Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Orascom Telecom Holding SAE, the biggest mobile phone company in the Middle East, expects a ruling against its mobile phone unit in Canada to be overruled and to start operating there before the year end.

“We are optimistic about getting up and running after resolving issues with the regulator, Chairman Naguib Sawiris said at a media conference in Cairo today. “We think the ruling will be overruled.”

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission decided in October that Globalive Wireless Management Corp., in which Orascom Telecom holds a 65 percent stake, can’t start a phone service to compete with rivals including Rogers Communications Inc. Canada doesn’t allow foreign-owned firms to compete with domestic phone providers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mahmoud Kassem in Cairo at mkassem1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 17, 2009 09:27 EST