But the number of permissions is not yet fixed

In the aftermath of the takeover of the Iraq by the coalition led by the United States, the telecommunications sector was first placed under the responsibility of the provisional authority before that of the NCMC (National Communications and Media Commission). Established in March 2004, the commission is responsible for assigning licenses and frequencies. Fixed communications are so far had been a monopoly of the public operator IICP (Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company). While in the mobile services sector, the deceased provisional authority in Iraq (Coalition Provisional Authority) awarded the regional licences for a period of two years to three operators in October 2003, to rapidly achieve national coverage. 2003 Foreign investment Act also authorized the from other foreign investors to hold up to 100 of Iraqi companies. For three years, the Iraqi authorities and their foreign partners began to rebuild and extend the fixed telecommunications infrastructure. The Iraqi network, which essentially was built by Alcatel in the 1980s, was in decline well before the 2003 Gulf war. In 1990, on the eve of the first Gulf war, the Iraq had about 675 0000 fixed lines, or less than 4 lines per 100 inhabitants.

War, peace and reconstruction

After the conflict, little investment was devoted to the reconstruction of the network, as the economic sanctions against the Iraq made almost impossible the importation of telecommunications equipment. In the early 2000s, the number of fixed lines was virtually the same as ten years ago, so that the density was only 2.8. As a result of the second conflict, the Iraq had more than 583 000 lines in service, or a density of 2.4. For three years, the reconstruction is translated by line service restoration and extension of the network, which reached about 800,000 lines in June 2004 and 2.8 million in June 2005. The objective is now to reach 3.3 million lines here in 2007. Since 2003, observed the development of Internet connections, with an estimated number of subscribers to 60,000 (low flow, high flow remaining virtually non-existent at present). In 2005, the NCMC has launched a demonstration of interest for local telecommunications services licences of an initial term of 15 years. It's local radio (BLR) capable of providing voice, data and Internet services of loop. Seventeen candidates were selected to participate in the next selection stage, as always, the number of licenses BLR which will be awarded under this solicitation has not been arrested by the Iraqi Government (see box below).

5 million mobile subscribers

It is in the mobile sector that the expansion of telecommunications is the clearest.

The Iraqi market is currently shared between three regional operators: MTC Atheer, a subsidiary of operator MTC of Kuwait, has been operational since March 2004 in the South of the country; Asia-Cell, which covers the North of the country, is held by a consortium formed by Wataniya Telecom (Kuwait) and the incumbent Kurdish Asiacell; Iraqna, the third mobile operator, is a subsidiary of Orascom Telecom, and covers the centre of the country (including Baghdad). In April 2004, Sana Tel also obtained a licence which covers the territory of Sulaymaniya (Kurdish region). Three major operators have invested approximately EUR 400 million in the deployment of their GSM networks. First confined to their region, operators were able to expand their operations outside these regions after a year (condition, according to their license, was to achieve certain levels of coverage and quality of service).

Mobile: four national licensing

Since the beginning of 2005, a competition thus began on the Iraqi market, including in Baghdad, and led to a rapid growth of the number of subscribers. In 2005, the Foundation for mobile subscribers increased by 3.3 million to 4.6 million at the end of the year, or a density of 18 per cent (compared to less than 1 at the end of 2003 and 5 at the end of 2004). On the first two months of the year 2006, the number of subscribers has still increased by 200,000. The three operators, which have obtained an extension of six months of their license (up to June 2006) and sought new reports, including citing serious safety problems, will participate in the tender for new national mobile licence which was launched by the NCMC in March 2006. The NCMC provides to award four licences national for a period of fifteen years to replace the regional licensing. The Ministry of communications also announced the participation of the fixed operator IICP.

Since 2003, there has been the development of Internet connections, with an estimated number of subscribers to 60,000 (low flow, high flow remaining virtually non-existent at present). In 2005, the NCMC has launched a demonstration of interest for loop licenses local radio (BLR) to provide voice, data and Internet services.

BOX .

The Iraqi Government will allocate licenses BLR

Seventeen groups were chosen by the Iraqi commission NCMC (1) to participate in the second stage of the selection of loop operators local radio (BLR), which permits will be allocated for fifteen years. But the number of permissions is not yet fixed. Seventeen candidates are: Al Fawares Group, Al Sadeem, Babylon Telecommunications (net Babtel), Baghdad Comm CSHA Coop Society, Eagle Group, First Iraqi Consortium, Great Bear International Services (Pvt), Investcom Holding S.A., Iraq Global, Iraq Telecom Consortium, MTC, Munir Sukhtian Consortium, SWG Iraq, TeckTel, Trade Links ME, Uruk Engineering Services and greeting International.

1 National Communications and Media Commission (NCNC).