Archive for September 9th, 2007

Etisalat May Double Its Stake in PTCL

Published by Babar Bhatti on September 9, 2007 under Companies, Emerging Markets Telecom, Foreign Investment, Investment, PTCL, Telecommunications

Daily Times has reported this interesting statement. As we have been discussing, Etisalat’s last transaction (26% shares and management control) is under scrutiny these days in Pakistan. Now Etisalat is thinking about taking its stake to 51% to get full control. How will the market react to this? And how much will this lift up the PTCL stock?

The news item adds:

The state-owned United Arab Emirates company is now considering whether to increase that to 51 percent by buying more stock from the government, Etisalat Chairman Mohammed Hassan Omran said in a telephone interview with Reuters in Dubai.

“We are evaluating that option and once we’ve arrived at the decision that this is positive, we will talk to the government,” Omran said, declining to give further details.

Pakistan, the world’s third-fastest growing market for mobile phone users, has a moratorium on the sale of new mobile licences. The only way for international companies to enter the world’s sixth-most populous nation is by buying into existing operators.

“We are already in Pakistan, so if we have an additional share this will add to our array of operations,” Omran said. Etisalat has no immediate plans to spend on PTCL’s infrastructure, Omran added.

Pakistan Mobile Market - July 2007 Numbers

Published by Babar Bhatti on September 9, 2007 under Competitive Trends, Mobile Companies, Mobile Trends, Pakistan

marketsharejuly2007.PNG

PTA has released the numbers for mobile subscribers for July 2007. The market competition is taking shape now with Ufone and Telenor moving up. CMPak is still struggling.

totalsubscriberbasejuly2007.PNG

Graphics courtsey of TGP.