Middle East telecom services provider Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) has reached the 15 million customer mark due to faster-than-expected growth by its key subsidiary, Celtel, in Africa. The latest figure from Kuwait-based MTC represents a rise of 25 per cent over a last year estimate of 12 million customers in its areas of operation in Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain and sub-Saharan Africa. The company is interested in expanding into countries such as Iran, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt and has asked select banks for credit facilities of up to $5 billion to fund its expansion. This would be the largest such facility to date for a telecom company in the Middle East.
