By Matt Smith and Raheem Salman DUBAI/BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq plans to auction third-generation (3G) telecommunications licenses for a minimum of $307 million each, sources familiar with the matter said, a move that could allow new entrants into the sector but slow the rollout of mobile Internet services. The country did not have a mobile phone industry under Saddam Hussein but the sector expanded rapidly after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion which toppled the dictator. Yet revenue growth has stagnated in recent years, largely because the government delayed permission for the three national operators – Zain Iraq, a unit of Kuwaits Zain, Ooredoo subsidiary Asiacell and Orange affiliate Korek – to launch 3G services. The hold-up has persisted for several years, but last week the Council of Ministers agreed in principle to auction 3G licenses for a minimum price of $307 million, Ahmed Alomary, a former commissioner at the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), told Reuters.
Iraq to auction 3G licenses for at least $307 million each: sources
06
Feb
2014
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