Warid Telecom International (Arabic: وارد تليكوم الدولية) was an Emirati telecommunications company that was active in Bangladesh, Georgia, Congo, Pakistan, and Uganda before its divestment.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunication |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Defunct | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
Key people | Warid Rahman, Chairman Bashir Tahir, founding CEO |
| Products | Telephony, LTE, WiMAX, EDGE, GPRS, GSM, UMTS |
| Subsidiaries | |
Pakistan
editIn 2004, Warid Telecom International LLC, purchased a license for operating a nationwide mobile telephony network, (WLL) and long-distance international (LDI) for US$291 million and was the first venture of Warid Telecom International LLC. The license was bid for and acquired by a team led by Bashir Tahir the former CEO of the Abu Dhabi Group, which is the parent company of all Warid operations.[1]
Warid Pakistan launched its services in May 2005. Within 80 days of launch, Warid Pakistan claims to have attracted more than 1 million. users.[2]
On June 30, 2007, Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) and Warid Telecom announced that they had entered into a definitive agreement subsequent to which SingTel would acquire a 30 percent equity stake in Warid Telecom for an estimated $758 million, valuing the company at an enterprise value of $2.9 billion.[3]
SingTel sold back that stake in January 2013 for $150 million and a right to receive 7.5 percent of the net proceeds from any future sale, public offering, or merger of Warid.[4]
On November 26, 2015, VimpelCom and Abu Dhabi Group agreed to merge Mobilink and Warid into a single company called Jazz.[5]
Network technology
edit| Frequency | Protocol | Band | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 900 MHz | GSM/GPRS/EDGE | 2G | |
| 1800 MHz | GSM/GPRS/EDGE | 2G | |
| 2100 MHz | UMTS/HSDPA/HSPA+ | 1 | 3.5G |
| 1800 MHz | LTE | 3 | 4G |
Bangladesh
editIn December 2005, Warid Telecom International LLC obtained a 15-year GSM license to operate as the sixth mobile phone operator in Bangladesh for $50 million. Warid Bangladesh started rolling out its network from mid-2006, and launched commercial operations on May 10, 2007, covering 26 districts. It uses the code 16 preceded by the code number of Bangladesh +880. Warid Bangladesh acquired a million subscribers within 70 days of launch.
Warid Telecom sold 70% of its stake in Bangladesh operations to India's Bharti Airtel for $300 million receiving regulatory approval from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on January 4, 2010.[6]
On December 20, 2010, Warid Telecom was rebranded as Airtel.
Georgia
editLicence awarded.
Network technology
edit| Network | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiMAX | Live/Active | unknown | [7] |
Ivory Coast
editLicence awarded.[8]
Republic of Congo
editLaunched service in January 2008.[9] On November 5, 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported an acquisition by Airtel.[10]
Network technology
edit| Network | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSM900 | Live/Active | November, 2007 | [11] |
Uganda
editPlanned to launch services in Uganda by the fourth quarter of 2007. Warid is also set to deploy a WiMAX network throughout Uganda through its sister concern Wateen Telecom.[12] Acquired by Airtel in 2013.[13]
Network technology
edit| Network | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSM 900/1800 | Live/Active | January, 2008 | [11] |
| WiMAX | Live/Active | unknown |
References
edit- ^ "Royal Flush". Arabian Business. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
- ^ Warid, Pakistan, gains 1 million GSM subscribers in 80 days - Ericsson Customer Success Stories
- ^ "SingTel Confirms to Stake for $758 Million". CNBC.
- ^ "Abu Dhabi buys Warid Telecom stake - Business - Technology - Emirates24|7".
- ^ "Mobilink, Warid Telecom announce merger". Dawn. November 26, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- ^ "Bharti Airtel to Invest $300 Million in Warid Telecom". The Wall Street Journal. January 5, 2010.
- ^ "Warid Telecom wins Georgian WiMAX licence". Telecompaper. 2007-11-21. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
- ^ "Cote d'Ivoire: Warid Telecom pays for licence but can't get enough spectrum to operate". Balancing Act. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
- ^ "Congo-Brazzaville: Warid Telecom Launches". AllAfrica. 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
- ^ "Bharti Airtel to Buy Warid Group's Congo Telecom Operations". The Wall Street Journal. 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
- ^ a b Warid Congo SA – Network Information
- ^ Warid plans WiMAX network in Uganda – Telecompaper
- ^ "Uganda regulator clears Airtel's Warid Telecom acquisition". Mint. 2013-05-13. Retrieved 2014-04-19.