News
Around the world in 80 seconds – We take a look at some of the biggest stories from across the global telecoms industry this past weekend
Morocco – Morocco’s biggest telco, Maroc Telecom, has posted a 4.4 per cent increase in its revenue, according to the company’s Q4 financial report.
The company has grown its customer base by 5.5 per cent to 57 million customers in Morocco and across North Africa.
The surge in revenues has been driven by an increase in uptake of mobile internet services across the country.
Czech Republic – Vodafone is set to launch an internet pay TV platform in the Czech Republic, according to industry sources.
Press reports state that Vodafone has initiated a tender process, which it expects will be contested by at least five operators. Nangu.tv, who supplies IPTV services for O2 and T-Mobile is not expected to apply for the contract.
Oman – Oman’s former state-owned telco OmanTel, has posted a fall in its net profits of 7.8 per cent, according to reports in the Times of Oman. Omantel’s profits for 2017 were OMR106.80 million (£198.7 million). Omantel has recently acquired a controlling stake in Kuwait’s Mobile Telecoms Company (Zain Group).
Despite the fall in profits, group revenues rose by 44.7 per cent, mainly due to the acquisition of the stake in Zain Group.
Brazil – Brazil’s telecoms regulator, Anatel, has confirmed that it will hold a spectrum auction in the second half of 2018. Anatel last auctioned the 700MHz band width in September 2014, raising $2.39 billion in the process. However, this was well below the target of around $3 billion.
Brazil’s biggest telco, OI, is not expected to bid in the 2018 spectrum auction.
Montenegro – Crnogorski Telekom, Montenegro’s leading telecommunications service provider and a member of the Deutsche Telekom Group, has signed a 10-year Energy Infrastructure Management agreement with Ericsson. This is the first Energy Infrastructure Management contract announced since Ericsson unveiled its collaboration with Panasonic Corporation of North America last year.
Crnogorski Telekom currently uses a combination of diesel generators and lead-acid batteries as a source of backup power for its cell sites.
Under the terms of the contract with Crnogorski Telekom, Ericsson will assume responsibility for the design, roll out and management of lithium-ion battery and power infrastructure solutions for the operator’s cell sites.
