Etisalat mulls options for entering Iraqi mobile market

UAE-based telecoms operator Etisalat will make a decision on how to enter the Iraqi market this month as it continues to look for expansion opportunities abroad, Reuters reports citing a company executive. According to Jamal Jarwan, head of Etisalat’s international operations, the company is considering whether to bid for a licence in the country or instead buy a stake in Kurdish operator Korek Telecom. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, Etisalat first expressed an interest in securing a 51% stake in Korek Telecom in October 2008, in a deal worth up to USD1 billion. Alternatively Etisalat may bid for Iraq’s fourth mobile concession after the government announced plans in July 2009 to launch a new licence auction.