WASHINGTON-Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq, signed an order creating a new Iraqi government agency to oversee licensing of commercial wireless and wireline telecom systems in that country.
The June 9 order establishing the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, obtained by RCR Wireless News, comes amid unconfirmed news reports that the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority has solicited bids for a national mobile-phone network in Iraq.
There is significant private-sector interest here and overseas in installing wireless infrastructure in a country about the size of California. Many of Iraq’s 23 million people lack modern communications. Contracts potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars are up for grabs, a tempting prospect for firms in a flat U.S. wireless market.
The Bremer order is viewed as a big victory for CDMA advocates like Qualcomm Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc. because it transfers decision making from the Department of Defense-which has favored European GSM technology used in surrounding countries-to the Iraqi people.
Motorola Inc., the top U.S. mobile-phone manufacturer, said it has not received word of a tender for a nationwide Iraqi mobile-phone system. In addition, Motorola today disputed MCI WorldCom Inc.’s claim about a wireless subcontract in Iraq.
Last week, MCI spokeswoman Natasha Haubold said MCI had subcontracted with Motorola for mobile phones under a general contract awarded by the Pentagon to MCI in May. MCI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
