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Sudan Telecom News
i2 connects in Sudan in
partnership with Nokia (From ameinfo.com, October 25, 2006)
- i2, the largest and most
diverse mobile provider in Africa and the Middle East held a press briefing
today to announce the launch of its operations in Sudan.
i2 introduces its retail concept
and after sales services for the first time in the country.
i2 is the first authorized Nokia
distributor and service center in the country as well as being the first to
offer mobile subscribers original Nokia devices with matching accessories
and a one-year warranty. In Sudan,
i2 will be available through its showroom, distribution network and service
center. i2's operation in Sudan
will be managed by Mohamed Osman El Tayyeb, Chairman, and Hussein Raouf
Atwi, General Manager.
'Africa
is an important market for i2. It is our goal to make sure that Africa's growing market is provided with the best
products and services available. Therefore we are planning to continue
making substantial investments into Sudan and other countries
across the continent' stated Bashar AlKadhi, VP Africa - i2 Group.
i2 plans to expand its operation
throughout Sudan
within the year to include Bahri, Im Dourman and Kalaka. i2 has opened a branch
in the state of Adbara and plans to expand to Madani and Port
Sudan.
Nokia has long recognized Africa as an important market for the company's
business. Since early 1990, Nokia has provided mobile phones, enhancement, telecoms
networks and related infrastructure and services to operators and customers
throughout Africa.
'Nokia's approach is to develop
and support all local distributors and service partners in all countries. Nokia
has been working closely with our regional distributor, i2 across most
countries in the Middle East and Africa
for many years now. As one of Nokia's authorized distributor, i2 has been
distributing Nokia's handsets and services through their retail channels to
customers in the area and we welcome this initiative today to come and set
up in Sudan
as well. i2 will be able to offer Nokia's
customers authentic Nokia handsets and official Nokia Customer Care
Services to ensure that customers in Sudan receive the best possible
Nokia experience." Said Jarmo
Santala, General Manager for Nokia Customer and
Market Operations North West Africa.
The cost effectiveness of GSM-based
services in comparison to fixed-lines has encouraged the fast growth of
mobile services in Africa. Nevertheless, mobile
penetration levels in Africa remain low.
'i2 has
a big role to play in the development of the mobile market in Africa. We want to make sure that it's
growing market follows international standards of product quality and
service' stated Abdul Hameed Al Sunaid, President and CEO, i2.
Etisalat leads
consortium to win Sudan
license (From menareport.com, November 21, 2004)
- Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has announced that it has led the consortium
that got the license to operate Sudan’s second nationwide
fixed line phone service. Etisalat-led Kanartel made the approved bid at euros 45 million.
The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC), Sudan’s regulatory
authority, confirmed midweek that the Corporation-led Kanartel
was selected over the two rival consortiums left in the competition and
would begin operations within a year.
The 40 per cent Etisalat-owned consortium got the
license in the face of stiff competition from second round opponents
Egyptian Telecom and Tamara, a grouping of Korean companies. The other
interested operator consortiums dropped out after the first round of the
tender and were not invited for negotiations.
This license is a further significant achievement for an Etisalat-led consortium in a matter of months,
following the Corporation’s involvement in the recent success in
landing the massive $3.457 billion second GSM license in Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad H. Omran, Etisalat’s
President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The second fixed line
license in Sudan is a huge success for our efforts to roll out our premium
services and cutting-edge technology across the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region. We have become a truly regional player and this
latest market of operation can only strengthen our position as the leading
communications operator in the region.
“Etisalat is focused on achieving its
expansion goals to become the driving force for change in the
region’s communications sector. We believe that our customer-focused
business strategy will ensure that we achieve our objectives.”
Etisalat will manage, operate and maintain the Kanartel network. The agreement is similarly structured
to the deal put together by Etisalat Etitihad, the consortium that won the Saudi second GSM
license and Kanartel will see work created for
2,000 employees within a five-year plan.
Mr. Omran added: “The Sudan
market has its own needs and requirements and our aim is to satisfy
these.”
“We believe the people of Sudan will welcome the element
of choice and the contribution of Kanartel not
only to communications in the country but also to the economy and to the
employment opportunities available. We fully intend to deploy the full
range of our advanced technologies to provide a range of services that is
of the highest standard.”
