Saudi Arabia’s telecoms regulator the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has reclaimed additional spectrum that was awarded to Etihad Atheeb Telecommunication (GO Telecom) following an auction conducted in June. The company secured 2×10MHz in the 700MHz band, in addition to a paired 10MHz block in the 1800MHz band, for SAR2.065 billion (USD550 million), with 15-year validity (from 1 January 2018). The CITC’s decision comes after Etihad Atheeb failed to pay the first installment of SAR619 million, equivalent to 30% of the total it owed for the frequencies. For its part, GO Telecom has said it will take all necessary steps to protect shareholders’ interests, adding that the financial impact of the CITC’s decision cannot be assessed at the current time.
Source: https://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2017/10/02/citc-reclaims-gos-