Risk-prone mobile investors

The New York Times profiles Orascom Telecom, one of the first foreign firms to invest in Iraq. The article touches upon the unique role of cellular companies as first movers into hostile business environments. These early mobile investments are not only important for the tax revenues they bring and the service they provide to government and aid workers – they also provide new governments with an early opportunity to set a good example of dealing with foreign investors. For more on this topic, see a previous discussion.