Warid Telecom International ( ar, وارد تليكوم الدولية) was an Emirati
telecommunications
Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
company which was active in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
,
Congo,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, and
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
before its divestment.
Pakistan
In 2004, Warid Telecom International LLC, purchased a license for operating a nationwide mobile telephony network, (
WLL) and long-distance international (LDI) for $291 million US dollars and was the first venture of Warid Telecom International LLC. The licence 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.
Warid Pakistan launched its services in May 2005. Within 80 days of launch Warid Pakistan claims to have attracted more than 1 million. users.
On June 30, 2007, Singapore Telecommunications Limited (
SingTel
Singapore Telecommunications Limited, commonly known as Singtel, is a Singaporean telecommunications conglomerate and one of the four major telcos operating in the country. The company is the largest mobile network operator in Singapore with ...
) and Warid Telecom announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement subsequent to which SingTel will acquire a 30 percent equity stake in Warid Telecom for an estimated $758 million, valuing the company at an
enterprise value Enterprise value (EV), total enterprise value (TEV), or firm value (FV) is an economic measure reflecting the market value of a business (i.e. as distinct from market price). It is a sum of claims by all claimants: creditors (secured and unsecured) ...
of $2.9 billion.
SingTel sold back that stake in January 2013 for $150 million and a right to receive 7.5 per cent of the net proceeds from any future sale, public offering, or merger of Warid.
On November 26, 2015
VimpelCom
VEON Ltd. (formerly VimpelCom Ltd.) is a Dutch-domiciled multinational telecommunication services company. It predominantly operates services in the regions of Asia, Africa and Europe. It is the 13th largest mobile network operator in the world ...
and Abu Dhabi Group agreed to merge
Mobilink
Mobilink ( ur, ) was the trade name of Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (PMCL), a mobile operator in Pakistan providing a range of prepaid and postpaid voice and data telecommunication services to both individual and corporate subscribers ...
and
Warid into a single company called
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
.
Network technology
Bangladesh
In December 2005, Warid Telecom International LLC obtained a 15-year GSM license to operate as the sixth mobile phone operator in Bangladesh for US$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
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
''+880''. Warid Bangladesh has acquired a million subscribers within 70 days of launch.
Warid Telecom sold 70% of its stake in Bangladesh operations to India's
Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Currently, ...
for US$300 million receiving regulatory approval from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on January 4, 2010.
On December 20, 2010,
Warid Telecom
Warid Telecom International ( ar, وارد تليكوم الدولية) was an Emirati telecommunications company which was active in Bangladesh, Georgia, Congo, Pakistan, and Uganda before its divestment.
Pakistan
In 2004, Warid Telecom Inter ...
was rebranded as
Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Current ...
.
Georgia
Licence awarded.
Network technology
Ivory Coast
Licence awarded.
Republic of Congo
Launched service in January 2008. On 5 November 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported an acquisition by Airtel.
Network technology
Uganda
Planned to launch services in
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
by the fourth quarter of 2007. Warid is also set to deploy a
WiMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options.
The WiMAX ...
network throughout Uganda through its sister concern
Wateen Telecom
Wateen Telecom ( ur, ) is a converged communication services provider based in Lahore, Pakistan, and was a sister concern of Warid Telecom. The company was incorporated in 2005 and began its operations in 2007 with the deployment of the largest ...
. Acquired by
Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Current ...
in 2013.
Network Technology
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
Warid Telecom, Pakistan
Telecommunications companies established in 2004
Companies disestablished in 2015
Emirati companies established in 2004
2015 disestablishments in the United Arab Emirates