The Saudi government has issued a public notice inviting correspondence with interested parties on the procedures and conditions to be applied to the licensing of telecommunication providers in the Kingdom.
The notice is part of the government’s efforts to privatize the telecommunications sector in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (SCITC) plans to award licenses to telecom providers in 2004. Responses to the notice must be submitted to the SCITC by December 31, 2003, stated a press release.
The SCITC will provide further details on the licensing process shortly after the conclusion of the public consultation. It will then issue a Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ) package and will disclose the fee for those intending to file a response. The pre-qualification phase will last for six weeks after the RFPQ is issued.
During that time, the SCITC will determine which candidates will be included on a short list and are entitled to submit an application for a license.
SCITC is seeking input to a number of questions as it moves forward with its plans to license new telecom providers, including the number of service providers it should license and the type and scope of coverage that providers should offer. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
