Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has renewed its managed services contract with Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) to further improve operational efficiency, network performance and the quality of services. Through the renewed contract, NSN continues to provide its comprehensive managed services including network planning and optimisation, network and service operations as well as care services including hardware and software services for STC’s Al Jawal network. The contract covers STC’s GSM, 3G and LTE networks within NSN’s footprint.

STC has been in partnership with NSN for over a decade, and this contract renewal will provide sustainable improvement in STC customers’ experience.

“With our expertise in operating multi-technology networks for many leading operators around the world and our global best practices in network operations, we deliver high quality network performance to STC,” said Hani Dib, head of STC customer team at NSN Saudi Arabia. “Our managed services help boost end-to-end network and service performance, and hence allows STC to focus its resources on core business activities.”

Africell Holding announced that its operation in Sierra Leone crossed the two million mark with over 2.25 million active subscribers. The mobile operator is the market leader in Sierra Leone with 65 per cent share and is forecasted to cross three million active subscribers by the end of 2014.

Africell Holding fully owns and operates three mobile subsidiaries in Africa; Africell Gambia, Africell Sierra Leone, and Africell DRC. The group ended 2013 with over seven million active subscribers and is projected to cross the 11 million active subscribers mark before end-2014. Following the launch of Africell DRC in 2012, Africell Holding is actively looking for expansion opportunities in Africa.

Nawras today reported that revenue increased by 2.7 per cent in Q413 to OMR52.8 million (US$137 million), with full-year revenue increasing by 4.4 per cent to OMR 202 million. The increase in revenue was driven by growth in mobile and fixed data revenues, offset partially by decline in SMS.

EBITDA in Q4 amounted to OMR27.4 million, up 4.6 per cent year-on-year.

2013 EBITDA increased by 4.2 per cent year-on-year to OMR98.9 million, with the improvement accounted for by revenue growth and lower cost of sales partially offset by higher opex.

Net profit for the fourth quarter was OMR10 million, down 2.9 per cent year-on-year.

Total net profit achieved for 2013 was OMR33.1 million, down10.5 per cent year-on-year. Despite higher EBITDA, net profit was affected by higher depreciation due to the investment in network modernisation and expansion.

Total customers grew by 9.3 per cent year-on-year or 203,797 to 2.396 million by end of 2013.

The fixed service customer base grew by over 45 per cent to 64,287 in 2013. The mobile post-paid customer base expanded by 4.3 per cent to 186,917 customers, while the prepaid customer base increased by 8.9 per cent to 2.145 million end-2013.

Myanmar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology today announce its finalisation of the granting of telecom licences to Telenor Myanmar and Ooredoo Myanmar.

The licences will come into effect on February 5, for an initial duration of 15 years will authorise each operator to build, own and operate a telecommunications network and to provide the full range of public fixed and mobile telecom services on a nationwide basis.

Telenor aims to launch services within eight months, as part of its commitment to provide accessible and affordable mobile communications to people across Myanmar. The operator plans to build a state-of-the-art mobile network using HSPA and LTE-ready technologies, and looks to achieve network coverage for 90 per cent of the population in Myanmar within five years of the roll -out. Voice and data services over 2G and 3G will be commercially launched as Telenor’s initial offering.

As part of Telenor’s commitment to rapidly roll -out a modern telecommunications network, the company has appointed a strong management team in Myanmar and continues to recruit employees at all levels and across a number of functions within the organization. Telenor Myanmar met its goal of hiring 150 employees at the end of 2013 and the company is on track to add another 900 people to its workforce in 2014.

Zain Group announced the appointment of Basel Manasrah as CEO of Zain South Sudan, replacing Wassim Mansour, who returns to his role as advisor to the Group CEO after an eight-month assignment transforming the new mobile operation.

With 13 years of telecom experience Manasrah joins Zain South Sudan with credentials in commercial, technical and operational aspects after holding several key senior positions within Zain Group since joining the company in 2000, including Chief Operations Officer of Zain Jordan, Marketing and Customer Care Director of Zain Kuwait, Commercial Consultant for Zain Iraq, and Commercial Consultant of Zain Bahrain prior to the launch of commercial operations.