Net profit at Jordan Telecom Group, the country's sole fixed-line telecoms operator, rose 3.7 per cent in 2009 to JD104 million ($146 million) as it captured market share in mobile and data services, the company reported on Monday.

The group, in which France Telecom owns a 51 per cent stake, said revenue in its integrated mobile, Internet and fixed-line business fell 0.3 per cent to JD400.1 million  ($564 million) from 401.4 million in 2008.

Its fixed-line, internet and data services subscriber base rose 9.2 per cent to 2.75 million as of December 2009 compared with a year before.

The statement showed revenue from Jordan Telecom's fixed and Internet services fell 1 per cent in the year to JD219.1 million, while revenue from mobile unit Orange rose 0.6 per cent to 181 million.

Jordan Telecom has a mobile network with nearly 2 million subscribers or over 30 per cent of the saturated Jordanian market, where market penetration is almost 100 per cent.

Industry executives say the group hopes its fast-growing data services business could offset a fall in the mobile phone market, which has seen a fierce turf war with its main competitor, Kuwaiti telecom operator Zain's wholly owned Jordanian subsidiary.

Zain is the largest mobile operator in Jordan with around 2.5 million subscribers. – Reuters