MTC Group announced its sponsorship and participation in the Fifth IT and Telecom Conference which is being held in Cairo under the auspices of President Husni Mubarak with the presence of Ministers Ahmed Nazif between the 4th and 6th of September 2005.
MTC Group explained that IT and Telecommunications in the Arab world has become a fundamental cornerstone for all economic sectors in society. MTC has also pointed out that the biggest growth sectors are software development, IT and Telecommunications and this industry has the most value added output percentage in comparison to other industries.
MTC also noted that the increase usage of IT and telecommunications will open the horizon for Arab countries to further cooperate and tighten links on all levels, asking during this time to work on unifying the principles and systems being used between Arab countries to achieve the necessary aim of closing the IT gap, which divides the Arab world from the rest of the developed countries.
MTC, which is one of the oldest mobile telecommunications providers in the region, set up 22 years ago and today covers 18 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Gulf region, has taken great care to develop the telecommunication sector within the countries it operates in. MTC added that it has invested heavily in upgrading its network to ensure better channels to transport data rich content.
MTC assures its constituents that it considers itself a major partner in the societies where its services are offered, focusing on the fact that it is adamant on developing the economies within these societies through any means directly and indirectly. MTC also believes that local talents are the main foundations for its success in any market it operates in. Local talent creates a huge difference in the level of product and service offering with regards to mobile operators. This is based on the fact that MTC believes in implementing best of breed technologies as it did in Bahrain with its 3G offering.
MTC has benefited greatly from the various opportunities it has in the Middle East and African continent through its 3X3X3 strategy which has placed it in 18 countries till this date. The 3X3X3 strategy which started in 2003 aims at placing MTC on the global arena with more than 30 million customers by 2011, each phase to be completed within 3 years. The first phase of this strategy was met last year with MTC’s presence in 5 countries Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. Today MTC is already well into its second phase as an international player with its acquisition of Celtel adding 13 operations to the already existing Five, Making MTC one of the largest mobile operators in the Middle East Gulf and Africa.
Most recently MTC increased its capital by the amount of 109 million KD and this increase will provide a return of 2.4 billion dollars to be allocated for expansion purposes.
MTC confirmed that it considers the Egyptian market as one of the most dynamic and important markets in the region and a hub connecting the Arab countries and Africa. Egypt is an attractive investment environment and this is noticeable with the Egyptian Government’s recent ambitions to provide a 3rd mobile license in the country.
MTC has expressed its interest thereof in the African continent in particular Egypt and Nigeria pointing out that these are promising markets for mobile telecommunications especially since these areas holds low penetration rates in comparison with the rest of the world 10, and 5% respectively and the highest growth rates.
About MTC
Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) was founded in 1983 and is today one of the largest mobile operators in the Middle East and Africa, offering a comprehensive range of world-class voice and data mobile services to over 10 million customers spread across 18 countries – Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon in the Middle East and 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa- Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia..
Listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, MTC’s market capitalization exceeded US$10 billion as at August 1, 2005. The shareholder base consists of 75.4% public and 24.6% by the Kuwaiti government. For the year ending December 31, 2004, consolidated revenues were KD 322.327 million (US$1.009 billion) and consolidated net income was KD 120.24 million (US$410 million).
MTC's corporate strategy can simply be summarized as "3x3x3", an ambitious, sustainable expansion strategy that will see MTC become a leading mobile and lifestyle services provider on the global stage by the end of the year 2011. Initiated in year 2002, it is this strategy that will make MTC a global player in three stages: regional, international and global, with each stage completed in three years, with an aim of reaching a subscriber base of 20 million. In essence, through acquisitions, partnerships and green-field opportunities, MTC aims to achieve in nine years what other companies have taken more than 27 years to achieve.
In addition to securing the best possible returns for shareholders cohesive with a high standard of corporate governance, MTC considers itself defined by a commitment to excellence in providing world-class mobile services and an ethos of corporate social responsibility in supporting communities, offering employment and creating business opportunities wherever it operates.
Facts on our operations (as of August 1, 2005):
Kuwait (branded as mtc-vodafone)
Notably distinct as the first mobile operator in the Middle East (1983), in September 2002, MTC entered into a Partner Network Agreement with Vodafone, the world's leading mobile community, creating mtc-vodafone Kuwait. The agreement allows MTC Kuwait customers to access their home services when roaming abroad on any of Vodafone’s networks and to access Vodafone’s global products and services. With a sound track record in providing world-class services, the operation has over 1.38 million subscribers, representing over a 60% market share.
Jordan (Fastlink)
In January 2003, MTC acquired 91.6% of Fastlink in Jordan, taking MTC’s ownership to 96.5%. Fastlink is one of the best known brands in Jordan, holding a dominant market position with a 71% market share. It has continually broken new ground through the introduction of new products and services. It was the first Middle Eastern operator to launch MMS Services and offers an abundance of mobile data services and infotainment solutions to over 1.43 million customers.
Bahrain (mtc-vodafone)
MTC won the Bahrain license to develop the second GSM network in April 2003 and officially launched its services in December 2003, at the time, the fastest deployment in the Middle East. Known as mtc-vodafone, the operation is at the forefront of technological development in the Middle East. It pioneered the introduction of 3G and EDGE, offering high-speed data and multimedia services to its customers. In less than 2 years of operation, it had gained over 165,000 subscribers representing a 20% market share.
Iraq (mtc atheer)
In December 2003, mtc atheer was licensed to install and operate a GSM network in the southern region of Iraq. In less than a year, the company succeeded in executing its initial objectives despite the security situation in Southern Iraq and has recently connected Baghdad. mtc atheer offers the highest standard of services and the most technologically advanced products to approximately 600,000 subscribers in Iraq. It has the widest reaching mobile telecommunications network in the country (2200km), and by September 2005, this will be expanded to offer a full GPRS network with a plethora of new services capable of supporting 1 million subscribers.
Lebanon (mtc touch)
On June 1, 2004, the Lebanese government handed over the management of one of the two mobile networks (MIC 2) to MTC, now known as mtc touch. The 4-year management contract will see mtc touch leveraging resources, expertise and know-how from different areas of the group and applying them to provide customers with cutting edge products and services. On taking over, the initial effort and focus was to re-brand the operation and upgrade the network through a new Intelligent Network (IN) that provides customers with a host of new services. The operation has in excess of 479,000 subscribers, representing a 50% market share. The agreement places MTC in the best possible position if the Lebanese government decides to privatize the assets after the management contract expires.
Africa (13 countries) (Celtel)
In May 2005, MTC acquired Celtel International, an African communications network company with major interests in 13 sub-Saharan African countries, in one of the biggest telecom deals in the Middle East and Africa worth USD 3.36 billion. With over 6 million subscribers, Celtel enjoys a commanding position in the telephony market of sub-Saharan Africa. Celtel covers 13 countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The company’s motto is “Making life better”.
