The UAE’s Etisalat Group is keen to gain entry to Libya’s telecoms market, either through the acquisition of new licence or via an investment in one of the existing operators in the country, Reuters reported.
Speaking on the sidelines of the TEDx Tripoli event in Libya on Monday, Etisalat’s chairman, Mohamed Omran, said that the telco had “shown to the Libyan government our interest” in participating in Libya’s telecom market, either via a new licence or an investment in one of the country’s existing licencees, the report added.
Omran also stated that there were “no official talks” between Etisalat and the government of Libya regarding investment into the country’s telecoms sector.
Etisalat made a bid for a third mobile licence in Libya in 2009, but the government’s plans to introduce a third operator were put on hold. Libya’s two mobile operators are Al Madar and Libyana.
News of Etisalat's interest in entering the Libyan market follows closely from the telco's licencing problems in India, where the country's Federal Court revoked the 2G licence that was awarded to Etisalat's Indian joint venture.
