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Syria to award third mobile licence
27 August 2010
Zain is expected to be one of the competitors for the third mobile licence in Syria, along with Turkcell and STC
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Syria
Zain
Turkcell
STC
mobile licence
Syriatel
MTN
The government of Syria has approved plans to allow a third mobile network operator in the country. It has been planning to issue a third licence since 2008.
The new licence will be introduced in a three-phase process comprising initial rehabilitation, investment and technical rehabilitation and the financial auction.
The main competitors for the new licence are expected to be Turkcell, Kuwait’s Zain and STC of Saudi Arabia. Zain had held discussions to buy Syriatel in 2009, but the talks were delayed for undisclosed reasons.
The two current operators in the country are Syriatel and MTN Syria, active since 2001. The companies currently operate services under Build-Operate-Transfer agreements. The contracts of the two operators will also be turned into licences after they pay their financial obligations to the public treasury. GTB