Bahrain watchdog says regulation partly to blame for “dysfunctional” OTT...
Bahrain's operators are being hampered from competing with OTT rivals, partly because they are limited by regulation, according to a report from the country's Telecommunications Regulatory AuthorityIn...
View ArticleZain CEO says 3G/4G investment is paying off
Zain, the Kuwaiti-headquartered firm with mobile operations in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, posted steady Q1 growth in sales and an 8 per cent jump in net income on the back of...
View ArticleZain announces $1.2B infrastructure contract awards
Zain Saudi Arabia announced the award of infrastructure deals worth $1.2 billion, as it looks to modernise its network in the face of growing data traffic.Huawei, Nokia, NEC, Cisco Systems and...
View ArticleMobily inks $200M loan for AlcaLu kit
Saudi operator Mobily signed a $200 million agreement with Export Development Canada, to fund the purchase of equipment from Alcatel-Lucent to “upgrade/enhance” its network.While the details of the...
View ArticleZain looks to M2M, enterprise in bid to avoid “dumb pipe” status
LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 MIDDLE EAST: Scott Gegenheimer, CEO of Zain, said the operator group is planning to diversify into the enterprise and M2M markets, as it prepares to make Jordan the fifth...
View ArticleCurrency issues hit Zain’s Q3 numbers
MEA operator group Zain announced a drop in third-quarter profit, as currency issues took their toll on the bottom line.The company reported a profit for the period of KWD46 million ($163 million), a...
View ArticleGSMA launches code of conduct for mobile money providers
LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 AFRICA: A new code of conduct [1] for mobile money providers from the GSMA has the backing of eleven operators.The operators - the first to support the initiative - are...
View ArticleMobily, Zain in $587M Saudi standoff
Saudi operator Mobily requested a referral to arbitration after falling out with domestic rival Zain over what it claims is an unpaid bill.The two signed an agreement back in May 2008 to cooperate...
View ArticleKuwaiti operator Zain’s decision to sell towers in “early stages”
Following news that Kuwait’s largest operator Zain is considering selling its transmitter towers in several markets where it operates, the company has said the reports are "inaccurate and misleading"...
View ArticleZain CEO doesn’t expect consolidation frenzy; strikes digital deals
Middle East and Africa operator group Zain believes the region is unlikely to experience a European-style round of consolidation and the company is instead focused on ramping up efforts to become a...
View ArticleZain talks up new digital focus; admits more work needed on monetisation
LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 MIDDLE EAST: Zain Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer said the Middle East-based operator is making some “big bets” in areas such as smart cities – but admitted that the monetisation...
View ArticleZain reports Q3 profit drop
Zain Group, which operates in eight countries across the Middle East and Africa, felt the force of political instability, fluctuating currencies and further amortisation of 3G and 4G licences in its...
View ArticleLebanon rejects mobile tender result
The Lebanese government rejected the result of a tender intended to find companies to manage the country's state-owned operators, citing unfair competition, the Daily Star reported.The prime minister’s...
View ArticleData is silver lining as Zain faces rough markets
Volatile factors were at play across the footprint of Kuwait-based Zain Group, although it pronounced itself “content” with its Q1 2016 performance.Continued social unrest, increased competition and a...
View ArticleEtisalat chief reflects on “positive change”
Etisalat CEO Saleh Al Abdooli said the company's restructuring, which was announced earlier this year, was finalised during the second quarter of 2016.The aim of the process was “to help the delivery...
View ArticleZain sees profit grow despite challenges in Iraq
Operator group Zain said its results were impacted by continued instability and tax issues in Iraq, with “intense price competition” also affecting key operations.Asaad Al Banwan, chairman, said: “It...
View ArticleZain bemoans circumstances as Q4 profit drops
Zain Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer (pictured) put a challenging Q4 down to “exceptional circumstances”, while maintaining confidence in its long term strategy around data monetisation and enterprise. The...
View ArticleZain backs Facebook project TIP to bridge digital divide
Zain said it will leverage its "experience in network deployments across challenging territories” to support Facebook’s Telecom Infra Project (TIP), after the Kuwaiti operator became a new member last...
View ArticleZain, Liberty Global throw weight behind Iflix
Middle Eastern operator Zain and media giant Liberty Global invested in Iflix, a Malaysian video streaming provider which is rivaling Netflix in emerging markets. Kuwait-based Zain and Liberty Global...
View ArticleZain launches Iflix in 5 markets
Middle East operator Zain Group launched Iflix, a Malaysian video streaming provider which is rivaling Netflix in emerging markets, in five countries as part of a joint venture. In March, Kuwait-based...
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