16/08/2020
Agreement signed to cover villages and population centers with telecommunications and internet services via satellite
The
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and Oman Broadband Company (OBC)
signed an agreement at TRA head office in Airport Heights to provide
telecommunications and internet services to a number of villages and population
centers by satellite in various governorates of the Sultanate with the presence
of HE Azza bint Suleiman Al-Ismailia, Minister of Technology and Communications. The
agreement was signed by HE Eng. Omar bin Hamdan Al-Ismaili, CEO of TRA, and
Eng. Badr bin Saud Al-Zaidi, Acting CEO of OBC.
The
agreement stipulated that Oman Broadband Company will implement an initiative
to cover villages and population centers with telecommunications and internet
services via satellite and build the telecommunications network infrastructure
in these villages by utilizing the satellite communication services. Oman
Broadband Company will also coordinate with the telecommunications companies in
the Sultanate that provide fixed internet services to provide the service for
subscribers in these villages.
TRA stated
that the number of villages and population centers included in the Agreement
stood at 598, in addition to the government schools not covered with high-speed
internet service. This initiative is part of the efforts made by TRA to spread
the telecommunication services across the Sultanate and was preceded by other
initiatives in cooperation with telecom operators Omantel and Ooredoo to
provide unserved remote villages and rural areas with telecommunications and
internet services. Previous initiatives included the construction of 320
telecom towers to cover 450 villages where 95% of which was finalized and work
is underway in projects to enhance the coverage approved in 2019 to erect 262
telecom towers for the provision of high-speed mobile internet services under
the supervision of TRA and the execution of mobile telecom operators in Oman.
HE Eng.
Omar bin Hamdan Al-Ismaili, CEO of TRA said that: “This initiative aims at the
provision of telecommunications and internet services to villages and rural
population centers in Oman. TRA requested funding from the Ministry of Finance
and a sum of RO 15 million was approved to provide the infrastructure for this
project”.
Moreover, HE
Eng. Omar Al-Ismaili added that the initiative intends to further the
implementation of the National Broad Band Strategy the preparation of which was
overseen by the Ministry of Technology and Communications to bridge the digital
divide between urban and rural areas with the efforts of TRA and cooperation
from its partners in the sector represented in the service providers to
contribute to the realization of Oman Vision 2040. He also expressed his utmost
wishes for the successful rollout of these services all over the Sultanate.
HE
Al-Ismaili also extended his thanks and gratitude to the government of His
Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik represented in the Ministry of Finance which
has graciously agreed to fund this project.
