Qatar

Nokia claims 10 times faster upload with C-RAN for Ooredoo, Elisa

Finnish vendor Nokia Networks and Qatari telco Ooredoo claimed they have made uploading 10 times faster with the Nokia centralised RAN. Demonstrating at the ITU Telecom World event in Doha, Qatar, they said average uplink capacity across a cell was doubled thus extending smartphone battery life because of less interference.

Nokia, Ooredoo, China Mobile claim record in TDD-FDD CA

Nokia Networks, Ooredoo Qatar and China Mobile claimed to have achieved a record breaking speed of 4.1Gbps over TDD-FDD LTE carrier aggregation (CA). The partners said this was realised through the combination of TDD and FDD LTE spectrums, and by aggregating 10 carriers with 200MHz bandwidth.

Nokia Networks, Ooredoo claim first Qatar LTE-A service

Nokia Networks and Qatar-based telco Ooredoo have announced what they claim to be the first LTE-Advanced service in the country. The two partners claimed the nationwide service, achieved through LTE-A carrier aggregation by Nokia, offers up to 225Mbps downlink data speeds.

Ooredoo tops one million mobile money subscribers

Qatari operator group Ooredoo now has one million mobile money customers across its global footprint. The group, which has a presence in Qatar, Indonesia and Tunisia added that mobile money services have contributed to economic and social development in the markets it operates in.

Bharti Airtel sees Qatari investment

Indian operator group Bharti Airtel has sold a stake in its business to Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE). The Qatari investment group will acquire five per cent, almost 200 million new shares, of Airtel for $1.26bn.

Ooredoo switches on LTE in Qatar

Qatari consumers can now begin enjoying 4G services, as the country’s incumbent operator Ooredoo announced the launch of its LTE network. Ooredoo’s 4G service will initially be available via mifi and dongle devices, and the operator is currently working on making 4G available on smartphones in Qatar.

Orange Business Services sets up Qatar JV

With its sights set on capitalising on the growth across the Middle East, Orange Business Services, has announced the launch of an enterprise-focused joint venture in Qatar.

Qtel is on the acquisition offensive

Qtel moves to buy out Wataniya

Middle Eastern operator Qatar Telecom (Qtel) said Thursday it has received approval from local regulator the Kuwait Capital Markets Authority to buy what amounts to a 47.5 per cent stake in Kuwait-based telco Wataniya for $2.2bn. The move would give Qtel, which already owns 52.5 per cent of the firm, complete ownership.

Qatar to deliver FTTH to 95% of households by 2015

The oil-rich state of Qatar has confirmed that it will be building a Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure that will cover 95 per cent of Qatari homes and 100 per cent of businesses by 2015.

Qatari homes switch on to fibre

Qtel, one of the two major telecoms providers in Qatar (the other being Vodafone Qatar), has started connecting its customers to the country’s new fibre-based broadband network.

Virgin, Qtel slapped down by watchdog

Virgin Mobile’s newly launched operation in the emirate state of Qatar has had its wrists slapped by the regulator along with its local host and network partner, Qtel (Qatar Telecom).

LTE wins favour in Middle East

It’s just coming up to six am in Doha airport, Qatar, on Wednesday morning, with this member of the telecoms.com team part way through the trek back to the UK from China, via Qatar and Turkey. So it seems strangely fitting that local carrier Qatar Telecom (Qtel) should pick today to unveil its preparations for the move to LTE.

Gulf cable deployment to spur regional growth

The telecoms industry in the Gulf region is in the throes of change with mobile markets becoming more competitive and saturated. As a result the big players are expanding into Africa and Asia Pacific to continue growing, but there is also a need for more domestic capacity to support growth and home in both the mobile and fixed markets.

Vodafone muscles further in on Qtel’s turf

Qatar’s incumbent operator, Qatar Telecom, is under threat from Vodafone, after the UK-based operator won its second licence in the country this week. In addition to the mobile licence Vodafone acquired in Qatar earlier this year, the Big V has also snapped up the right to offer fixed line services and plans to offer both […]

Vodafone to pay $2.1bn for Qatar licence

Vodafone and its local partner will pay Riyal7.72bn ($2.1bn) for Qatar’s second mobile licence, authorities revealed on Tuesday. A Vodafone led consortium was awarded the second mobile telecoms licence in Qatar in December, beating rival bids from Verizon and Etisalat. Regulator ictQatar also revealed the shareholding structure of Vodafone’s local consortium, which will see the […]

Vodafone to enter Qatar

A Vodafone led consortium was awarded the second mobile telecoms licence in Qatar on Monday, beating rival bids from Verizon and Etisalat. ictQatar, the country’s telecoms regulator said the Vodafone and Qatar Foundation Consortium had been successful, submitting the highest bid in the second round auction. Other eligible consortiums submitting bids were the Verizon led […]

1 2