Kuwait to create third mobile firm

The Government of Kuwait has given the go-ahead for the establishment of a third mobile phone operator in the country, AFP reported. An official statement by the cabinet said that 60% of the proposed company would be sold to the public, 24% to state-owned authorities, with the remaining 16% going to an investor. The move will bring competition for existing mobile operators Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) and Wataniya. The two share around 2.5 million customers in the country, which has a population of three million, giving Kuwait one of the highest cell phone penetration rates in the region. The set-up of a third operator was passed despite opposition from MPs who said that the establishment of the second operator, Wataniya, had failed to cut prices and improve services.