Asiacell responds to the Iraqi Telecom Conference & Exhibition discussions

16 April 2009 - In order to provide fundamental solutions to the problems within the telecom sector, Asiacell - the largest private Iraqi company and the first mobile telecommunications company to provide coverage for all of Iraq - called on the Iraqi Government to organize an official telecommunications conference that brings in all licensed telecom companies in Iraq and the media in order to engage in a constructive dialogue around the problems facing the sector.

This step came in response to the recent statements made during the Iraqi Telecom Conference & Exhibition, which was organized by the Iraqi Reconstruction & Development Institution in cooperation with a wireless and internet communication company on Sunday, April 12th, 2009. Asiacell also reconfirmed that it did not refuse to attend the conference, and that it firmly believes in the importance of supporting active discussions with the Government and the private sector in order to best serve national interests.

Within this context, Mr. Faruk Mustafa Rasool, Founder and Chairman of Asiacell, reaffirmed his company's dedication to overcoming the existing political and social difficulties that the country is facing, stating: "We remain steadfast in our commitment to finding positive solutions to the ongoing difficulties and hardships that face Iraqis on a daily basis. Asiacell has invested hundreds of millions in order to create our network, and we will continue to improve it so that we may realize our vision to deliver our mobile telecom services to the Iraqi people across the country. I am confident that the Iraqi Government will take the necessary steps to find real solutions to the challenges that we are experiencing and to launch the necessary projects required to enhance our economic infrastructure."

Furthermore, Dr. Diar Ahmed, CEO of Asiacell, went on to say that "We are extremely proud of being the fastest growing operator in Iraq, which reflects all the efforts that we have taken to provide quality services to the Iraqi people at competitive prices in all Governorates with no exceptions. This comes from our commitment to fulfill our responsibilities as a national company and we will continue on this path by disregarding any negative and unfair statements that have been made, especially in lieu of the existing conditions in Iraq."

Asiacell also highlighted the various problems currently hindering the Iraqi mobile telecommunication companies' transmissions caused by certain companies using Jammer devices which have been prohibited by many countries due to their negative affect on transmission operations and their interference with telecom engineers' attempts to accurately track problems within the networks. Asiacell called on the Government to prohibit the use of such devices in order to enable the company to continue to serve the Iraqi market and to avoid confusing subscribers into thinking that the problem lies with the operator.

-Ends-

About Asiacell
Asiacell, the first mobile telecommunications company in Iraq, was established in the city of Sulaimaniya in 1999 by the well-known entrepreneur Mr. Faruk Mustafa Rasool, and is today the only national Iraqi telecom network to provide coverage for all of the country's provinces in the north and the south, connecting the Iraqi nation together.

This press release was issued by Asiacell. For more information, please contact us at: 
Public Relations Department
Telephone: +964 770 118 0050
Fax: +964 770 119 5075
Email: Hamaothman@asiacell.com

© Press Release 2009