Jordanian blogger Basem drew attention to an article published in the on-line magazine Elaph (Arabic) where it was revealed that Jordan’s number one mobile operator — Fastlink — was found guilty of spying on Jordan’s second largest GSM provider, Mobilecom.
According to the article, Fastlink created a special unit solely dedicated to spying on Mobilecom. Fastlink hired employees and paid them salaries to perform these "spying" duties — yes, industrial espionage. The article in full is here (Arabic).
I wonder why the mainstream Jordanian media didn’t pick up and report this important piece of news. Why do we have to learn this kind of vital business story from an on-line source? Please correct me if I’m wrong, but so far I haven’t seen this report anywhere in the local media.
Why did Jordanian media shy away from reporting this? Maybe it’s simply because Fastlink is Jordan’s number one advertiser. The Jordanian press probably thinks twice before daring to air Fastlink’s dirty laundry, as they might risk losing a prime source of revenue. They will not bite the hand that feeds them. But then again, perhaps I’m just speculating!
Do you remember Ahmad Hajaj case? when Al-rai newspaper fired him out because he made a cartoon making fun of Fastlink network quality and how it’s always down when you need it while other networks was up and running without any glitch
I think the deal was Hajjaj or us (fastlink) and alrai choosed Fastlink money.
it’s a relief to me; reading your post after typing my own about my story with fastlink. If you’d like plz check it at http://xlubnax.blogspot.com
I always think or try to think innocently about things, but the more i get involved in things, the more i get shocked and feel terrible about how ppl really think, and treat each other! fastlink gave me such a big hit on the head:(
I wonder how you would ensure a free press in a capitalist system. If press is that reliant on advertising I don’t think there will be free press in Jordan. Especially when Jordan is a small country with few people dominating the business or at least those few has interests with those companies. Even if we were a democratic country with better regulations we will still have this problem concerning free press.
Maybe those stories should be published in details in the Jordanian Blog sphere.
Goes to show there is no such thing as “free press.” Not even in the most democratic of societies 🙂
Natasha,
You asked the question, and gave the right answer. Itla3ee darajeh.
Good story!
Yes, perhaps you are just speculating 😉 But in this comment, I’ll not be. All the major hitters in the Jordanian advertising world [Royal Jordanian, Mobilecom, Fastlink, Arab Bank, etc] really do play hardball when it comes to the press airing their dirty laundry. They will pull ads and outright penalize media outlets forever (no joking) that air something negative. I’ve seen it with my own eyes on numerous occasions. They can near about bankrupt some publications because their advertising is so central.
Few realize the influence these businesses have on the burgeoning press in Jordan. Probably more than anything else, even censorship, this made me sick while working there. I’ve hated the influence advertising has on journalism generally -– particularly in the US, but to see it already poisoning the press in Jordan, planting its poison pill right there next to the roots of it, was really upsetting.
Beyond that, Fastlink provides an inferior product from that of the many other mobile providers, including Mobilecom. So what you find here is that they are willing to do anything to maintain that market dominance. I don’t like Jordan Telecom, don’t approve of the French having such a major part of what should be a Jordanian venture. But in this case Mobilecom (Jordan Telecom’s mobile wing) is Fastlink’s better. Fastlink broke the ground but since that time, it has been holding the industry hostage with its control of phone numbers, etc.
And no one may care, but those founders of Fastlink have been made mighty rich on the backs of people who are not getting all that they deserve. Fastlink has made them afraid to change carriers, to seek better services. And here we see the lengths to which they will go. It’s a game played all over the world of course. But you hate to see it get started so quickly in Jordan.
To find that Fastlink is involved in industrial espionage is not surprising. Nor is it surprising that the local press didn’t report it — they could go bankrupt if they did. It’s just sad really; a sad state of affairs with no easy solutions.