Syria prepares groundwork for issue of third mobile licence

The Syrian government has approved plans to issue the country’s third mobile licence, and will also convert the two existing networks into stand alone operations. The country has been planning to issue a third licence since at least 2008.

The Syrian Arab News Agency stated that the third licence would be introduced in a three-phase process including initial rehabilitation, investment and technical rehabilitation and the financial auction.

Kuwait’s Zain has been previously reported to be interested in investing in the Syrian mobile market, either through an acquisition of an operator licence, or a stake in an existing operator. Etisalat has also previously indicated that it would be interested in a mobile licence in the country.

The two incumbent operators Syriatel and MTN Syria will have to buy out their current BOT agreements and convert to a conventional licence agreement.

Syria is estimated to have had just over 9.1 million mobile phone subscribers at the end of March 2010, representing a penetration rate of 44 per cent.