Iraq offers new mobile licences

Iraq will be offering four new mobile licences when the existing three expire. Orascom Telecom Iraq (Iraqna), which has 2.5 million subscribers in central Iraq, intends to bid when its own licence runs out on 30 September. The new contracts are to run for at least ten years. The trio of existing operators – MTC Atheer, AsiaCell and Iraqna – were issued six month interim licences after the original licences expired at the end of 2005. However, by June 2006 the government was still not ready to award full licences, and the interim concessions were extended to the end of September.