Mada Communications has become the latest operator in Jordan to launch WiMAX, with service initially being offered in Amman, along with the major cities of Irbid and Zaraq. Mada Communications has the intention to expand the network nationwide in due course.

Motorola supplied WiMAX access points as well as indoor and outdoor customer premises equipment and portable plug-in devices.Motorola also integrated its WiMAX Access Service Network (ASN) Gateway to provide a piece of the end-to-end WiMAX network architecture. The gateway connects the WiMAX radio access network to a common IP core, offering a reduced cost and quicker time to market.

Mada Communications (formerly Arabtel), is a Kuwaiti company established in 1982. It has been a licensed wireless provider in Kuwait since 1997, and in 2007 embarked in a strategy to expand in the region. It was awarded a WiMAX licence in Jordan in addition to acquiring WorldPoint Communications, an international carrier with presence in more than 45 countries. Mada plans to become the largest WiMAX operator in the region by end of 2009.

Zimbabwe’s telecommunications regulator, the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), has revised telephone tariffs downwards by up to 40 per cent in a move aimed at making communications more affordable.

Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation has led the government to allow use of the US$ as an alternative currency

POTRAZ ordered service providers to reduce telephone tariffs by 25-40 per cent. The latest development comes after a massive hike in Zimbabwean telephone charges since January when retailers, including service providers, were first allowed to charge in foreign currency.

The average tariff before the latest POTRAZ order was US$0.30 per minute, and the new tariffs will see rates fall to around US$0.20 per minute, which still remain comparatively high compared to other network operators on the continent.

Zimbabwe has three mobile operators and a single fixed-line player. Mobile penetration at the end of Q308 stood at less than 10 per cent, with a total of 1.21 million subscribers, according to data from Informa Telecoms and Media.

Oman mobile reseller Friendi Mobile has reported that the days since it began allowing interested parties to start pre-booking numbers earlier this week, for its soon-to-be launched mobile service, the company has been inundated with thousands of requests. Such has been the demand to book numbers that Friendi reported a slowdown of its website in Oman as people queued to register.

“We haven’t announced our final prices or features, so some people are understandably cautious to committing to the unknown, commented Antti Arponen, CEO of Friendi Mobile in Oman. “But there is absolutely nothing to lose – booking your preferred number is free of charge and does not commit you to anything. But when we soon reveal our product details and if you like our great offers, at least you will have the number you want.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the month, rival reseller aspirant Renna (Majan Telecommunication) announced the successful completion of thousands of test calls and text messages with the deployment of Intelligent Network (IN) technologies and billing systems from HP and Convergys. Renna CEO Niklas Nielsen confirmed that the service is set to launch in April.

Incumbent Qtel and new entrant Vodafone Qatar today announced the signing of two agreements that will facilitate the launch of Vodafone Qatar’s mobile service later this year.

Senior executives from Qtel and Vodafone Qatar sign the far-reaching agreements

An outdoor site sharing agreement will allow the two operators’ to share each other’s towers, though both companies will continue to run separate active mobile networks.

The second agreement is an interconnection deal that allows Qtel and Vodafone Qatar customers to communicate with each other.

“These agreements – which have been mutually supported as fair and equitable – are a demonstration of the fact that Qtel welcomes competition,” commented Nasser Marafih, CEO of Qtel Group. “Under the agreement on outdoor site sharing, we expect that Qtel will share more than half of its mobile network towers,” he added.

Qtel claims it is the first time in the region that site sharing has been agreed, and one of the first times in the world that site sharing has been agreed between an incumbent and a second operator before full commercial launch.

“Vodafone Qatar believes the signing of these agreements is the start of an important partnership at the wholesale level with Qtel, and will support Vodafone Qatar to introduce retail competition and choice for customers” commented Vodafone Qatar CEO Grahame Maher.

Last month Maher detailed the challenges that still lay ahead of the operator commercially launching as the country’s second player, providing evidence that a commencement of operations was only likely to occur in the latter part of the year.

Disagreements over interconnection fees with incumbent Qtel still existed, with the number of base stations rolled out by Vodafone Qatar behind schedule.

Having announced the plan to offer 40 per cent of Vodafone Qatar’s stock on the Doha Securities Market earlier this week, tonight the operator offered details of what form the initial public offering is set to take.

The details of Vodafone Qatar’s IPO include:

• Subscription for the offering will open on April 12 and close on April 26, 2009.

• The IPO will consist of 338,160,000 ordinary shares, representing 40 per cent of Vodafone Qatar’s authorised share capital.

• The share price has been set at QAR10 (US$2.75) per offer share, with additional offering costs of QAR0.25 per offer share.

• Only Qatari nationals and registered Qatari institutions, which are 100 per cent Qatari owned can apply for offer shares in the offering.

• Individual investors will be able to apply for a minimum subscription of 250 offer shares with multiples of 50 offer shares thereafter.

• Institutional Investors will be able to apply for a minimum subscription of 25,000 offer shares with multiples of 500 offer shares thereafter.

• Allocation will be based on individual investors orders being allocated up to the first 2,500 offer shares of their order; thereafter institutional investors will be allocated up to the first 2,500 offer shares of their order; and after that all orders will be filled on a pro rata basis.

• International investors will be able to buy Vodafone Qatar shares on the open market once it is listed on the Doha Securities Market after the IPO.