Amlak Finance
contributes $3 million to Sudatel syndication (From
menareport.com, April
21, 2004)
- Amlak Finance is
amongst a select group of financial institutions to help finance investment
projects for Sudan Telecommunications Company (Sudatel).
The company's participation in the syndicated finance facility worth $40
million represents its first venture out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Amlak's three million dollar contribution to the
overall facility occurs alongside five other financial institutions
including lead arranger, Arab Investment Company and participants National
Bank of Kuwait (NBK), Investment Bank of Khartoum, African Export-Import
Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank.
The two-year facility will be used toward the financing of Sudatel investment projects. Sudatel
has recently adapted digital and satellite networks, as well as fiber opticals to link Sudan's remote areas.
Particular emphasis has been placed on developing telecommunications in Sudan's
war-torn south.
UAE national buys 4pc of
Sudatel's scrips divested by UK firm (From Khaleej Times, February 5, 2004)
ABU
DHABI - UAE national businessman, Talal
Al Khouri, created shock waves in the Khartoum stock market
over the weekend following the deal he made to buy four per cent of the
total Sudatel's (Sudan Telecommunication) scrips disinvested by a British company last week.
Brokers and officials at the Khartoum
stock market are expecting that the Sudatel scrip
prices would quadruple as a British company sold its four per cent equity
(Dh52 million) in the company to a UAE national investor.
"The market's brokers and official were kept busy to finalize the deal
which is considered to be one of the biggest in the bourses operating in
the region," said Zain Al Abdeen, Director-General, Khartoum
Bourse.
The market was not prepared for such large deal, which was not expected to
be, completed that smooth.
"We were aware that the British company which owns a round four per
cent of the Sudatel total equity intend to
disinvest its shares for a strategic buyer who would buy the total share at
a go, but we were skeptical about the intention as the company was making
handsome revenues over the last few year," added Abdeen.
"The British company was a strategic partner with Sudatel
right from day one and they have invested heavily knowing that the company
is growing bigger and making huge profits of more than 37 per cent over the
share."
He pointed out that, many of the Sudanese local buyers would have been
interested to earn the deal, but we are still pleased that a UAE investor
has joined the company with an intention to help it grow and also make a
reasonable profit.
Khartoum-based Al Ruwad Securities, owned by the
former Sudanese Minister of Finance and Economy, Dr Abdul Raheem Hamdi completed the
deal following marathon negotiations.
Sudatel, Thuraya
form joint venture (From Khaleej Times, January 16, 2004)
DUBAI - Thuraya, the
UAE-based Satellite Telecommunications Company and Sudatel, Sudan's national
telecommunications company yesterday announced the formation Thuraya-Sudatel, a new joint venture telecommunications
service company in Sudan.
The new company, a satellite telecom service provider will be responsible
for the sales and establishing of Thuraya's
satellite mobile phones and fixed line public telephone utilities across Sudan.
The new entity will have an initial capital of $2.5 million. While Thuraya will hold 80 per cent of the capital, the
remaining 20 per cent will be held by Sudatel. As
part of the joint venture agreement signed yesterday at the Dubai Press
Club, the new company will be responsible for all sales, distribution,
marketing and customer support activities for Thuraya
services in Sudan.
As a telecom service provider, Thuraya's joint
venture has the potential to offer its services in other countries.
"If there are right opportunities, we will surely explore,"
Mohammad Omran, chairman of Thuraya
said.
In Sudan
the company intends to market its fixed line satellite pay phones at 25 per
cent discount. And in the future, the company has plans to further reduce
its charges. By the end of 2003, Thuraya had
achieved a customer base of more than 185,000 direct customers and a fairly
large number of GSM based indirect customers. While the company has already
announced its intention to launch its third satellite, it will re-position
its first satellite to provide full coverage to Asia.
The new JV company will extend Thuraya
services throughout Sudan,
providing, mobile, fixed and rural satellite telephony. "In addition
to distributing our mobile services, we intend to provide satellite based
land phone services telecommunication access to remote areas. This is a
significant decision for Thuraya in recognition
of Sudan
as a priority market."
With the peace initiative gaining momentum in Sudan, the Sudanese economy is
expected gain pace in the near future resulting in increased demand for
telecommunication services across the country.
In the first year of operation, Thuraya-Sudatel
expects to sell more than 1000 satellite phones in Sudan,
while it targets close to 40,000 phones in five years.
