Jordan Telecom Group launches its commercial activities in Bahrain

Jordan Telecom Group (JTG), the Jordanian integrated operator, has entered into a major partnership with Lightspeed Communications, a provider of advanced telecommunications services based in Bahrain, to launch innovative services in Bahrain such as bundled broadband services for the residential, small and medium enterprises, and the corporate sector.

The Jordan Telecom Group is the first fully integrated operator in the region, providing fixed services (Jordan Telecom), mobile services (MobileCom), internet and data services (Wanadoo), content services (eDimension) and wholesale services to its customers.

Mr. Mickael Ghossein, Chief Executive Officer of the JTG and new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lightspeed Communications commented on the partnership by saying: “This step comes in line with our regional expansion plans in order to remain a leader in our field in addition to providing France Telecom Group, our strategic partner, with a springboard into the region, by creating a hub in Jordan that focuses on Middle East markets.”  

According to Ghossein, JTG’s acquisition of the majority of shares in Lightspeed marks a first regional expansion in the region, which could also see the group offering equivalent services in other markets if opportune.

The joint initiative will enable Lightspeed Communications to offer its customers more choice and exceptional quality in broadband voice and internet services.  Jordan Telecom Group, which is majority-owned by giant global player France Telecom Group, provides fixed, mobile, internet, content and wholesale activities in Jordan and the Middle East.  The partnership will combine this international expertise, with a deep understanding of the local markets, and access to the existing infrastructure.

“This initiative marks a new era in Bahrain’s broadband market,” said Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Managing Director of Lightspeed Communications.  “Bahrainis are extremely tech-aware, and are hungry for the latest, fastest and best quality internet services, as we move into a knowledge-based economy.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with one of the region’s most successful telecommunications companies, and we believe that this partnership will bring to Bahrain the state-of-the-art broadband packages that our customers demand,” Sheikh Abdulla added.
“What we are witnessing in Bahrain is a strategic emphasis on promoting
transparent and fair competition in the Telecoms sector, and for that, I
would like to thank the Economic Development Board and the main
architect for such progressive and effective policies being the Crown
Prince, His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamed Al-Khalifa. His Highness
the Crown Prince has a keen eye and a clear vision of how the Kingdom of
Bahrain should lead in relation to the region and the world, and today's
announcement of this joint-venture is a standing testament of such a
successful vision," Sheikh Abdulla concluded.

“After the integration of operations of our four entities that now comprise the Jordan Telecom Group, we have managed to differentiate ourselves and strengthen our position which made us very confident of our future plan,” Ghossein added.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Economic Development Board, congratulated Lightspeed Communications and Jordan Telecom Group on the announcement of the launch of their partnership.  Speaking at the launch event, he said: “This joint venture is a very positive initiative, and is one of the first to take full advantage of Bahrain’s liberalised telecom market, bringing greater competition and new services to the Kingdom." 

The event included the launch of the new corporate identity of Lightspeed Communications. The company’s new corporate identity carries the ampersand logo, which is part of the France Telecom Group’s brand. The Jordan Telecom Group also has adopted the same sign last year to symbolize its new direction towards convergence, innovation, and best practice. 

About Jordan Telecom Group
Jordan Telecom Group was first established in 1971 under the name "Telecommunications Corporation," which was then totally owned by the Jordanian government.  In 1997 the corporation was privatized and became known as the Jordan Telecommunications Company, providing fixed line services.  In 2000, France Telecom entered as a strategic partner and gradually increased its share in the company until it acquired 51% of shares to become the majority shareholder.

Jordan Telecom Group decision was proclaimed in 2006 to integrate the fixed business unit (Jordan Telecom) , the mobile business unit (MobileCom), the internet and data business unit (Wanadoo), the content business unit (eDimension) and the wholesale business unit to be one giant integrated operator in Jordan.

The Group now serves 2.3 million subscribers with innovative communication technologies, at affordable prices, and world-class service.

About Lightspeed Communications
Lightspeed Communications is Bahrain's first alternative fixed-line telecommunications operator, offering value-added and innovative services for residential and business customers. Lightspeed's philosophy is to make the most of the existing telecom infrastructure, and use the opportunities in the newly liberalised sector to build innovative services and speed that customers are looking for. The company has received four licenses from Bahrain's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) since September 2003.
Lightspeed is bringing the next generation of triple play services (IP Voice, Video and Data) to the Kingdom of Bahrain, which will be launched later this year. This will complement its existing offering of a pioneering secure iVault data centre services, which enables government and financial organisations to securely host their mission-critical systems in Lightspeed’s state-of-the-art data centre.  The company is the first in the Gulf to introduce video phones and value-added video services, such as Video-on-Demand and video content distribution services.