Tamin Telecom Regains Iran's 3rd Mobile Phone License

­The company which held, then lost the 3rd mobile phone license in Iran seems to have regained the license again. Tamin Telecom, which had originally bid in a consortium with Etisalat has told ITP news that it has regained the license and is seeking another outside partner.

The company, which is an affiliate of the Social Security Investment Company of Iran, said that that it is looking to partner with an "experienced telecom consultancy" with the objective of launching 2G and 3G services throughout Iran next year.

The original plans for the country's 3rd mobile phone license included a two-year monopoly on 3G services.

The company said it is looking for a consultant with extensive experience of designing, deploying and managing mobile networks. "The consultant is required to provide pre and post-launch consulting, project management and implementation services to Tamin Telecom and to ensure complete transfer of technical, commercial and management know-how to Tamin Telecom by training the necessary local workforce," the firm added.

Tamin Telecom was apparently stripped of its license in May after it tried to change the commercial relationship with Etisalat, which has a 49% stake in the joint-venture. The regulator seemingly objected to the changes and cancelled the license. Since then a host of other companies have been named as possible suitors for the license, including Zain and Russia's Megafon.

On the web: ITP news

Posted to the site on 13th October 2009