Algeria's telecoms regulator, ARPT has issued a brief statement announcing plans to issue a tender for 3G licenses. The ARPT has invited operators wishing to establish and operate a 3G mobile
communications network to let it know by June 30th, 2008.

No further details have been announced at this stage.

As we reported last month, an unnamed French company has already carried out work on preparing the tender according to the official news agency.

According to figures from the Mobile World database, the country has three operators with the following market shares, Djezzy (39.7%), Moblis (36.4%) and Nedjma with 21.5%. The country itself ended last year with just under 28.2 million subscribers, representing a population penetration level of 84%.

A report at the beginning of this year by the Arab Advisors Group said that Algeria's fixed and cellular revenues are projected to exceed US$4.7 billion in 2011, growing from around US$ 4.1 billion in 2007.

Algeria's government is also planning to partially privatize Algérie Télécom. The sale was expected to be take place by end of 2006, with the government selling 35% of the operator in an Initial Public Offering (IPO). However the procedures have not been finalized and the tender was yet not launched, but expected to take place in 2008. The ARPT had announced that the process has arrived at a point of maturity and the file is currently with the hands of the Algerian government.

Source:cellular-news