Iran grants Tamin 3rd operator license

Iran has granted a license for the country’s third mobile telephone network operator to state-owned Tamin Telecom along with its consortium.

Iranian Communications Minister Reza Taqipour said on Sunday that a mobile network deal was signed with a consortium including Tamin Telecom, adding that its sim cards were expected to enter the market in the current year, IRNA reported.

The report did not mention which companies were in the winning consortium.

In January 2009, the license was initially granted to a consortium of Tamin and Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat) but was later revoked.

Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) was then given the license. However, the deal was canceled for a second time after Iran said Zain had failed to fulfill its obligations.

The current telecom operators in Iran are the state-owned Iran Telecommunication Company (TCI) and Irancell, which is 49 percent owned by MTN Group, sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest mobile phone company.