Qatar Telecom

Qatar telco says deal in place by year-end, more customer service centres in 2010.

Qtel has made a steady stream of acquisitions across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia over the last few years, but now the focus is on consolidation, CEO Dr Nasser Marafih tells George Bevir.

Qatar telecom giant eyes stake in north African company, monitoring sale.

Bonus international calls, SMS for firm’s Hala pay-as-you go customers.

Rates apply to picture and video messaging; 700 global and local mobile operators participating.

With the arrival of Vodafone, the last telecom monopoly in the Gulf has opened its doors to competition. The CEOs of both of Qatar's operators told CommsMEA about their plans for developing the sector.

Qatar telecom operator makes new commitment to improve customer service.

Firms aim to support Qatar's small to medium sized enterprises amid global crisis.

Popularity of Hala and Shahry services are the reason for the boost in subscribers, firm says.

Qtel backed company announces launch of WiMAX internet service in Pakistan

Mobile operator launches new service, reduces fees for customers using phone overseas.

First meeting held on ambitious Government Network platform to connect authorities in Qatar

Towards the end of last month, the population of Baghdad woke to find all the city’s billboards proclaiming the launch of a DVB-H mobile TV service.

UPDATE 1: Telco gets investors' thumbs up with significant demand reported from Europe.

A source close to the operator revealed that the funds would be partially used to settle a $600 million credit facility

UPDATE 3: Share swap deal sees 1.5m subscribers added to customer base.

Telecom giant sends out warning after customers are targeted by fraud calls, SMS.

Gulf telcos report limited growth in the first quarter of 2009 after declines experienced in Q408

Lack of planning and vendor change caused delay, according to statement from Qtel

Qatari telco claims new service will enable local companies to save on communications costs.

Qtel says improvements will result in better speed, reliability and penetration of service.

Customers of both telecoms companies can now contact each other after interconnection is switched on.

IPO set to break monopoly of state-controlled Qatar Telecommunications.

Qatari incumbent reports record full year results for 2008 despite slowdown in fourth quarter.

UPDATE 1: Facility agreed giving Qatar Telecom additional scope to become top 20 global player by 2020.

Qtel says Qatar users up to 1.8m as Vodafone turns on its network for first time.

The commercial launch of the network will take place in the summer, says CEO.

Doha-based mobile telco operator seeks extension to $2bn loan, according to sources.

Wataniya boss says discussions taking place regarding overhaul of group identity

Qatar firm stops access to www.tagged.com because of inappropriate content.

Qtel says decision follows review of firm's commitments following expansion.

Allows mainstream users to enjoy the wireless benefits of the smartphone sensation

Telecom company is looking to increase shares in Indosat to 65%, tender Jan. 20.

Report shows eastwards routing of data traffic helped prevent major disruption after cable damage

Shahry monthly service allows customers to make free unlimited calls to one preferred number

Qatar telecoms chief reveals new deals and services in 2009 as mobile sector hots up.

Pressure mounts on rival Vodafone Qatar to meet expectations and fuel competition further

Internet subscribers in Qatar targeted by phishing scam

Qatar's mobile phone giant holds talks with president to discuss broadband deals.

Qtel launches campaign to increase uptake of its consumer barQ ADSL service

Qtel praised for its effort to keep prices up to 23% lower than other countries in region.

Nawras mobile operator has won tender to end Omantel's monopoly - company source.

Qtel's CEO on the transition from being an incumbent operator in just one country to a global heavyweight.

New 128K SIM card offers direct access to the latest news, important numbers and other selected services

Deal will see Qtel host all of Qatar Airways IT infrastructure

Quarterly net profit up 58% to $179mn as customer base grows four-fold on overseas acquisitions.

Telecom company reveals record Q2 net profits, aims for bigger slice of market.

Mobinil, Qatar Telecom highest downside; Telecom Egypt, MTN remain top picks.

90% cut in rates aims to make mobile internet more appealing to subscribers in Qatar

Consortium including UK telecoms group awarded licence, ending Qtel's monopoly in the Gulf state.

UPDATE 2: State-controlled telecom sees Q2 earnings increase to $179.9mn, above forecasts by analysts.

