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Qatar Telecommunications Report Q3 2009Product Type: Market Research ReportPublished by: Business Monitor International Published: August 2009 Product Code: R302-7570 Description BMI’s latest update on the Qatari telecoms market includes expanded market data sections covering thecountry’s fixed-line and internet sectors. Although the market continues to be dominated by incumbentQatar Telecom (Q-Tel), the country’s second national telecoms operator, Vodafone Qatar, is currentlypreparing to introduce services with a commercial launch anticipated for late 2009. Vodafone is licensedto offer both wireless and wireline services and is therefore likely to enter the market providing aconverged service offering. Q-Tel has already pioneered the market for triple-play and quadruple-playservices in Qatar, an initiative which has contributed to both fixed-line and broadband subscriber growth.The anticipated launch of fixed-line and internet services by Vodafone has influenced BMI’s five-yeargrowth forecasts for the development of Qatar’s fixed-line and broadband subscriber markets. Our longtermbroadband subscriber forecast for Qatar anticipates an annual average growth rate of 22.6% over thenext five years. By the end of 2013, we estimate that there will be around 253,000 broadband subscribersin Qatar, equivalent to 15.8% penetration. Meanwhile, the latest data to be published by Q-Tel suggest that there were over 263,000 fixed-linesubscribers in Qatar at the end of 2008. This gave the country a penetration rate of 18.2%. By the end of2013, BMI anticipates Qatar’s fixed-line penetration rate rising to above 22%. Continued fixed-linegrowth will be sustained by Qatar’s growing population and the country’s expanding economy. However,it will also be driven by the promotion of triple-play and quadruple-play packages by Q-Tel and byVodafone Qatar. We believe that recent fixed-line growth has been driven by Q-Tel’s tendency to bundlea fixed-line telephony connection as part of a wider package of services which includes broadbandinternet access and IPTV. In other developments, Vodafone Qatar announced in May that it would list its shares on the Doha StockExchange in July. The move follows the completion of Vodafone’s initial public offering (IPO) in April2009, which raised US$930mn. The IPO saw approximately 82,000 Qatari individuals subscribe to 65%of the issue. Meanwhile, 273 Qatari institutional investors applied for the other 35% of the Vodafoneshares on offer. International investors will be able to buy the shares on the open market once the operatoris listed on the Doha market. Qatar remains in fourth position in BMI’s latest Business Environment Rankings for the Middle East.The country has seen a slight fall in its telecoms market score. Otherwise, its scores have remainedunchanged. Table of Contents
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