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Wireless Federation » archive for 'Oman'

Mobile base reached 2.7 million users by end-March

  • June 4th, 2008
  • 3:09 pm

Oman was home to a total of 2.7 million mobile phones at the end of March 2008, up 9.2% from 2.5 million at the start of the year, the Khaleej Times reports citing latest official government statistics. Of the total, post-paid subscriptions accounted for 292,894 users, down 0.2% from 293,622 at the start of the year, but this was more than offset by a 10.5% rise in pay-as-you-go users from 2.2 million to 2.4 million. At the same date the country counted 115,506 internet users (+64%), of which 52,351 were dial-up accounts and 23,969 were ADSL connections. Leased line connections stood at 319 at end-March and other internet connections 1,267. During the period under review, the number of main lines in service increased marginally by 2.3% to 267,169 from 261,207.

   

 

 

Oman Mobile contracts NSN for upgrades

  • April 30th, 2008
  • 2:43 pm

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has inked a deal with Oman Mobile to upgrade 90% of the cellco’s network. The contract, worth between USD80 million and USD100 million, will see 90% of the company’s base stations and core connectivity replaced, and take 18 months to complete.Oman Mobile had 1.48 million subscribers at the end of 2007, equivalent to a 59.7% market share. In 2008 it hopes to add an average 100,000 subscribers per month.

   

 

 

Omantel posts record net income for first quarter (Oman)

  • April 29th, 2008
  • 3:14 pm

Omantel has posted record net income of OMR38.4 million (USD99.7 million) for the first quarter of 2008, up 60% year-on-year and comfortably ahead of analyst expectations. The result reflects a 15% increase in revenue to OMR98.2 million for the three months, and a 3% fall in operating expenses to OMR57 million. Shares in the company jumped almost 7% to their highest level since 2005.

   

 

 

Blackberry arrives in Oman (Oman)

  • December 19th, 2007
  • 7:15 am

Oman Mobile, the wireless arm of incumbent telco Omantel, and handset developer Research In Motion (RIM), have jointly announced the launch of the BlackBerry device in the sultanate with Emitac Mobile Solutions, a partner of RIM in the Middle East. Oman Mobile’s corporate customers will now be able to enjoy features such as wireless access to e-mail, phone, text messaging, internet access, personal organiser and other mobile data applications on a single handset. In addition, Oman Mobile is offering the ‘BlackBerry Internet Service’ for individuals and smaller businesses, enabling users to access up to ten personal email accounts (including most webmail accounts) from their Blackberry device. Models immediately available include the BlackBerry 8800, the BlackBerry 8700g and the BlackBerry Pearl.

   

 

Nawras 3.5G pilot announced (Oman)

  • November 6th, 2007
  • 2:56 pm

Oman’s second mobile operator Nawras, majority-owned by Qatar Telecom (Qtel), is to
‘soft-launch’ 3.5G HSDPA services in Oman ‘imminently’, reports the Times of Oman. The free trial will involve employees and customers living between the Muscat districts of Qurum and Al Athaiba and will last two months, after which a commercial service is set to be launched across Muscat and in the Port of Sohar. Nawras CEO Ross Cormack said, ‘Nawras is continuing to change the telecommunications landscape in Oman and will be the first mobile operator in the Sultanate to offer customers services based on the 3.5G technology. The new services will be supported by the reliable Nawras network and we are looking forward to offering both consumers and business customers the most innovative services and the latest technology offered anywhere in the world.’Nawras ended the first half of 2007 with 787,000 subscribers, giving it a 38% market share. The remainder was taken by incumbent Oman Mobile.

   

 
 

Etisalat interested in Omantel (Oman)

  • October 22nd, 2007
  • 7:00 am

UAE incumbent Etisalat has said it would like to buy into and run state-controlled Oman Telecommunications (Omantel), which is preparing to court a long-term investor. Omantel’s stock surged 10% on the news, the first public expression of interest in the telco since Oman’s government said earlier this month that it would sell a stake in the company to make it more competitive. ‘Oman is a growth market, and there are synergies for us in the Middle East,’ said Jamal al-Jarwan, chief executive of Etisalat International Investments, adding that he expected the sale to include a contract to manage Omantel, although he declined to be drawn on how much Etisalat would consider investing. The government owns 70% of Omantel and the rest is traded on the Omani exchange. It has not given any details about the sale process.

Etisalat, the third largest Arab telecom operator by market value, has spent more than USD6.5 billion on foreign acquisitions in the past three years resulting in a strong presence across the Middle East and Africa. Its largest investments outside the UAE are in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan. It is also known to be after mobile phone licences in Kuwait and Qatar, markets in which Omantel’s domestic rival, Qatar Telecommunications (Qtel) operates. In Oman, Qtel owns cellco Nawras.

