Vodafone signs deal for iPhone in Qatar

Telecom operator Vodafone Qatar said on Monday it had reached agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to the Gulf state.

The country's second mobile operator did not reveal any details regarding pricing or a date for launching the popular phone other than saying it would happen "in the coming months".

Vodafone Qatar 's agreement is the first authorised partner with Apple for the iPhone in Qatar, the company added.

It is not known whether rival Qtel will strike a similar deal - in the UAE, both Etisalat and Du launched the new generation iPhone 3GS last month.

Last week, Vodafone Qatar said it was aiming to launch its fixed line service in late 2010, following a successful launch of mobile services which has seen more than 250,000 customers sign up since July.

The company, which is going head-to-head with established telco Qtel , said that 100,000 customers signed up in September alone.

Separately, Vodafone Qatar said its half-year operating loss widened to 347.5 million riyals ($95.52 million) on increased operational start-up costs.