Jordan Telecom Group Orange wins license for Third Generation 3G mobile services

Khawam: “Winning this license reflects the commitment of our group to enhance the position of telecommunications sector in the region and transform Jordan into a regional hub for telecommunications.”

Jordan Telecom Group (JTG), the sole integrated operator in the Kingdom was granted a 15 years license to provide Third Generation (3G) services in the country as per the decision of The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) on Monday August 17th, thus becoming the exclusive mobile operator in Jordan to be authorized to provide 3G services in the local market.

During the press conference that was held yesterday and chaired by Mrs. Nayla Khawam, CEO of Jordan Telecom Group (Orange Jordan) where she expressed her delight in winning the 3G mobile services license, Khawam said: “We are very pleased to have won this license. Offering the 3G mobile services has long been awaited for by both us and Jordanian customers”

Khawam added: “We have showed serious commitment throughout the ongoing talks that we conducted and the offers that we provided and today our continuous efforts have resulted in positioning us as the exclusive mobile operator to provide 3G services in the local market.”

According to Khawam, it has been a long and hard journey which led to wining the license, beginning with JTG winning the new licensing system that TRC submitted, which allows the transfer to 3G. Following this, JTG held official talks with TRC and other concerned parties during October of last year, in addition the submission by JTG of 3 official offers in the past 6 months for the acquisition of the license.

Khawam pointed out that JTG pitched for this tender despite the very high price of JD50 million, asked by the TRC, and the difficulty in accomplishing its economical feasibility. Khawam clarified that the new amended terms that were recently placed by TRC have improved the feasibility of offering 3G services with global standards.

Furthermore, Khawam expressed her appreciation for the strong cooperation between TRC and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and their enthusiasm to launch 3G services in the Jordanian market. Granting the license for this advanced technology to JTG is evidence of their trust in JTG’s ability to provide 3G services for the first time in the Kingdom.

Speaking to Jordanian press, Khawam pointed out that Orange Jordan will start offering 3G services during the next six months and France Telecom Group will offer its extensive experience to support Orange Jordan in building the infrastructure for 3G network in the Kingdom. This will ensure that Orange Jordan will offer the highest quality of service during this short period which will be a technical and operational challenge. Khawam ensured that 3G services are one of the most advanced global technologies in the telecommunications industry as they will:

1. Provide excellent coverage for voice services
2. Allow for wireless high speed internet connection, which is a continuation of ADSL services. 3. Enabling users to utilize a variety of services such as visual communication as well as the sending and receiving of multimedia messages.

3G services in the local market will have a direct and positive impact on the telecommunications sector in the Kingdom, marking a turning point in the level of services provided which will, in turn, support to increase productivity in other industry sectors in the Kingdom.

Khawam concluded by saying: “Winning this license reflects our commitment to achieve the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II for improving the telecommunications sector in the region and transforming Jordan into a regional ICT hub. JTG is continuously committed to providing the best in communications solutions in line with global standards. JTG will continue to deliver the same level of exceptional service and will ensure that this efficiency will also be reflected in its 3G services.”

19/8/2009