Niger courts bids for two 3G phone licences

* First licenses for high-speed data services

* Only 2.5 mln out of 16 mln Nigeriens have mobiles

NIAMEY, July 21 - (Reuters) - Niger's communications ministry said it wanted to establish a 3G mobile phone network and was inviting firms to apply for the landlocked west African country's first two licences.

"These licences can go to any operator who desires them," according to a statement on state TV overnight. "Operators already set up here and who have global licences also have a chance to acquire one."

Bharti Airtel , Atlantique Telecom's Moov, France Telecom's Orange, and state-owned SahelCom are the main telecoms operators in Niger, and all have benefited from a surge in mobile phone use in recent years.

Orange currently offers a Blackberry service, but no operator offers the high speed data services associated with 3G.

Despite its rich mineral resources, uranium-exporting Niger remains one of the poorest nations on earth and has been plagued by drought, as well as political upheavals until elections ended military rule in March.

While Niger's 16 million inhabitants share just 20,000 fixed lines, mobile phone use is estimated at around 2.5 million.

Last month, Niger revoked a deal to sell Libya's LAP Green Network a majority stake in national telecoms operator Sonitel and its mobile arm, saying the firm had not respected terms of the transaction. (Reporting by Abdoulaye Massalaki; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Dan Lalor)