Intense competition sees Jordan Telecom profits fall 7.2%

Jordan Telecom Group, which operates under majority stakeholder France Telecom-Orange’s preferred ‘Orange’ brand, has reported a 7.2% fall in net profits for full year 2012 to JOD83.2 million (USD117.02 million), Reuters reports. Total revenues, including the telco’s wireless, fixed voice and internet services dipped 0.9% year-on-year to JOD408 million, whilst operating income fell by 4.5% y-o-y to JOD163.1 million. The operator faces stiff competition from rivals, particularly in the wireless sector where it vies with Zain Jordan and Bahrain-backed Umniah Telecommunications and Technology. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that at end-September 2012, Orange claimed 36.0% of the wireless market with 3.21 million subscribers, snapping at the heels of frontrunner Zain which represented 37.4% of the segment with 3.33 million users.