Omantel pulls out of Qatar licence race

Incumbent telco Oman Telecommunications (Omantel) has pulled out of the bidding for Qatar’s second mobile phone licence. It had teamed up with fellow incumbent Belgacom to lead the Quic Consortium, which was one of twelve shortlisted bidders for the licence, out of an original 17 applicants. ‘The company is unable to compete in the second phase for the second [mobile] licence in Qatar,’ state-owned Omantel said in a statement to the Oman bourse, but declined to give reasons for its withdrawal.