Jordan Telecom in hunt for Qatari fixed line licence

France Telecom’s 51%-owned Jordanian venture Jordan Telecom (Orange Jordan) says it is interested in bidding for the second fixed line telephony licence in Qatar, details of which are due to be announced later this month. Amman-based daily Al Ghad reports that Jordan Telecom is confident it will be successful in its bid and cites the strong links it has with its Orange-branded French majority shareholder – along with the technical and financial support it derives – as key factors in its application. The Jordanian operator sees expansion in Qatar as key to its plan to increase revenues, estimated in the region of USD423 million. Jordan Telecom is competing with two international firms for the concession on offer, with the winner looking to go head-to-head with incumbent PTO Qatar Telecom.