Ooredoo Wins Myanmar Licence
Ooredoo to bring world class services to Myanmar
Doha, Qatar 27 June 2013: Ooredoo has won one of the two licences made available to foreign operators in the recent Myanmar government bid process.
Ooredoo is one of the largest and most dynamic communications businesses operating in emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia. Listed on the Qatar Exchange and Abu Dhabi Exchange, it has a market capitalisation of US$10.5 billion and reported 2012 revenues of US$9.3 billion. With more than 91 million customers across its footprint, Ooredoo is a community-focused company which is guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential.
Ooredoo has significant experience of developing, delivering and investing in communication services in the ASEAN region. One of its biggest regional assets is Indosat, the Indonesian fixed and mobile communications services provider. Ooredoo has invested significantly in the business since acquiring a majority shareholding to create a dynamic communications group, which has grown its customer base to 58.5 million. Through its partnership with STT, Ooredoo is an active investor in Starhub, Singapore’s leading integrated communications provider, which offers some of the region’s most advanced communications services for consumers and business. Also through the STT partnership, Ooredoo is invested in LTC, the incumbent fixed and mobile network provider in Laos. Underpinning the importance of broadband services, Ooredoo operates wi-tribe, a broadband network provider with operations in Pakistan and the Philippines.
Ooredoo will apply all of its global and regional best practice and knowledge in Myanmar to deliver a next generation mobile network and a range of exciting, customer friendly and easy-to-use mobile services.
Ooredoo’s investment is expected to generate a significant number of jobs and be the catalyst to several hundred thousand indirect jobs in roles such as sales, distribution, customer service and other related activities.
Ooredoo will now enter into further negotiations with the government to agree upon the details of the licence. As soon as these discussions are concluded satisfactorily, Ooredoo will implement its network roll-out strategy.
His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of Ooredoo, said, “We’re very excited about winning a licence in Myanmar and we look forward to working in partnership with the government of Myanmar to develop a world class next generation network. Ooredoo will bring all of its experience of developing and delivering networks in the ASEAN region to Myanmar. Ooredoo has been one of the fastest growing telecommunications companies over the past five years and our ASEAN operations have driven a significant part of that growth. Myanmar will undoubtedly become a key market for Ooredoo as we build out our network and deliver easy-to-use, customer friendly and life-enhancing services to the people of Myanmar.”
About Ooredoo
Ooredoo Q.S.C., formerly known as Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Q.S.C. (“Ooredoo”), is a leading international communications company delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses across markets in the Middle East, North Africa and South-East Asia. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential. Ooredoo has a presence in markets such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, the Maldives and Indonesia. The company reported revenues of $9.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2012 and had a consolidated global customer base of more than 91.0 million people as of 31 March 2013. Ooredoo’s shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
