Lol, vodafone realized the only thing they had going for themselves over Q-tel was an offer of better customer service and some flashy gimmicks. But looking at virgin's reputation, they offer better service and even flashier gimmicks plus they are on the strong Q-tel Network so no range problems.
Things don't look so good for vodafone suddenly and they are looking to make a hue and cry about it.
I guess Vodafone’s Legal Manager will really be put to the test on this case, although the article does point to assistance from ‘external legal advisers’.
Vodafone Qatar is taking “legal action” against the country’s telecom regulator ictQATAR, for “allowing Virgin Mobile’s entry into the market without being licensed”.
“We believe Virgin Mobile’s tie-up with Qtel represents a third service provider in Qatar,” Vodafone
said.
Vodafone Qatar said it viewed this as a “violation” of its second public mobile telecommunications networks and services licence conditions and the telecoms law in Qatar, which states that no further mobile service provider would enter the market, and be licensed, until the proposed sector review.
For this opportunity, Vodafone Qatar’s shareholders collectively paid QR7.7bn for the second mobile licence in Qatar; of which QR3.38bn was raised through an Initial Public Offering to Qatari individuals and institutions.
“We are taking legal action for the damages this has caused our shareholders. We are simply protecting their interests; 82,000 of which are individual Qataris that paid 40% of the second mobile licence fee,” said Vodafone Qatar chairman HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Saud
al-Thani.
Vodafone Qatar CEO Grahame Maher said: “Vodafone Qatar is happy to compete and is not threatened by Virgin Mobile’s entry into the market, but we see this as a change to the rules of our licence.”
A Vodafone spokesperson later told Gulf Times that the legal case against ictQATAR was already underway.
“The legal cases are being handled by our legal and regulatory team, working with the company’s external legal advisers,” the spokesperson said.
William Fagan, ictQATAR executive director, said: “We have not been served with any notice, as we speak. But we don’t have any comments to offer on the issue.”
Qtel’s executive director and spokesman Adel al-Mutawa also declined to comment on the issue.
Asked why Vodafone was contemplating legal action against ictQATAR when the country’s telecom regulator had already clarified its stand on the Qtel-Virgin tie up, the company spokesperson said: “Virgin Mobile in Qatar is more than just Qtel using the Virgin Brand. It looks like and has been reported as a Mobile Virtual Networks Operator (MVNO) in other countries.”
Asked what effect Vodafone’s move against ictQATAR had on the country’s telecommunications sector, the spokesperson said: “Unfortunately this sets a worrying precedent for operators to come to Qatar and disregard the Telecoms Law in Qatar. We consider such behaviour to be unacceptable, and if unaddressed, confidence in the Telecoms Law and ictQATAR’s authority will be undermined.”
Recently, Qtel said it had selected Virgin Group as a “brand franchise partner” after conducting extensive research, which suggested the youth market was looking for “exciting services and well-known” brand names. The service uses Qtel infrastructure to deliver the “new brand experience” for customers. The brand licence agreement is with the Qtel Group, which has the option to extend the partnership across its regional footprint.
Qtel also asserted that its partnership with Virgin Mobile was purely based on a “brand licensing agreement”.
“There is no new telecom service provider in Qatar,” Qtel had said.
ohh.. "We are taking legal action for the damages this has caused our shareholders. We are simply protecting their interests" .. oh, so sweet..such a touching care of the investors... they break my heart..I will cry now..
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seems in this battle Qtel & Vodafone being giants,,Virgin is gonna be screwed & will soon be renamed as UnVirgin....LOL
nothing much to read in it..........
Lol, vodafone realized the only thing they had going for themselves over Q-tel was an offer of better customer service and some flashy gimmicks. But looking at virgin's reputation, they offer better service and even flashier gimmicks plus they are on the strong Q-tel Network so no range problems.
Things don't look so good for vodafone suddenly and they are looking to make a hue and cry about it.
I guess Vodafone’s Legal Manager will really be put to the test on this case, although the article does point to assistance from ‘external legal advisers’.
http://www.qatarliving.com/node/984575
Agreed...but there would be some complaining for the copy paste...isn't it?
satisfied? But I agree with you, Padre!
should have posted that in the topic not here as comment
of course, a non-Virgin one! Lol!
Vodafone Qatar is taking “legal action” against the country’s telecom regulator ictQATAR, for “allowing Virgin Mobile’s entry into the market without being licensed”.
“We believe Virgin Mobile’s tie-up with Qtel represents a third service provider in Qatar,” Vodafone
said.
Vodafone Qatar said it viewed this as a “violation” of its second public mobile telecommunications networks and services licence conditions and the telecoms law in Qatar, which states that no further mobile service provider would enter the market, and be licensed, until the proposed sector review.
For this opportunity, Vodafone Qatar’s shareholders collectively paid QR7.7bn for the second mobile licence in Qatar; of which QR3.38bn was raised through an Initial Public Offering to Qatari individuals and institutions.
“We are taking legal action for the damages this has caused our shareholders. We are simply protecting their interests; 82,000 of which are individual Qataris that paid 40% of the second mobile licence fee,” said Vodafone Qatar chairman HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Saud
al-Thani.
Vodafone Qatar CEO Grahame Maher said: “Vodafone Qatar is happy to compete and is not threatened by Virgin Mobile’s entry into the market, but we see this as a change to the rules of our licence.”
A Vodafone spokesperson later told Gulf Times that the legal case against ictQATAR was already underway.
“The legal cases are being handled by our legal and regulatory team, working with the company’s external legal advisers,” the spokesperson said.
William Fagan, ictQATAR executive director, said: “We have not been served with any notice, as we speak. But we don’t have any comments to offer on the issue.”
Qtel’s executive director and spokesman Adel al-Mutawa also declined to comment on the issue.
Asked why Vodafone was contemplating legal action against ictQATAR when the country’s telecom regulator had already clarified its stand on the Qtel-Virgin tie up, the company spokesperson said: “Virgin Mobile in Qatar is more than just Qtel using the Virgin Brand. It looks like and has been reported as a Mobile Virtual Networks Operator (MVNO) in other countries.”
Asked what effect Vodafone’s move against ictQATAR had on the country’s telecommunications sector, the spokesperson said: “Unfortunately this sets a worrying precedent for operators to come to Qatar and disregard the Telecoms Law in Qatar. We consider such behaviour to be unacceptable, and if unaddressed, confidence in the Telecoms Law and ictQATAR’s authority will be undermined.”
Recently, Qtel said it had selected Virgin Group as a “brand franchise partner” after conducting extensive research, which suggested the youth market was looking for “exciting services and well-known” brand names. The service uses Qtel infrastructure to deliver the “new brand experience” for customers. The brand licence agreement is with the Qtel Group, which has the option to extend the partnership across its regional footprint.
Qtel also asserted that its partnership with Virgin Mobile was purely based on a “brand licensing agreement”.
“There is no new telecom service provider in Qatar,” Qtel had said.
well, goodluck on their legal battle.. :)
ohh.. "We are taking legal action for the damages this has caused our shareholders. We are simply protecting their interests" .. oh, so sweet..such a touching care of the investors... they break my heart..I will cry now..
so was Vodafone pissed off because of an added competition? :P
mj, it will be Qtel-2...
and score will be 2(Qtel):1(VF)
how can Virgin be a third service provider if it's powered by Qtel?
just a link?????
post full article.
unless Virgin started to build their own infrastructure?