Thuraya to up Asian and African presence

Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company has confirmed that it will launch rural telephony projects in a number of Asian and African countries this year. The company claims it has had a positive response to its public call offices (PCOs) in countries including Iraq and Afghanistan, and is planning to tender for licences in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Nigeria. The company claims to have installed 1,200 PCOs thus far, with a further 10,000-15,000 expected to be sold this year.