Ms. Majid Shweikeh, the
first woman CEO of a mobile compnay in the world. |
How well established
was cellular telephone service in Jordan at the
time MobileCom came onto the scene?
Prior to MobileCom launching its service in Jordan,
there were only 180,000, mobile users. Today, the
sector serves over 3 million of which MobileCom
serves nearly 900,000.
MobileCom is a public company,
founded with what particular objective?
In the early stages of development MobileCom was
run virtually as a separate unit under the Jordan
Telecom – with its own vision, mission and
strategies. Earlier this year, Jordan Telecom chose
to integrate MobileCom back into the overall Group
– forming Jordan Telecom Group with various
business units: Fixed, Mobile, Internet, Content
& Wholesale, and implementing the "Integrated
Operator" strategy of France Telecom. The aim
is to face off challenges by new entrants to the
market place by providing differentiated convergent
offers.
Where do you stand
in terms of the overall market?
How is the service outside of Amman? MobileCom provides
its services across the entire Jordanian market
and provides coverage for more than 99% of the populated
areas in Jordan.
How advanced/extensive
is the cellular market in Jordan compared to other
countries of the region?
MobileCom, through its relationship with France
Telecom/Orange maintains a very healthy technically
advanced service for all its customers. Leading
edge solutions are ahead of many other service providers
in the Middle East. It is worth mentioning that
a study published by Arab Advisors in September
2005 announced Jordan to have one of the most competitive
communications' market in the Arab World.
You have roaming service
in Iraq?
Yes, both mobile operators "Iraqna and Asia
Cell"
The arrangement with Ericsson—EDGE technology.
What does it do to improve service?
It does accelerate the speed of data transmission
from network toward end users terminal either handset
(through the WAP portal or video streaming) or laptop/PC
up to five times of the current GPRS service which
means 256kbps instead of 52kbps.
What other high tech
services are you providing?
To compare technology with EDGE; there is only MMS
to be mentioned while other advanced services/technology
used by MobileCom are APN "Access Point Name"
that gives high and secured environment for data
transactions which is used for financial institutions
and confidential data transactions. Push email that
secures business information and communication among
management and stakeholders. Amman Stock Exchange,
Video Streaming, Vehicle Tracking System, Call Ring
Back Tone "Dandanah" (which was launched
before most European operators), … etc.
Talk about the partnering
with local universities. Also football sponsorship.
MobileCom is a heavy investor in Youth activities
– particularly with basketball. A close relationship
with the Jordan Basketball Federation is in place
and MobileCom has sponsored virtually all their
activities more recently. The most heavily attended
matches are those within the Madares (High school)
championships with 32 schools (girls and boys) competing
over a three month period.
Additionally MobileCom has been providing special
service called UniZone providing discounted rates
as low as two piasters per minute when calling to
any MobileCom number within the campuses of the
University of Jordan, Hashemite University and Yarmouk
University.
Ms. Shweikeh thoughts
on becoming CEO, the first woman CEO of such a company.
It is a very challenging and an interesting job.
The responsibilities are huge, exacting and forever
growing. I am surrounded by a very progressive,
dynamic and supportive team. We are leaders in services
and quality and my role is to ensure we continue
to grow at a fast pace, keeping in touch with the
diverse needs of our customs and of course to succeed
through differentiation by leveraging on the integrated
operator concept.
Certain governments
are wary of such technologies and remain unsupportive
of their implementation and advancement. How much
encouragement and support has the Jordanian leadership
shown in installing cellular and other communications
technologies? Refer to the GoJ’s Executive
Privatisation Commission – extract notes from
EPC website.
The Government considers integrated communication
and connectivity as the right of the people and
a mainstay to the overall economic development of
the Kingdom (as a hub in the Levant region) through
private investment through share acquisition of
Jordan Telecom. In an initial step towards privatization,
the Government of Jordan (GoJ) incorporated the
Telecommunications Corporation as a wholly-owned
public limited company in 1997 based on Telecommunications
law number 13 of 1995. The Corporation was renamed
as Jordan Telecommunications Company on January
1, 1997 and was registered as a private company.
This date marked a turning point for the company
in all its fields of operations, with new administrative
and financial independence.
• The Government, embarking on further steps
to privatize JTC, sold 40% of its shares in the
company in September 1999 to JITCO, a holding company
consisting of France Telecom(88%) and the Arab Bank(12%).
An agreement was signed on 23/1/2000 allowing the
JITCO Consortium led by France Telecom, to enter
the company with a 40 percent shareholding equity,
while the Jordanian government retained a 60 percent
stake.
• In February 2000, the Government sold a further
8% stake to the Social Security Corporation (SSC)
for JD72million.
• In October,2002, the Government completed
a US$86.2 million Initial Public Offering in Jordan
for additional shares of JT stock equal to 5.5%
of the company (to Jordanian institutional and retail
investors) along with the placement of an additional
5% with SSC, leading to JT’s current ownership
as follows:
GoJ: 41.5%
JITCO: 40%
SSC: 13:0%
Institutional and Retail Investors: 5.5%
The net returns of the sale of the government’s
share equity in JT totaled, at 31st Dec. 2004, JD
468,147 million.
The stock is listed and traded on the Amman Stock
Exchange.
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Jordan 
