Reliance, Bharti, MTNL apply for telecom service licence in S Arabia

Mumbai, Mar 12 (UNI) The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) the telecommunications regulator in Saudi Arabia has received an overwhelming response from European, Asian and Gulf telecom service providers for its Request for Applications (RFA) to award a second fixed-line license and a third mobile license.

In response to the RFA published by CITC in October last year, CITC received ten applications for fixed-line services license on March 10.

Last month it received nine applications for mobile services license. MTNL India has applied for both mobile and fixed-line services license, while Bharti and Reliance has applied for the mobile services license.

Arthur D Little, which was appointed as an adviso by CITC for the liberalisation process last year, has been working closely with CITC for over a year to assist develop the regulatory framework, licensing policies and processes and related RFA's for the fixed-line and mobile services licenses.

The firm's other client assignments in the Middle East include developing business strategies for Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) - one of the world's leading manufacturers of chemicals, fertilizers, plastics and metals, several family owned conglomerates such as ASTRA, the El-Ajou Group, Dar Al Riyadh Group and funds including the Information&Communication Technology (ICT) Development Fund established by the United Arab Emirates Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (UAE-TRA).

Last month, it opened a regional office at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in Dubai.

The regulatory framework was updated to ensure that consumers benefit from the technological changes and a level playing field for the new licensee. The new licenses will encourage additional investment in the fixed local access infrastructure, catalyse the mobile market growth, and accommodate future trends in convergence.

The encouraging response to the licensing process is a testimony of the market potential. We are pleased to have a well entrenched position not only in Saudi Arabia but also across the Middle East.

UNI