The nearly ten-month process of issuing 4G licences in Algeria is nearing completion following confirmation by the country's ICT minister Imane Houda Feraoun that executive decrees authorising the deployment of 4G LTE networks in the country have been signed by the Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal.

Market research and consulting firm TeleGeography has revealed that final concessions will be be awarded to the three mobile operators that won the rights to launch commercial 4G services countrywide within the next two weeks.

Two of the three mobile operators, Ooredoo (Wataniya Télécom Algérie) and Djezzy (Optimum Telecom Algeria) have come out publicly about steps they have taken to prepare for the establishment and operation of public 4G networks, since they were allotted provisional licenses by Algeria's Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications (ARPT) in May.

Djeezy has announced further investments in its network across Algeria ahead of the final award of licences relying on its expertise in the 4G/LTE field in markets where it runs its business including Italy and Russia.

Vincenzo Nesci, Executive Chairman of Djezzy and CEO of GTH has commended Algeria's Minister of Post and Information and Communication Technologies for having concluded the licensing process swiftly.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Djezzy, as the leading operator in Algeria, to spearhead the development and implementation of such sophisticated technology in Algeria. It will facilitate further digital inclusion for our 17 million customers with the launch of new services and offers."

Ooredoo has performed a successful commercial 4G pre-launch of the in north-western Algeria in July.

Joseph Ged, CEO of Ooredoo, emphasised the benefit of 4G for the Algerian economy at a pre-launch event organised in partnership with Nokia. "The advent of 4G is a milestone for the telecommunications sector and the national economy. We congratulate the government for all efforts to modernise the telecommunications infrastructure and to encourage the emergence of a national digital economy."