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Jordan mobile operator in $35 m Ericsson deal

AMMAN: Jordan's new mobile phone operator, MobileCom, has signed a memorandum of understanding worth $35 million with Ericsson LMEb to supply GSM infrastructure equipment, local newspapers reported on Sunday.

They said under the agreement, signed earlier this month, Ericsson would supply MobileCom with a full GSM infrastructure and service portfolio.

MobileCom is the operator of a mobile communications licence granted by the government to Jordan Telecommunications Company (JTC). France Telecom FTE holds a 40 percent stake in JTC.

MobileCom service will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2000. Its network is expected to reach a capacity of 300,000 subscribers shortly afterwards.

Fastlink is currently the sole provider of mobile phones in Jordan. It has around 100,000 subscribers-Reuters