It has been suggested that rising political tensions between India and Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks at the end of November may spill over into the economic arena, and that companies such as Telenor and Etisalat that have investments in both countries may be barred from operating in both markets.

In 2006 Etisalat concluded the acquisition of a 26 per cent stake in Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). The UAE operator also has a management agreement in place in Pakistan and at one point was even rumoured to be looking to double its equity stake in the Pakistan operator.

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An informed source in Nigeria has told Comm. that since Etisalat’s launch in the country on October 24, 2008, the UAE-based operator has become the most visible player across the country in terms of branding, visibility and awareness.

Despite Etisalat Nigeria entering as the fifth GSM operator in Africa’s most populous country, the source said that a massive impact had been felt through a strong marketing campaign prior to the launch of commercial services.

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Several telecoms executives of operators and vendors in the Middle East have expressed discontent to Comm., that recent telecoms awards ceremonies are biased and have been “bought” through sponsorship deals.

At a recent awards ceremony held in the region, more than half of the accolades on offer were won by the highpaying sponsors.

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