Abdul Aziz Osman, Sudatel's general manager said: "We have had a
positive experience working with Thuraya to date
and are pleased to be further strengthening our partnership with them. This
new company has the right components to ensure its success in helping to
build the telecommunications infrastructure in Sudan."
Sudatel’s expansion plan supported by
$7.6 million lease agreement (From menareport.com, August 27, 2003)
- A private sector lease agreement for
$7.6 million was recently signed today between the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development and
the Sudan Telecommunications Company (Sudatel),
one of the leading private sector companies in the country.
Sudatel provides fixed-line services throughout
the Sudan
and has recently launched a major capital expansion program involving the
installation of some 5,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable, the transition
from analogue to digital services, and the introduction of digital
satellite networks. Proceeds from the lease will assist Sudatel
with the procurement of digital telecommunications equipment in order to
support their capital expansion program. Ensuring access to national and
international communications networks is expected to contribute
significantly to overall economic growth.
This agreement represents the OPEC Fund’s third private sector
operation in the Sudan.
Assistance totaling $140 million has also been approved to the public
sector in the form of balance of payments support,
commodity imports programs and project loans in the energy, transportation
and agriculture sectors.
The country has also benefited from Fund grants directed at a diverse range
of projects and programs, from the construction of primary schools and
rural water supply and sanitation schemes, to health care improvement,
research studies and emergency assistance.
In addition, the Fund has helped the Sudan cover its subscription to
the Common Fund for Commodities, the Amsterdam-based international
organization aimed at achieving stable conditions in commodity trade. In
November 2000, an agreement for the encouragement and protection of
investment was entered into between the Fund and the Government of the Sudan.
Sudan declares a bid for a new mobile
network (July 17, 2002)
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Sudan
launched a tender Tuesday for a second mobile network to operate in the
African country alongside the Sudanese Telecommunications Company.
In a Tuesday press conference, Sudan's
Information and Communications Minister Maghdi Ibrahim said operations for the new network will begin
in early 2003.
Sudan's first mobile phone operator, Sudatel, began in 1999 and has established a mobile
phone network that reaches 17 major cities in Sudan, including the capital
Khartoum, serving 130,000 subscribers.
Sudatel's general
manager, Abdel Aziz
Othman, welcomed the latest tender, telling reporters that this would
increase mobile phone subscriber numbers.
Sudatel was privatized in 1993, but the
government still holds the majority stake.
Sudanese telecom firm listed on BSE (from Gulf Daily News, November 7, 2000)
MANAMA - A Sudanese
company was listed yesterday on the Bahrain Stock Exchange (BSE).
Sudan
Telecom Company (Sudatel) is the first non-GCC
company to be listed on the BSE, bringing the total number of listed
companies to 42.
An
agreement was signed yesterday between Sudatel
and the BSE, followed by the listing. This was followed by the signing of
an agreement between Sudatel and KPMG Fakhro, which will represent Sudatel
at the BSE, and another agreement with the Securities and Investment
Company (SICO), which has been appointed market-maker for the Sudanese
firm.
We are
now focusing on marketing, to attract quality companies to list on the BSE,
said Shaikh Ahmed.
The
BSE currently boasts two Kuwait
and two Omani companies, in addition to Sudatel.
Sudatel is the first Sudanese company to be
listed on a stock market outside Sudan, said Mr
Zeinelabdeen.
The
company, which is also listed on the Khartoum Stock Exchange, currently has
an authorised capital of $250 million and a paid
up capital of $211m.
A
total of 21.1m shares, with a book value of $10 per share, have been listed
on the BSE.
The firms shareholder base currently includes Etisalat (Dubai Telecom), Qatar Telecommunications
Company (QTel), and some individual investors
from the GCC.
"We
are planning to double our authorised capital and
this should happen during the first quarter of next year," said Mr Zeinelabdeen.
The
expansion of Sudatel is part of an overall reform
and liberalisation of the Sudanese economy, he
said. The development of the telecommunications sector is a priority for
the Sudanese government, he added.
By the
end of this year, the firm will have 450,000 telephone subscribers in Sudan.
"The
listing on Bahrain’s
Stock Exchange will help the company tap existing investor interest from
the region and also help widen the shareholder base," said Mr Zeinelabdeen.
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