Qatar Telecom (Qtel) provides fixed mobile and broadband services directly and through its subsidiaries. It was the sole fixed and mobile telecom operator in Qatar since 1987, until Vodafone Qatar broke its mobile monopoly in December 2007, and its fixed line network monopoly, in September 2008.

Formerly a government-owned company, known as the Qatar Public Telecommunications Corporation, it listed on the Qatar Exchange in 1998, the London Stock Exchange, in 1999 and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, in 2002.

Qtel led a consortium that won the license to operate the second Omani GSM network, in 2004, and in November 2008, grabbed Oman’s second fixed-line license, supported by its partners TDC and other Omani investors. The company, named Omani Qatari TelecommunicationsOmani Qatari Telecommunications (NawrasNawras), closed 2008 with 1.5 million subscribers, a 49% annual increase representing 2.6% of Qtel’s total.

Qtel acquired a 51% stake in the Kuwait-based Wataniya TelecomWataniya Telecom, in March 2007, for QAR13.84 billion (USD3.8 billion), which became one of the largest telecom deals in the MENA region and included a 9% Qtel share in each of Wataniya’s Iraqi and Algerian operations. This acquisition added over 10 million Qtel subscribers in Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, Iraq and Palestine. Wataniya’s subscribers increased by 15% to 10.9 million, in 2008, representing 18.95% of Qtel’s total.

Qtel announced an alliance with the Saudi-based Abdulrahman Al Turki Corporation for Trading and ContractingAbdulrahman Al Turki Corporation for Trading and Contracting, in May 2008, to establish Wi TribeWi Tribe Limited, a Bahrain-based provider of wireless broadband connectivity. Wi TribeWi Tribe launched its Wimax services in Jordan, in June 2008. The company acquired the remaining 25% of Wi TribeWi Tribe Pakistan, for QAR57.72 million (USD15.8 million), in July 2008. The alliance also established Wimax Networks a broadband Internet service to subscribers in North Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Qtel positioned itself in Iraq after acquiring 30% of AsiaCell for CommunicationsAsiaCell for Communications, the entity using the assets of the discontinued subsidiary, the AsiaCell Telecommunication Company. In 2008, Asia Cell subscribers grew by 42% to 6.1 million, which accounts for 10.6% of Qtel’s total subscribers.

PT Indosat was Qtel’s latest acquisition, with a 40.8% stake in the Indonesian entity, purchased for QAR 6.2 billion (USD1.7 billion) from Asia Mobile Holding, in June 2008. PT Indosat was Indonesia's second largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers, with 37 million, as of the close of 2008, representing 64.32% of Qtel’s total. The company increased its stakes in Indosat to 65%, after it completed the purchase of 1.3 billion shares, in March 2009.

Qtel’s revenues rose to QAR20.31 billion (USD5.58 billion), in 2008, an annual increase of 95%. Its Qatar operations earned 27% of the total revenues, Indonesia 21%, Kuwait 15%, Iraq 14% and Algeria 9%. Revenues from wireless services accounted for QAR17.76 billion (USD4.88 billion), or 87.45% of the company’s total 2008 revenues, compared to QAR9.22 billion (USD2.53 billion), in 2007. Revenues from wire line services amounted to QAR2.54 billion (USD687 million), in 2008 or 12.55% of the total. The increase in Qtel’s revenues was attributed to its 2008 acquisitions, specifically PT Indosat.

Total group subscribers increased by 250% to 57.5 million, at the close of 2008, with Indosat’s subscribers representing 64.34% of the total. Revenues from non-Qatari activities accounted for QAR14.88 billion (USD4.08 billion), which represented 73.05% of the group’s total 2008 revenues, compared to 57.8%, in 2007.

Qtel aims to be one of top 20 telecommunications companies in the world, in 2020, by expanding its operations in the Middle East and internationally. As part of its expansion plans into South East Asia, the company opened a regional support office in Singapore. Qtel announced in August 2009, that it would shortly thereafter launch its wireless broadband operations in the Philippines.