   

 
 

Omantel to improve internet services (Oman)

  • October 3rd, 2007
  • 3:12 pm

State-owned incumbent telco Omantel has revealed plans to expand the reach and capacity of its high-speed broadband network to meet the rising demand for internet connections in the Gulf state. In addition, the operator intends to re-launch its dial-up internet with several ‘new and attractive features’ for the customer, according to company official Mohanned bin Dawood Al Asfoor. The moves, he said, are also a part of the company’s efforts to lend full support to the ongoing e-government project and nationwide ‘Digital Society’ campaign. No further details were given.

   

 

 

Omantel connects two more villages (Oman)

  • September 26th, 2007
  • 1:33 pm

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) has connected the remote interior villages of Oafa in Bahla and Wadi Saqt in Samail to the PSTN, via a wireless local loop (WiLL), as part of its universal service obligation. The telco began deploying WiLL networks in rural and underserved regions in 2003, complemented by VSAT links to connect the most remote areas; in March 2006 it contracted Chinese vendor Huawei to carry out WiLL installations in 200 settlements and bring services to an additional 28,000 subscribers. Over 160 villages have now been connected.

   

 

AT&T ups Middle East presence (USA)

  • September 11th, 2007
  • 6:29 am

AT&T announced on Monday that it is expanding its presence in the Middle East, with network node deployments in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and a virtual private network services (VPN) contract across the region with Ericsson.
AT&T is ramping up its services in the Middle East, “as part of an ongoing strategic investment in the region,” said a company statement, released at Gulfcomms 2007.

In cooperation with Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC) and NavLink, a company in which AT&T has a minority stake, the network node first announced by the U.S. carrier last year is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2007.

The new infrastructure is being rolled out to allow AT&T and NavLink customers interconnectivity with STC’s national MPLS network.

AT&T also said it is working with QualityNet and NavLink again, to deploy a network node in Kuwait.

The deal will allow AT&T to offer IP-VPN services to Kuwaiti-based enterprises, as well as multinationals looking to expand their Middle East presence, said AT&T.

The Kuwaiti MPLS node is expected to be activated during 2008, and the telecoms giant said it is growing its Dubai-based sales and support team in order to complement its expanded network reach.

The expansion initiatives form part of a $750 million global investment programme announced by the telecoms giant earlier in the year.

The U.S.-based carrier said at the time it planned in 2007 to focus on high-growth emerging markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America, as well as the Middle East.

Furthermore, in a separate announcement also made Monday, AT&T said it has been selected by Ericsson to provide VPN services across the Middle East region in a contract worth $6 million.

AT&T said the deal will see it provide services to Ericsson’s operations in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

“A reliable network, backed by a comprehensive service level agreement, the ability to execute locally and speedy implementation, were all key requirements for us when choosing our network provider in the Middle East,” said Carl-Magnus Månsson, CIO of Ericsson, in a statement.

“We are dedicated to the Middle East as a growth area of our business and feel that this is matched by the commitment that AT&T has made to the region,” he added.

“Through our direct investment in NavLink, partnerships with other key players in the Middle Eastern telecommunications market and our regional office in Dubai, we are confident that we can serve the needs of enterprises in these high-growth markets,” said Tom Regent, head of EMEA operations, AT&T, in a statement.

   
 

Omantel releases first half results and reveals details of Worldcall deal (Oman,Pakistan)

  • August 13th, 2007
  • 3:26 pm

Incumbent telco Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) has reported a 13% year-on-year rise in its net profit for the six months ended 30 June 2007. Net profit rose from OMR43 million in June 2006 to OMR48.5 million (USD126.4 million) in the first half of 2007. Total revenue rose 11.6% to OMR175.9 million for the first six months of 2007 compared to OMR157.6 million reported for the corresponding period in 2006. Operating expenses increased by 13.4% to OMR121.4 million (from OMR107 million, attributable to interconnection expenses, depreciation, commissions and royalty charges.

The total subscriber base of Omantel stood at 1.73 million at 30 June 2007, including fixed line and broadband customers, and those of wireless subsidiary Oman Mobile, although a breakdown was not available.

The company also said it expects to conclude the purchase of 65% of Pakistani cable and fixed-wireless provider Worldcall by the end of August 2007. At last Friday’s prices, the deal would be worth PKR9.43 billion (USD156 million). It initially disclosed an interest in Worldcall in May of this year, but until now has not revealed the size of stake it hoped to buy or how much it would pay. Omantel is set to lose its domestic fixed line monopoly by the end of the year. It lost its wireless monopoly in March 2005 following the launch of Qatar-owned Nawras Telecom.