Rules Block Many Telcos From Bidding On Wireless Spectrum In Iraq

from the to-the-victors... dept

Thu, Jul 31st 2003 11:26am — Mike Masnick

Earlier this week, the US forced Batelco, a company that had gone out and built a working mobile phone network in Baghdad to shut the system down because they hadn't (oh no!) actually paid the US the right to set up the system. So, the folks in Baghdad are back to no cellular communication. Realizing that Batelco might have a pretty good claim as to why they should get the license to offer service, it appears that the US has written up fairly strict rules on who can bid on the licenses that pretty much disqualify Batelco. They also disqualify large European carriers such as Orange and T-Mobile. Pretty much, they make it so that it really really helps if you're an American carrier.

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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2003 @ 10:17am

No surprise here
Iraq is a place of tremendous resources which
is unfortunately filled with heathen nonhuman natives. If they can be converted it would only
be for the betterment and glory of God. If not,
well since they are not God Fearing Christians,
they will simply have to be shown the proper way.
And if they won't follow the right way, since they
are nonhumans it would be a kindness to eliminate
them, to protect God fearing peoples everwhere.

Of course they are too foolish to run their own
country so we will do it for them, out of our
Christian kindness. We will reward our self-sacrificing businessmen for their efforts in
bringing civilization to the heathens.

Anyone else having flashbacks to 17th-18th
century European colonialism?
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2003 @ 11:20pm

US stealing out of the Isreali play book?
One of the first things the Isrealies did when cellular phone service started to take off in the late 80s early 90s was to offer rediculiously low cost cellular telephone servce....

Of course, all the west bank and gaza strip freed... uh, I mean terrorists use bit of technology in their planning. Oddly, while Isrealie helacopter rocket strikes are amazingly well timed and accurate, they haven't managed to get rid of their little problems.

Obiously any cellular network installed in Iraq will simply be another element of the eschalon system. That is the US's responsibility and heard earned right as occupiers of a country unwilling to take responsibility for its former leaders. This should have interesting implications for those in Saudi, Joran and Syria wishing to communicate with Iran.
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