Cellcos to be fined for breaking licence terms

Iraq’s Ministry of Communications (MoC) is to fine the country’s three main cellcos – Zain, Asiacell and Korek Telecom – for failing to meet the network rollout conditions specified under the terms of their operating licences, reports MEED. ‘Asiacell is bad and Zain is very bad,’ said Hayam al-Yasiri, an adviser to the MoC. ‘Korek is breaching the licence because of the coverage and the service. Korek up to this moment does not cover many cities, although according to the licence they should cover them.’ Korek is believed to lack the funds to expand beyond the northern region of the country, sparking rumours that UAE-based Etisalat is in talks to acquire a stake in the company.