Amman, January 2012 – Batelco Group (Ticker: BATELCO), the regional telecommunications operator of reference with operations across seven countries announced that it is investing JD50M to obtain 3G license in Jordan, via Umniah, a 96% owned subsidiary.

Umniah has obtained a 3G license pursuant to paying JD50 million to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and will further invest towards infrastructure and network expenses related to the roll out during the next 6 months.

The announcements were made today during a signing ceremony followed by a press conference held under the patronage of Jordan’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, H.E. Eng. Basem Al Rousan, at the Four Seasons Hotel. The press conference was attended by Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Chief Commissioner Eng. Mohammad Taani, alongside Umniah CEO Ihab Hinnawi, a group of Umniah employees and local media representatives.

Umniah acquired 2.1 GHz of spectrum from the TRC, preparing it to move forward with the rollout of the advanced 3.75G services to its growing customer base. Umniah currently serves more than 2.3 million customers in the Kingdom, giving it a 31% market share.

On this occasion, Minister Al Rousan stated, “With the Kingdom setting its sights on becoming the MENA region’s ICT hub, it is paramount that we empower industry players to embrace the latest technological developments and advancements in the field. We feel that Umniah’s investment in 3G is a step towards greater industry readiness to take on the challenge of driving the innovation curve in the region.”

During the press conference, Hinnawi stated that Umniah’s new high-speed Internet services, applicable on both smartphones and PCs, will dramatically enhance customer experience and will enable Umniah to better cater to subscribers’ evolving demands in line with local market directions and purchasing power. Hinnawi explained that this step corresponds with Umniah’s belonging to technology and innovation, its customer-centric approach and its long-standing track record of accomplishments in helping raise both mobile and Internet penetration across the Kingdom.

“Through our 3G services, we seek to facilitate Internet and data access as well as deliver original and innovative content, services and applications that boost businesses’ efficiency and constructively influence subscribers’ daily lives. With our high-speed Internet services, Umniah subscribers will enjoy an exceptional customer experience, increasing the Company’s positive impact on the Jordanian telecom sector and the community at large,” he said.

Commenting on the announcement, Batelco Group CEO, Shaikh Mohamed bin Isa Al Khalifa, said, “We are delighted to announce this significant milestone for the Group in Jordan. It goes a long way towards highlighting Batelco’s commitment and confidence in the Jordanian market as well as our ongoing contributions to the development of the Kingdom’s ICT sector and economy overall. Overseas growth remains a core part of Batelco Group’s strategy and this investment serves to underscore our focus on driving growth and building on our market leading positions in key markets for the Group such as Jordan where we see significant opportunities and room for further penetration. We have already derived significant value from our investment in Umniah and we expect that with the development of Umniah’s service offering through 3G capabilities, we will achieve even further gains in market share and enhanced results as we go forth.”

Eng. Taani touched upon the impact that Umniah’s entry into the 3G market would have on the sector, saying, “Thriving markets are those that enjoy a healthy dose of competition, which is why we are pleased with this new development. Jordan’s telecom sector has consistently been ranked amongst the most competitive in the region, and by granting Umniah the 3G license we feel that the sector will be able to bolster its activities and better serve local market needs.”

Scheduled to be launched nationwide between the second and third quarter of year 2012, Umniah's advanced 3.75G services will ensure fast and accurate transfer of data and will provide subscribers with instant Multimedia Services (MMS). Service deployment will take place via an Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) infrastructure - considered the latest and most mature in 3G services. Umniah’s network is already 3G ready with more than 1500 sites prepared to deploy 3G services.

About Batelco
Batelco Group, listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange, is the leading integrated communications’ provider in the Kingdom of Bahrain and a company of reference among the region’s key telecommunications players for innovation and customer experience. Batelco serves both the corporate and consumer markets in the most liberalised and competitive environment in the Middle East region. It delivers cutting-edge fixed and wireless telecommunications services to its customers in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and India. The Batelco Group of companies offers end-to-end telecommunications solutions for its residential, business and government customers in Bahrain on Next Generation, all IP fixed and 3.5G wireless networks, MPLS based regional data solutions and, GSM mobile and WiMAX broadband services across the countries in which it operates.

About Umniah
The fastest growing network in Jordan and the most successful operator to enter the Jordanian telecommunications market, Umniah - a subsidiary of Batelco Group – offers comprehensive mobile, Internet and business solutions, providing the domestic market with quality customer service and value for money. Since its launch in 2005, Umniah has been able to expand the Jordanian mobile market penetration rate from 26% to over 100%, proving that it is a key player in one of the most competitive telecommunications markets in the Middle East. Umniah has been challenging the conventions of the industry by setting new service standards both nationally and regionally, accomplishing a number of firsts such as setting precedence on a regional level by adopting its per second billing proposition and becoming the first operator in Jordan to introduce WiMAX wireless broadband services in the Kingdom. Today, Umniah’s customer base is above 2,300,000 mobile subscribers with a market share that reaches 31%.

For more information, visit www.umniah.com or call 07-88001333.

This press release has been distributed by Bidaya Corporate Communications on behalf of Umniah.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at:

Tel: +962 6 5692008/9
Fax: +962 6 5692007
P.O. Box: 930391, Amman 11193, Jordan
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