Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Said to Sell $102 Million of Bonds
BusinessWeek
Orascom Telecom Bangladesh, a unit of Egypt’s Orascom Telecom, sold the equivalent of $102 million in 13.5 percent bonds due 2014, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Orascom Loses $46.4 Million
Reuters South Africa
Egypt’s Orascom Telecom posted a fourth quarter net loss of $46.4 million, the company said Monday, citing rioting and hostility in Algeria, one of its main markets, for the sharp decline.
Regulator Says VoIP Restricted To “Local Firms” In UAE
Arab News
The telecoms regulator in the United Arab Emirates said that international companies will not be given licenses yet for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
Egypt’s Orascom Telecom Loses Algeria Tax Appeal
BusinessWeek
Egyptian mobile phone giant Orascom Telecom says Algerian authorities have rejected its initial appeal of a $597 million tax bill levied against its subsidiary in that North African nation. In a statement issued Sunday evening, Orascom, which operates Mobinil, Egypt’s largest mobile phone service provider by subscribers, said it paid the required 20 percent of the tax bill to appeal the rejection, which was filed in December.
India DoT Shuts Down Wireless Carrier For Reasons of “National Security”
Times of India
In the case of S Tel, the DoT letter does not assign any specific reasons for the abrupt decision, which will leave lakhs of consumers in a bind. Unless resolved quickly, this could spiral into a diplomatic row as S Tel’s partner in India is Bahrain’s national telecom operator Batelco.
Warning: Telecom, Internet Use Can Lead To Death
Monsters and Critics.com
The Hamas commander killed in Dubai last month probably made himself easier to track down because he telephoned his family about his travel plans and made those plans online, a senior member of the organization said Saturday.
Algerian Pressure May Cut Orascom Unit’s Value
Reuters South Africa
Egypt’s Orascom Telecom could secure $6-7 billion if it chooses to sell its Algerian unit Djezzy, but might have to accept much less if forced out by the government, analysts say.
Bahrain to Host Broadband Summit
TMCnet
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Bahrain with the support of Samena Telecommunications Council will host a summit aimed at facilitating a better understanding broadband access solutions.
Etisalat Increases Stake in Atlantic Telecom
TopNews Arab Emirates
UAE’s biggest phone company- Emirates Telecommunications Corp has announced to acquire 18 per cent stakes in Ivory Coast-based Atlantic Telecom for $75m. The latest move has led to the full control over the telecom firm by United Arab Emirates.
UAE Telecom Du Slashing Prices
Maktoob Business
UAE telecom provider du said on Wednesday it is launching a new pre-paid service for landline users that is likely to increase pressure on market leader Etisalat to bring down international call rates for its fixed-line subscribers.
Orascom To Add “Millions” of Customers in North Korea
TeleGeography
Egypt-based telecoms group Orascom Telecom has announced its North Korean subsidiary CHEO Technology, which operates under the Koryolink brand, has signed up 100,000 subscribers in its first year and expects to add millions more in the next five years.
Zain CEO Unexpectedly Resigns
Capital FM
The chief executive officer of Kuwait’s Zain telecom giant, Saad al-Barrak, has resigned, the company said in a statement posted on the Kuwait Stock Exchange website on Wednesday.
VoIP Soon Available In UAE
Hindu Business Line
Two telephone operators in UAE will soon offer the service that allows customers to make international calls over the Internet. Officials at Etisalat said that the network of respective company is ready to make the service available before July this year, local Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm has reported.
Next-Gen GSM Encryption Broken With Cheap Dell Laptop
Computerworld
An encryption algorithm designed to protect calls on GSM phones has been broken by three cryptographers using only a dual-core, Intel-based Dell Latitude PC running Linux.
Israel Establishes Comms Center In Haiti
Israel Defense Forces
Israeli Defense Forces quickly establish area’s lone telecom comms center in Haiti, providing the only Internet and hard-wire phone connections to media and local population struck by earthquake.
