Qatar extends mobile bid deadline

Qatar’s Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) has extended by two weeks the deadline for the shortlisted firms and consortiums to bid for the country’s second mobile network operating licence, the regulator said yesterday. The deadline for bid submission is now 16 September rather than 2 September, it said in a statement, without giving a reason. Twelve candidates have been shortlisted for the wireless concession: Etisalat, Batelco, Jordan Telecom, MTC, Orascom Telecom, Quic Consortium (led by Omantel and Belgacom), Reliance Telecom, Ace Consortium (led by Bharti Airtel), Vodafone, AT&T, the Argos Consortium (led by Verizon) and Digicel.