Batelco Makes Bold Wireless Claim in Iraq

[Khephra]

With the Iraqi phone system in shambles and no cellular service other than temporary networks for military and aid officials, the U.S.-led administration plans to start seeking bids next week for three wireless phone networks serving most of Iraq.

So it came as a surprise to U.S. officials this week when foreigners in Baghdad found themselves suddenly able to get service on their cell phones from Bahrain Telecommunications Co.

The company, known as Batelco, boldly spent $5 million in the past five weeks setting up its own wireless network in Baghdad without seeking permission of the U.S.-led occupation authority.

On Tuesday, Batelco began carrying calls for people whose phones use the GSM network standard common in the Middle East and Europe. The network handled more than 8,000 calls in its first two days, said Rashid al-Snan, Batelco's regional operations manager.

more..................
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-iraq-wireless,0,6211483.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[J B]

1. I remember a corp got a no-bid, exclusive contract for this

and the system was supposed to be US frequencies, not EU/International like all the other Gulf states.

The corp must be hugely pissed and will expect fierce retaliation. Like, cell tower demolitions...

[htuttle]

2. That was WorldCom, and they just do Baghdad and environs

WorldCom, holder of the global record for corporate corruption, has a contract to provide a US-only phone service to the area around Baghdad, presumably for the military and other US contractors.

They haven't even attempted to fix the phone service for Iraqis. Given that doing so isn't even slated to happen for something like 2-3 years, it would seem that Proconsul Bremer would rather that the Iraqis didn't have telephone service.

Going to be a little hard to shut it down now that it's going, however. It's one of the few things that's shown any progress since the invasion (yes...ironic).

[pfitz59]

3. In praise of free enterprise!

Darn those Bahraini capitalists!

[bpilgrim]

4. now THAT is initiative!

probably will be considered a war crime, to be target for destruction by the neo-cons.

but don't worry your pretty little heads though... i am sure it is all legal in the post 911 neo-con world :evilgrin:

peace