Third Operator project meaningless without foreign investor: TCI former chief

“The presence of a foreign investor has been assumed in Third Operator license because forming a network with a domestic investment alone seems impossible,” Masood Moghaddas told Mobna news agency.
“Foreign investor is an important factor in Third Operator project. Creating a network requires at least 10 billion rials and providing such a sum is not easy for a domestic party,” he said.
“In the project, expenses are not expected to be paid from government sources since the project winner is semi-governmental,” he added.
Tamin Telecom Company (affiliated to the Social Security Organization) was earlier selected as Third Operator tender winner along with its foreign partner Etisalat from the Emirates, but was later dismissed from the project because the foreign partner could not fulfill its obligations.
Tamin Telecom has accepted the project with its original proposition ($5.4b) without a foreign partner and has received the go-ahead paper.
Since Third Operator is expected to offer 3G services, Iran Broadcasting Company has offered some propositions to Tamin Telecom which has not been finalized.
Third Operator’s domestic partner has been selected and when its foreign partner is determined, Tamin Telecom will be officially announced as project winner.
Third Operator is expected to release 17 million sim cards in 15 years.
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