4G licence winners in Jordan to be announced by the end of January

The Jordanian government expects to announce the winner of the country’s sole 4G licence by the end of the month, an official has told local media.

Two companies submitted bids for the 4G licence, and these have been studied by the regulator. The names of the bidders are not currently known, but the country’s three mobile networks all opposed the issuance of the licence as premature.

"We are in the final stages of studying two bids we received from two companies. The committee in charge of deciding on the best bid has been meeting for the past three months to choose the best offer," ICT minister Azzam Sleit told the Jordan Times.

The tender for the 4G licences was announced last June, with bids due by last October.

There are also concerns about the viability of a fourth mobile network in the country. Mobile phone penetration was expected to reach 140 per cent last year, and pass 200 per cent in the next few years, according to the Arab Advisers Group.