Iraq’s telecom regulator has pushed back the deadline for companies to submit expressions of interest in the country’s fourth mobile licence.
Would-be applicants now have until 10 December to express their interest in the process, the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) announced in an updated statement on its Website.
It did not give a reason for the new timetable.
The regulator opened the contest earlier this month, setting a deadline of 20 November.
The competition is open to international mobile operators, the CMC said, without providing full details on what the allocation process will entai l.
Iraq plans to award one technology-neutral licence with a 15-year duration. It has a range of spectrum available, but it is not immediately clear how much of this would go to the new licensee.
The newcomer will compete with Iraq’s three existing main mobile network operators. Zain leads the market with a 43.6% share, according to first quarter 2015 data provided by the CMC. Asiacell comes in second with 35.9%, followed by smaller player Korek, which claims a 20.5% share.
