Global Telecom Holding
Orascom Telecom (full name: Orascom Telecom Holding SAE) is an Egyptian telecommunications company. In 1998, the Group of Naguib Sawiris was founded. The listed company is part of the Egyptian Orascom Group. It is a member of the EGX 30 Index on the Egyptian Exchange.
Orascom had with its joint ventures and subsidiaries in September 2005, about 25.5 million subscribers, end of 2006, 50 million customers around the world and the end of 2008 there will be 100 million.
- 4.1 North Korea
Mobinil - Beginnings in Egypt
In 1994, Orascom took over the Egyptian Internet Service Provider InTouch. After the privatization of the telecommunications market in Egypt some smaller companies were acquired. In 1998, Orascom has applied for a GSM license in Egypt. After that Orascom had licenses for mobile, fixed and VSAT technologies.
In early 1998 receives the ECMS - Egyptian Company for Mobile Services consortium of Orange (then a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa ), Motorola ( as a manufacturer of mobile phone base stations ) and Orascom Telecom (then 51 percent ), the first GSM mobile license in Egypt. In May 1998, Mobinil going to receive.
The ECMS is today to 36.4 percent in the Orange Group (now a subsidiary of France Telecom ) to 34.6 percent of Orascom Telecom and 29.0 percent in free float.
Beginning of March 2009 declared Orange, to take over ECMS. Beginning of April 2009, the Regulatory Authority of Egypt prohibited a possible takeover. A Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce had in early April 2009 decided that the Orascom Telecom had transferred its share of 28.75 percent to 10 April 2009 Completely at Orange Telecom. Orange pays for the remaining 530 million euros investment in Orascom Telecom.
Mobinil has over 20 million mobile customers. From September 2008 Alex Shalaby chairman and Hassan Kabbani CEO of Mobinil.
Orascom is the leading telecommunications provider in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It operates GSM networks in Algeria ( Djezzy GSM), Egypt ( MobiNil ), Namibia (Leo), Pakistan ( MobiLink ), Bangladesh ( Banglalink ), Tunisia ( Tunisiana ).
Orascom also invested in other markets, but the licenses sold and networks from different reasons. At the end of 2005, for example, sells the shares in Libertis Telecom in the Republic of Congo. Orascom wanted to concentrate on more lucrative markets as well as its core business in the Middle East and the Mediterranean countries.
Iraq
In 2007, also ran out of two mobile licenses Orascom subsidiaries. After the expiry of the provisional mobile phone licenses in Iraq Orascom had withdrawn from the auction of long-term licenses. Instead of an investment of 1.25 billion U.S. dollars would be a joint venture with the Kurdish licensee Korek received to operate the network further. After the two companies could not agree, Orascom sold his company IraQna to the Kuwaiti telecommunications companies MTC (now Zain ) for about 1.2 billion U.S. dollars. Until that time, Orascom had invested about 360 million U.S. dollars in the Iraqi GSM network.
Zimbabwe
The Portuguese mobile operator Telecel was the end of the 20th century some GSM mobile phone licenses in Africa acquire (Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Central African Republic). In April 2000, 80 percent of Telecel of Orascom Telecom was acquired.
However, Orascom suffered a loss of license for Telecel Zimbabwe: The reason for the license revocation was that the shareholders of a public rest did not comply, must originate in the company from abroad to the maximum of 49 % of the capital. Although Telecel Zimbabwe is not only against the current political and economic background to the lower-revenue investments to Naguib Sawiris known explicitly to the company and applied for a period of two years to comply with the requirements. As justification for the extension Orascom leads among other things to the fact that the company would be transferred in the current situation anyway no dividend payments to foreign countries.
In March 2008, Telecel Zimbabwe had approximately 244,000 customers a market share of about 19 percent.
Europe - Weather Investments
About the holding company Weather Investments Sawiris now wants to expand into the European Mediterranean more. Today Sawiris has both a majority stake in the mobile operator Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA in Italy (price: EUR 12.1 billion ) and WIND Hellas in Greece. While Sawiris companies ascribes good growth opportunities, the investment also of strategic importance.
So Orascom may use the respective networks cost after building a underwater pipeline from Egypt to Greece and through an existing connection between Greece and Italy. For a compound of Orascom's core markets of North Africa and Middle East is created with the European pipeline network. Furthermore Sawiris is interested in entering the telecommunications division of Bouygues in France.
Asia
Orascom wanted to get in Asian mobile phone markets.
Orascom Telecom was about to enter the mobile phone market in India in 2006. Therefore, in December 2005, a share of 19.3 percent in Hutchison Telecommunications International ( HTIL ) has been adopted. The majority share of almost 50 percent in HTIL holds Hutchison Whampoa. Orascom Telecom could nevertheless appoint two directors of HTIL.
The HTIL had mobile phone companies in India ( Hutchison Essar ), Vietnam, Indonesia, Macau, Hong Kong, Israel, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Ghana. In October November 2007 were 5 percent and the remaining 14.3 percent of the HTIL Shares sold again in December 2007, with a profit of 600 million U.S. dollars.
In the Chinese and Indian markets Sawiris considered to enter through indirect investments, since a direct entry to the company at today's prices for corporate acquisitions in this sector appears to be expensive. Sold Orascom had, however, in 2007 its 19.3 percent stake in Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited ( HTIL ). Orascom had a market position in India hoped. With the sale of Indian subsidiary by Hutchinson However, this strategy no longer worked. Although the retail price of HTIL approximately equal to the purchase price, Orascom could emerge through a dividend in connection with the sale of Indian shares at a profit of about 600 million U.S. dollars.
North Korea
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea plans to set up a GSM mobile network in North Korea. Therefore, the government of Korea Post and Telecommunications Corporation (25 percent) by Orascom Telecom ( 75 percent) who received a GSM license in January 2008, a joint venture, founded CHEO Technology JV Co.. The mobile license is valid for 25 years and guaranteed for the first four years of a GSM monopoly. Orascom Telecom plans to invest in the early years about 400 million U.S. dollars in the construction of the mobile network. Since mid-December 2008, the mobile network will initially operate in the capital Pyongyang.
CHEO operates the mobile network Koryolink, when launched in December 2008 had 5,300 participants. End of June 2009 have already been achieved 19,200 participants.
South America
The entry into the South American market in 2007 was postponed with discontinuation of sales calls to the Telecom Italia subsidiary Brasil Telecom first. Brasil Telecom has both a landline and a mobile telephone network, the Telecom Italia is also still present with TIM Brazil in the country.