Orascom Telecom Holding
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| Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E. | |
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| Type | Public (LSE: OTLD) |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Cairo, Egypt [1] |
| Key people | Naguib Sawiris, Chairman and CEO |
| Industry | Telecommunication |
| Revenue | ▲$4.4 billion USD (2006) |
Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E. is the first multinational Egyptian corporation. It is one of the core Orascom Group companies, and considered among the largest and most diversified network operators in the Middle East, Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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[edit] Operations
Orascom operates GSM networks in seven markets in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, with a total population under license of approximately 460 million with an average mobile telephony penetration of approximately 22% as at 30 September 2006. Orascom has over 63 million subscribers as of July 2007:
Orascom Telecom is traded on the Cairo & Alexandria Stock Exchange under the symbol (ORTE.CA, ORAT EY), and on the London Stock Exchange its GDR is traded under the symbol (ORTEq.L, OTLD LI).
[edit] Other interests
Orascom has also expanded into the 2G business of Hutchison International and has a 19.3% stake within the company. Orascom executives have 2 places within the Board of HTIL. Orascom has also extended their operation into Brussels, Belgium through subsidiaries that are researching and developing WiMax techonology, the future successor of the current WiFi wireless internet system. Companies of Orascom Telecom other than networks are:
- OTV - A satellite TV station
- Onkosh - Orascom's Internet search engine optimized for Arab users
- Mobinil WiFi - WiFi hotspot coverage in cafes and restaurants in Egypt
- submarine communications cable ABC news reports that orascom telecom is entering the submarine cable market and will start working soon[2].
[edit] Ownership
Orascom Telecom Holding is managed by Weather Investments S.P.a. which also holds 50% plus one share of it. Weather Investments also owns:
- Wind Telecomunicazioni S.P.a., the third largest mobile operator in Italy (bought May 2005).
- WIND Hellas (formerly TIM Hellas), the third largest mobile operator in Greece (bought April 2007).
- Tellas, the largest alternative fixed telephony provider in Greece (initially 50% plus one share owned, with the rest 50% minus one share purchased in July/August 2007).
- LINKdotNET, an Egyptian Internet company
- M-Link Teleport, an international carrier based in Belgium, also official gateway of Orascom group for international voice/data traffic
[edit] Possible sale
In December 2007, it emerged that Orascom chief executive Naguib Sawiris had appointed a team of investment bankers to study options for Orascom, including a trade auction. Valued at about $17 billion (£8.4 billion), including debt, early discussions had taken place with T-Mobile, and other interested parties according to London's Sunday Times included Vodafone, Spain's Telefonica and France's Orange.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Orascom Telecom - History.
- ^ [1]
[edit] Contracts in Iraq
"The Guardian" has noted that Nadhmi Auchi had helped Orascom Telecom (which owns Djezzy GSM) gain a contract to set-up mobile phone networks in post-Saddam's Iraq <ref> [[Nick Cohen]], [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1086487,00.html The Politics of sleaze], ''[[The Guardian]]'', November 16, 2003 </li>
<li id="cite_note-2">'''[[#cite_ref-2|^]]''' [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article3021273.ece Phone giants line up for $17bn deal] The Sunday Times - 9th December, 2007</li></ol></ref>
