Iran's communications minister, Reza Taqipour, has said the government has awarded state-owned Tamin Telecom a license for the country's third mobile telephone network, IRNA news has reported. 'The license was given on Saturday to Tamin Telecom along with its consortium, and we are hopeful its sim cards will reach the market in the course of the current year,' the minister was quoted as saying. In January 2009 the licence was initially granted to a consortium of Tamin and UAE's Etisalat but was later withdrawn.