Vodafone Signs Tower Sharing Deal in Qatar

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) and Vodafone Qatar have signed both an interconnection agreement between their networks - and a deal to allow Vodafone to share Qtel towers for its own infrastructure. The Outdoor Site Sharing Agreement is an agreement which allows Vodafone Qatar to share Qtel mobile towers and Qtel to share Vodafone Qatar mobile towers. Both companies will have separate active mobile networks.

The two agreements for Outdoor Site Sharing and Interconnection were bilaterally negotiated and officially signed by Dr. Nasser Marafih, Chief Executive Officer of Qtel Group, and Grahame Maher, CEO of Vodafone Qatar.

Dr. Nasser Marafih, Chief Executive Officer of Qtel Group, said: "Qtel has long supported competition within Qatar's communications sector, as we believe that it will highlight the world class service that Qtel provides to its customers who are at the heart of everything we do. These agreements - which have been mutually supported as fair and equitable - are a concrete demonstration of the fact that Qtel welcomes competition."

"Under the agreement on Outdoor Site Sharing, we expect that Qtel will share more than half of Qtel's mobile network towers," he added.

Grahame Maher, CEO of Vodafone Qatar, said: "Vodafone Qatar is delighted to have signed these two important agreements with Qtel. Interconnection enables Vodafone Qatar customers, starting with the 1st 1000 Promotion, to communicate with Qtel customers. Outdoor Site Sharing is consistent with Vodafone Qatar bringing leading international practice to Qatar to ensure that both Qtel and Vodafone Qatar provide national mobile network coverage and supports the environment by reducing unnecessary duplication of towers."

Posted to the site on 18th March 2009