Vodafone has expanded its plans to enter the Middle East country of Qatar with news that the operator has won the country’s second fixed-line license. Forbes notes that the win – made in partnership with the Qatar Foundation Consortium – will end the monopoly of Qatar Telecommunications (Qtel). Financial terms were not disclosed, although a Reuters report states that Qatar’s telecoms regulator, the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology, said in December the license would be sold for a fixed fee of QAR10 million (US$2.8 million) and services should start in 2009. Vodafone’s move is its latest attempt to break into the world’s fixed-line industry, following a deal earlier this year to gain control of its German broadband and fixed-line subsidiary, Arcor. Analysts have recently pointed to Vodafone’s intention to offer fixed-line and mobile services in its markets. Last year, the UK-headquartered group acquired the Spanish and Italian units of Tele2 for US$1.2 billion.

Vodafone’s tie-up with Qatar Foundation also won the country’s second mobile license last December, with mobile services expected to launch in the first quarter of 2009. The mobile joint-venture, in which Vodafone owns 51 percent while the rest belongs to Qatar Foundation, is set to sell 40 percent of its shares to the public before the end of the year. Meanwhile, regional rival Qtel today reported a 102 percent increase in first half group revenues, to QAR8.1 billion (US$2.2 billion), with net profit up 33 percent year-on-year at QAR1.18 billion (US$324 million). The company also confirmed its recent acquisition of Indonesian operator Indosat, following legal issues.