Kuwait's MTC wins Libancell management contract Lebanon's Telecommunications Ministry has selected Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) to manage the LibanCell wireless network. Results will be made official by the Cabinet Wednesday.
MTC was awarded the contract after the ministry selected Detecon International to manage one of the country's two cellular companies for a four-year period. The Deutsch Telekom Group affiliate chose to operate Cellis.
Seven international companies submitted bids to manage Lebanon's two mobile networks at the end of March. Lebanon’s Higher Privatization Council selected Luxembourg’s Investcom, France's Orange, Greece's OTE, Germany's Detecon and Kuwait's MTC and Wataniya as eligible bidders in 2003.
Detecon offered the lowest bids for both providers; Libancell for $192 million and Cellis for $201 million, reported Daily Star. MTC was the second lowest bidder, asking for $209 million for LibanCell and $254 million for Cellis.
In July 2002, the Lebanese government decided to put the country’s two cellular networks up for sale through an international public tender. Liberalization of the telecom sector was one of the prerequisites set by international donors pledging four billion dollars to help reduce the state's public debt. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
