Orange Jordan granted 3G licence

Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission is reported to have granted a 3G licence to the Jordan Telecom Group (Orange Jordan), having reportedly rejected an offer by Zain Jordan which is said to have asked for more incentives and exemptions.

The TRC floated a public 3G tender in March and by the tender’s deadline in late May, Jordan Telecom Group was the sole bidder. However, the TRC rejected the group’s bid in June, saying its technical offer did not meet the commission’s standards.

Thus, the regulator continued to solicit offers, and Jordan Telecom Group and Zain were ultimately the only companies to submit tenders.

According to TRC chief commissioner Ahmad Hiyasat, 3G services are expected to be introduced in six months as Jordan Telecom already has the required infrastructure.

Other mobile operators will be allowed to introduce the service after one year of exclusivity to Jordan Telecom, provided that they meet the same conditions set in the original tender.

Hiyasat stated that Jordan Telecom agreed to pay JD50 million (US$70 million) for 10MHz of 3G spectrum.

Jordan Telecom has allocated JD100 million in investments for the provision of 3G services and said it was keen on providing 3G services.