Providing fibre to the atolls in the Indian Ocean
Qatari telecoms firm Ooredoo has sold its Myanmar division to the Singapore company Nine Communications, according to a company announcement. The transaction had an enterprise value of €568 million ($576 million) and a total equity consideration of €160 million ($162 million).
Ooredoo said the sale is part of its ‘strategic decisions to focus on markets where Ooredoo is leading’ and promised to ensure a smooth transition with the least possible disruption ‘adhering to all local requirements’. The timing of closing will depend on regulatory approvals and the financial impact is expected to be ‘non-material’ at Ooredoo Group level, it said.
Meanwhile, in the Arabian sea region of the Indian ocean, Ooredoo Maldives has expanded its ‘SuperNet’ fibre-optic broadband service to Kudarikilu, an inhabited island of Southern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll, according to global telco news specialist Telegeography. Customers will now get fixed broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps, it said.
The national regulator, the Communications Authority of the Maldives (CAM) awarded an Internet Service Provider licence to mobile operator Ooredoo in August 2015 and the firm launched commercial fixed voice and broadband services in the capital Male in May 2016, notes TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database. Since then, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services have been expanded to over 75% of the country, including Olhuvelifushi in Lhaviyani Atoll, Kanditheemu in Shaviyani Atoll and Dhanbidhoo in Laamu Atoll, all of which gained coverage last month, and most recently Baarah in Haa Alif Atoll.