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AME Info, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, telecommunications briefs [AME Info, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates](AME Info (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) May 06--MOBILY WINS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST REGULATOR OVER FREE ROAMING: Saudi Arabia's Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has been instructed by the Board of Grievances to allow telecoms operator Mobily to offer free roaming services to its customers, Arab News has reported. The order comes after Mobily sued the regulator over its decision to ban local service providers, which includes STC and Zain, from offering customers free roaming. The CITC was also ordered to lift the SR500,000 fine it had imposed on Mobily for continuing to offer its free service. The CITC can appeal the decision. LEGAL ACTION PLANNED AGAINST SAUDI TELECOMS REGULATOR OVER FREE ROAMING CANCELLATION: Saudi Arabia's consumer watch dog has announced plans to file a case against the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) for revoking free roaming services, Arab News has reported. "Thus far, all other measures exerted to try to revoke the commission's decision have been to no avail," said Nasser Al-Toam, the chief executive of the Consumer Protection Association (CPA). "We hoped that the CITC, in its capacity as a regulator, would favour consumers in their decisions," he added. INTEL PLANS QUICKER SHIFT TO MOBILE: Intel Corp's next chief executive, Brian Krzanich has said he's convinced the company's board of a plan to move more quickly into mobile-device chips, Bloomberg has reported. Krzanich takes the helm as Intel struggles to cut into Qualcomm Inc.'s lead in the $85.4bn mobile-chip market. "You'll see actions over the next couple of months that will start to unfold what that strategy is," said Krzanich, who becomes Intel's sixth CEO on May 16. He said he'll outline his plans with staff soon, and the public after that. ASIACELL POSTS 31 percent RISE IN 2012 NET INCOME: Asiacell, the Iraqi mobile operator majority-owned by Qatar's Ooredoo, has posted a 31 percent jump in its annual profit thanks to a rise in customers and revenues, Reuters has reported. The country's second-largest mobile operator made a net income of ID662bn ($569m) last year, on an 18 percent rise in revenue to ID2.17trn. Customer numbers also grew by 12 percent to 10.1 million, helping to lift the firm's market share to 36 percent from 35 percent in 2011, Asiacell said. QATAR FOUNDATION ACQUIRES 5 percent OF INDIA'S BHARTI AIRTEL: Doha-based Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE), the investment arm of the Qatar Foundation, has acquired a 5 percent stake in India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel for $1.26bn, Reuters has reported. As part of the deal Bharti will issue 199.9 million new shares at 340 rupees each, a 7.3 percent premium to the stock's Thursday closing price, the company said yesterday. Bharti, which recently raised $1.5bn in overseas bonds, has an option to sell shares its majority-owned telecoms infrastructure unit Bharti Infratel. Goldman Sachs advised QFE on the Bharti deal. ___ (c)2013 AME Info (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Visit AME Info (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) at www.ameinfo.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |