| January
2005 updates Second mobile
licence issued
Posted
on 1 February 2005 at http://www.tam.gov.mv/news.php?newsID=35 The
Telecommunications Authority of Maldives (TAM) today has awarded a mobile telecommunications
licence to Wataniya Telecom Maldives Private Limited, the company established
in Maldives by Wataniya International upon winning the bid for the second mobile
licence. The licence was awarded at a ceremony held at Nasandhura Palace Hotel.
The Minister of Communications, Science and Technology Hon. Midhath Hilmy
and the Chairman of the TAM Regulatory Board Dr. Hassan Hameed were present at
the ceremony. Other attendees at the ceremony include the Deputy Minster at the
Ministry of Atolls Administration Ms Fathmath Sheereen, Deputy Resident Representative
of UNDP Maldives Ms Kari Blindheim and representatives from the relevant government
departments and commercial sectors.
Mr Mohamed Amir, Chief Executive
of Telecom Authority, and Mr Solah Fahud Sultan, Chairman of Wataniya Telecom
Maldives signed the licence document. The period of the licence awarded to Wataniya
is 15 years commencing from 1 February 2005. Under this licence Wataniya will
provide advanced cellular mobile services throughout the country. The company
is targeting a service rollout to all inhabited islands within six months from
the award of licence.
Subsequent to the invitation to bid, announced
on 10 August 2004, four parties submitted bids, namely, Telecom Malaysia International,
Syriatel Mobile Telecom S.A, Wataniya Telecom, and Bharti Consortium. All bidders
proposed acceptably lower tariff commitments. The successful bidder, Wataniya,
proposed the shortest deployment period and the highest investment among all bidders.
Liberalising the cellular mobile services market of the Maldives is one of
the actions?in the ongoing Maldives Telecommunications Policy 2001-2005. The process
of liberalising was conducted through a project jointly funded by the Government
of Maldives and the UNDP. The target of TAM in the process was to issue the second
mobile licence during 2004. To this effect, the signing ceremony was planned for
late December 2004. However, due to tragic events of 26 December 2004, the ceremony
was postponed. With the introduction of the new
mobile entrant, TAM hopes that there will be significant improvements in the quality
of mobile services throughout the country with the introduction of innovative
services at lower prices. |
2003/2004 edition 
2005/2006 edition