market 

KUWAIT:
MTC speculated to sell 10 percent stake to Saudi investor 

MOROCCO:
Maroc Telecom’s acquisition of Gabon Telecom stayed 

QATAR:
Qatar Telecom to deploy MSCG with Huawei Technologies
Qtel introduces new mobile email service 

RWANDA:
Government to buy back Rwandatel’s shares from Terracom Communications 

SAUDI ARABIA:
Batelco consortium plans to invest USD 500 million in Saudi Arabia by 2012 

SOUTH AFRICA:
Competition Commission confirms MTN overcharging Cell C
Telkom extends service contract with Amdocs
Telkom subscribers to benefit from reduced prices 

TANZANIA:
Zantel gear up for network expansion 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:
du gives tough competition to Etisalat
du released 1H and 2Q ’07 results
Etisalat adds fixed-line customers to Favourite Country Plan
Etisalat to roll out international money transfer through mobile
UAE witnesses first landline service by du 

ZIMBABWE:
Econet halts subscriber additions; waits for tariff review