Equant to face competition from Cable & Wireless in Jordan.

A newly released report from the Arab Advisors Group (www.arabadvisors.com) analyzes the new service that Batelco-Jordan will be offering in association with Cable and Wireless.

June 13, 2002 -

Batelco-Jordan's new venture into global IP and datacomm services pushes Jordan's global datacomm services closer to a competitive arena. The US$ 141,000 investment will make Batelco-Jordan the third provider of global frame relay services in Jordan, after Global One-Jordan and Middle East Communications (MEC), Equant's partner in Jordan.

A new report, entitled Cable & Wireless sets a datacomm node in Jordan, was released to the Arab Advisors Group's (www.arabadvisors.com) Strategic Research Service subscribers on June 13, 2002. The report provides detailed analysis of the implications of the new node on the datacomm market in Jordan.

"Batelco-Jordan, in conjunction with Cable & Wireless, technically completed the installation of a datacomm node in mid-April to provide two new global IP and datacomm services Jordan, Global Managed Private Line service and Global Frame Relay service." Sarah Alalul, Arab Advisors analyst, wrote in the research note. "Batelco-Jordan's new service, to be launched on June 20, will essentially aim at serving the multi-national corporations, banks and financial institutions, electronic and IT firms as well as media and advertising agencies." She added.

"With Batelco Jordan's datacomm node in Amman, Equant now faces cmopeition from its global rival Cable and Wireless in the small Jordanian market. Equant is in the market through its partnerships with Global One -Jordan and MEC" Ms. Alalul Noted. "This venture not only makes Jordan's datacomm market more competitive, but also gives the two leading ISPs, Global One Jordan and Batelco-Jordan an alternative revenue generator from current basic Internet services such as dial-up, leased lines, and ADSL." She concluded.