Telecom operator studying possible expansion into new markets, it tells Doha bourse.

Guidelines address increasing number of unsolicited text and phone messages in Qatar.

Comments follow president's criticism of foreigners' 'poor management'.

Wataniya claims "one of the most significant foreign investments" in Palestinian history.

Parent firm Qtel decides to list Kuwaiti telecom in Qatar after winning approval last week, report says.

Middle East telecom operators are eyeing opportunities in the world's second most populated country.

Results "reflect success of strategy", says chairman.

Communications holding company, AT&T recently announced that a subsidiary, in association with Qtel and NavLink, signed a memorandum of understanding with Energy City Qatar (ECQ) to jointly develop and deliver data communications services and solutions to the ‘first-of-its kind' business centre in the Middle East.

Nawras to invest $260mn this year, looking to sell 40% stake, CEO says.

Mozaic SMS Chat service handles over 11 million user messages in first week after launch

Services in Qatar seriously disrupted by damage to cable linking Gulf state to UAE.

With Qatar's second mobile operator soon to be announced, Dr Naser Marafih, CEO of the country's incumbent operator, Qtel, discusses the challenge of competition and opportunities in new markets.

Britain's Vodafone beats rivals including Etisalat and Zain to win Qatar's second mobile phone licence.

Low market penetration and a lack of competition indicate significant potential, according to Qtel CEO.

Loan expected to help Qtel expand its operations in Kuwait

Rising client demand for improved levels of service and cutting-edge technology offerings is leading many telecoms operators to outsource network management responsibilities to third parties in a bid to drive efficiencies. CommsMEA analyses the trend.

The decision of ictQATAR to at last liberalise the telecoms market has attracted the interest of prominent network operators. US telco AT&T is one of the more notable suitors to make the regulator's final list of 12 applicants.

At the beginning of this month CommsMEA hosted its second annual awards night, which was aimed at acknowledging the significant progress that continues to be made in the telecoms space across the Middle East and Africa.

CEO of Qtel affiliate says mobile telco taken 40% of market in 30 months of operations.

The Qatari operator is to try and cut the cost of its acquisition of Kuwaiti telco Wataniya in March.

Qtel says Asiacell has bought all the Iraqi assets of a company being shut down by a Cayman Islands court.

Five companies are to bid for three new mobile network licences in an auction this Thursday.

A Qtel-led consortium plans to submit a bid in the upcoming Iraqi mobile licence auction.

Qtel and affiliates will submit a bid for an auction set to take place in the middle of this month.

Telecom regulator says licence winner will be required to sell 40% of shares in an IPO.

Telecom authority is to grant a second mobile and fixed-phone licence.

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has deployed HP's Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) services.

Barclays Capital and Royal Bank of Scotland are set to finance the Qatari telco's expansion plans.

Earnings growth remains strong despite high market valuations.

Impressive first-quarter figures reveal that users in Oman have more than doubled.

Qatar's launch of a second operator will end the region's last-remaining mobile phone monopoly.

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has signed a managed services deal with Siemens that will see the vendor operate the telco's UMTS mobile network.

Qatar is the first country in the Middle East to have successfully deployed mobile TV. The results were evident at the Doha Asian Games, when 1500 visitors were able to watch programmes on DVB-H phones. Digital Studio reports.

Qatar’s telco regulator has taken the first steps in liberalising the Gulf state’s telecommunications sector.

Qtel boss Nasser Marafih reckons the company will hit the top-20 global telecoms list by 2020.

Traders feeling that Qtel overpaid for Wataniya have been punishing the operator for four days.

Qtel's announcement comes after the UAE's Etisalat dropped out of the race.

The start of a new year has not diminished the ambitions of the region's mobile operators

Qatar Telecom has forged a strategic alliance with Singapore Technologies Telemedia (ST Telemedia).

Qatar’s Supreme Council of Information and Communications Technology is, at the time of writing, in the process of finalising its procedure for issuing licenses to new service providers in the telecommunications sector

Qatar Telecom has teamed up with Malaysian company Maxis to launch a 3G roaming service.

Qatar is the last remaining country in the GCC not to have been liberalised

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Qatar telco set to make a series of investment announcements

Seiat Systems to deploy Foundry-based infrastructure