Third mobile operator tender consultant to be known next week: telecom official

The short list includes four companies.
“Currently third nation wide mobile phone operator tender manager is studying offers and according to a timed schedule should announce foreign consultant by the next 10 days,” Telecommunication ministrys international affairs deputy Kamal Mahamedpour told Mobna news agency.
“This deadline is determined in Telecommunication ministry guideline council meeting and tender manager has to choose foreign consultant on this due date,” he added.
“Four foreign companies from Asian and European countries are the project consultant finalists. The tender documents will be published around 20 August after choosing foreign consultant,” he said.
We hope that according to the deadline the third operator tender will be held on 22 August,” Mahamedpour said.
Regulation organization commission has finalized third nation wide mobile phone operator tender documents and has provided these documents to Regulation organization since it would be handed over to this tender manager.
Earlier, the commission president had announced that the winner of the tender should pay 300-500 million euros franchise fee during its license period, but the amount was later reduced to 300 million euros upon suggestion by the International Telecommunication Union experts as incentive to other foreign companies to come forward.
Currently telecommunication ministry officials are studying selection of a foreign consultant for managing the tender.
The third nation wide mobile operators share of the countrys mobile phone market in the next 15 years is expected to be 15 million subscribers.
It is to provide services in 3G technology.
Major operators from 15 countries have so far shown interest to participate in tender.
Some Persian Gulf countries, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, England, Malaysia and Korea are more active to participate in the tender. 
They promised that third operator tender winner can start operation by 22 September.

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