Saudi MVNO submissions to be made by May 4

Saudi Arabia’s telecom regulator, the CITC, has set a fee of SAR5 million (US$1.33 million) for each of the three MVNO licences that are due to be awarded later this year.

The MVNOs will also pay 15 per cent of their annual revenue to the regulator, according to a report from Reuters. There will be a further annual licence fee of one per cent of revenue, plus other miscellaneous charges.

The regulator set a deadline of May 4 for companies to submit applications for the three MVNO licences. The winners of the licences will be announced 12 weeks after the bid deadline, the report added.

Saudi Arabia’s ministry of telecommunications originally announced plans to award three MVNO licences in November 2011.

Saudi Arabia will become the third country in the Middle East to offer MVNO services after Oman and Jordan.