Palestinians get new cell phone operator

BETHLEHEM: The Palestinian cellular phone market will be opened to competition when a new operator, Wataniya Telecoms, launches operations by the end of the year, an official said on Thursday.Mobile operator Jawwal, a unit of the telecoms group PalTel, has long been the official provider in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, although it has had to compete with some Israeli operators. The countdown for the launch of Wataniya has begun, said Mohammad Mustapha, president of the Palestinian Investment Fund, the financial arm of the Palestinian Authority.The PIF has a 30 percent stake in Wataniya, funds in Qatar and Kuwait control 40 percent and the remaining 30 percent will eventually be offered on the stock market.Wataniya obtained an operating license in September 2006 for $355 million, but has been waiting ever since for Israel to assign its frequencies and Mustapha said that has now been done. We are waiting for the official notification from the Authority, Mustapha said. By the end of the year, the company should be operational. In all, the launching of Wataniya as a mobile phone operator in the Palestinian territories has cost $650 million, Mustapha said. -AFP