Umniah, the leading telecom operator in Jordan and a subsidiary of Bahrain's Batelco Group, has announced that it was gearing up for the rollout of 3G services across the kingdom in the coming months.

A comprehensive mobile, Internet and business solutions provider, Umniah said preparations were underway for the completion of the newest 3G network in the Kingdom.

The company confirmed that it is in the process of finalizing the network in order to meet the growing demands for high-speed Internet in the Jordanian market. 

As part of its preparations for providing high-speed Internet services through 3G technology, Umniah commenced with the installment of towers across the Kingdom several months ago, to build a modern, comprehensive and high-speed network that meets to International standards and specifications.

Umniah said it had signed key agreements with Huawei – a leading global ICT solutions provider – and ZTE - a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions.

Both companies will be assisting in the technical requirements related to the building of the 3G network for Umniah’s corporate and individual subscribers, confirming Umniah’s commitment to elevating telecom services and increasing broadband Internet penetration levels in line with national ICT goals in Jordan.

Commenting on 3G service, Umniah CEO Ihab Hinnawi said, 'We are expecting to launch our 3G services in the coming few months.'

'The market has shown a number of indications that signify its readiness for 3G services as we have seen an increased demand for broadband Internet services, an increase in smartphone penetration rates, an improvement in purchasing power as well as a rise in content and applications that are suited to our community and lifestyle,' he added.

Hinnawi said Umniah had invested JD50 million ($70.4 million) in January for a 3G licence and dedicated additional amounts towards infrastructure and network expenses.

The telecom group had also acquired 2.1 GHz of spectrum from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), preparing it to move forward with the rollout of the advanced 3.75G services to its growing customer base, he stated.

Umniah currently serves more than 2.3 million customers in the Kingdom, giving it a 31 per cent market share, he added.-TradeArabia News Service