Telecoms Egypt to disable imported phones unless users pay tax Owners of imported mobile phones in Egypt will have their devices disabled next week unless they pay tax as part of a drive by Cairo to protect international phone producers operating in Egypt. When the most populous Arab nation invited South Korea’s Samsung and other major smartphone manufacturers to produce their devices in Egypt four […] April 4, 2025
Telecoms Elon Musk’s Starlink starts operations in Oman Oman’s telecom authority has permitted Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service to start retail and commercial operations. The service will cover all regions of Oman, including remote and challenging terrains, offering speeds of up to 100 Mbps, state-run Oman News Agency reported, citing a statement from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Starlink Muscat was given […] March 28, 2025
Telecoms Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala considers selling stake in du Abu Dhabi sovereign fund Mubadala may sell its stake in du, the UAE’s second-largest telecom operator by subscribers, which if added to the free float would boost the stock’s chances of being included in emerging market indexes. Admittance to the MSCI and FTSE emerging market benchmarks means that exchange-traded funds which track these measures must […] March 20, 2025
Telecoms Profits fall as Omantel loses subscribers to rivals Profits have fallen at Oman Telecommunications Company after it lost market share to competitors. Omantel, Oman’s largest telecommunications provider, said net profit was down 3 percent last year to $795 million. Market share fell five percentage points in 2024 to 48 percent of a total of 7.1 million subscribers in the country, down from 53 […] March 12, 2025
Telecoms Gulf’s push for 6G networks comes too soon, say telecoms experts Gulf plans to develop sixth-generation networks may be premature given the region’s data use and the lack of an immediate need for ultra-fast 6G, say telecoms experts. Although 5G networks are still being rolled out across the region, the UAE is targeting the start of 6G services before 2030. Saudi Arabia has begun laying the […] March 10, 2025
Telecoms Abu Dhabi’s Thuraya enters satellite smartphone market Thuraya Mobile Satellite Communications Company, a unit of Abu Dhabi’s Space42, is moving into the smartphone market, hoping to access a global satellite-capable smartphone business that could be worth as much as $15 billion within a decade. Led by the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the UAE federation is investing in its capabilities in space. Combined, […] March 7, 2025
