Omani operator Nawras announced the launch of its fixed services for business customers. With a wide portfolio of broadband Internet, voice and data products, Nawras’ new fixed services are suitable for businesses of any size, and offer the first alternative to Omantel’s fixed-line services.

“Over the last five years Nawras has built a solid reputation for offering mobile services of excellent quality and reliability,” said Nawras CEO Ross Cormack. “We are excited to be adding to this rewarding experience through the launch of our new fixed services.”

Nawras is introducing the first non-geographical numbering to enable a business to keep the same fixed Nawras numbers even after relocating, while the use of SIP Trunks is another Nawras innovation that gives customers access to significantly more voice channels than currently being offered through legacy systems. In addition, Nawras Leased Line gives customers the chance to access Nawras connectivity without replacing their current equipment.

Spanning most of the country, three fibre-optic cable rings make up the backbone network for the new fixed services. Major corporations will be served with their own fibre connection, offering a secure communication provision with excellent quality. WiMAX base stations will further connect the sultanate, delivering a same-day, Plug ‘n’ Play wireless Internet link to almost all other small and medium size businesses.

Mobile virtual network operator Virgin Mobile has launched a service in Qatar, and is Qatar’s first youth-focused mobile offering, delivered by Virgin Mobile in a brand partnership with Qtel.

As part of a range of new products launched this week, Virgin Mobile Qatar will offer a prepaid mobile service that combines the coverage and call quality benefits of Qtel’s mobile network with the unique brand experience delivered by Virgin Group.

Virgin’s Richard Branson and Qtel’s Nasser Marafih at the launch ceremony of Virgin Mobile Qatar

“Virgin Mobile is the fastest-growing and most successful business in Virgin’s history, with more than fifteen million customers around the world. Virgin Mobile Qatar is an entirely new type of mobile experience, which everybody can start enjoying from today,” said Richard Branson, chairman and founder of Virgin Group. “I am proud to have partnered with Qtel to make Virgin Mobile Qatar our first mobile launch in the Middle East, and I would like to invite the people of Qatar to come on in and enjoy the fun. We’re open.”

Virgin Mobile Qatar will offer a simple all-day tariff, and also provide 180-day airtime – the longest-lasting mobile airtime validity in the country.

Virgin Mobile Qatar promises to provide a value-oriented, flexible service. Local calls will cost QR 0.55 (US$0.15) per minute for the first five minutes each day, and QR 0.30 per minute after that. Mobile Internet will cost just QR1 per megabyte.

The launch of Virgin Mobile Qatar is the eighth Virgin Mobile branded operation in the world, following on from launches in the UK, Australia, USA, Canada, France, South Africa, and India.

The launch of Virgin Mobile Qatar beats regional MVNO Friendi Mobile to the post. Friendi Mobile operates in Oman and is soon to launch in Jordan.

The UAE’s second telecom provider Du today announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010, showing a robust start to the year achieving the company’s highest revenue for a quarter ever and sustained mobile subscriber additions.

Highlights included total revenue amounting to AED 1.58 billion (US$430.5 million), a 36 per cent increase compared to Q109 and a three per cent increase quarter-on-quarter. Gross margin grew by 34 per cent year-on-year to AED 1.042 billion and five per cent quarter-on-quarter, while net profit before royalty came in at AED 194 million, up from AED 47 million a year earlier.

262,000 active mobile subscribers were added during the quarter taking the total number at the end of the period to 3.74 million. 26,900 additions during the quarter were post-paid.

A growth rate of 47 per cent was recorded in Du’s fixed line subscriber base from 310,900 lines in Q109 to 456,700 lines in Q110, and 50,900 lines added during the quarter.

Revenues for Du’s fixed business, including fixed telephony, TV and broadband, amounted to AED 265 million, a 15 per cent year-on-year improvement and a 4 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase.

As Motorola moves ever closer to the separation of its mobile device division from its enterprise and networks division in Q12011, co-CEO in charge of Motorola Solutions, Greg Brown, believes the transaction cannot come soon enough. Brown’s eagerness can be understood by looking over Motorola’s Q110 financial results, which highlight how the company’s infrastructure and networking business continues to operate with the momentum necessary to compete successfully in a notoriously competitive space

Greg Brown says upon separation of Motorola Devices from Motorola Solutions, each business will be able to focus more effectively

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France Telecom’s Orange and Investec, the Tunisian unit of privately-held Mabrouk group, today announced the launch of Orange Tunisia.

Orange Tunisia will offer mobile, fixed and Internet services in Tunisia as of May 5.

The company plans to invest around €500 million to launch operations and develop Tunisia’s first 3G network, France Telecom said in a statement.

France Telecom holds 49 per cent of Orange Tunisia. The French telco and its local partner Divona Telecom, which is owned by Investec, last year were awarded a fixed and mobile licence in Tunisia.

Orange Tunisia will employ 1,500 people by the end of the year and its offers will be sold in nine shops and 400 distribution outlets, France Telecom said.

Prior to the licensing of Orange, Tunisia was served by the state-backed Tunisie Telecom, which held a monopoly in the fixed-line market, as well as offering mobile services. The second mobile operator and market leader by a slight margin was Tunisiana, controlled by Egypt’s Orascom Telecom.