Telecom towers to double as EV charging stations in Oman

MUSCAT: Oman Towers, the nation’s leading telecom wireless passive infrastructure provider, has signed an agreement with the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) for the installation of its iconic mosaic telecom towers within the latter’s industrial cities distributed across the Sultanate of Oman.

But in addition to enabling telecom operators to provide the latest generation of telecom services to their customers, these distinctive telecom towers will also be equipped to serve as charging stations for Electric Vehicles (EV) – a move designed to promote e-mobility in line with the Omani government’s Net Zero strategy.

The announcement comes on the heels of a raft of regulatory measures and initiatives unveiled recently by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) to help drive the uptake of electric cars as part of the country’s transition to a greener energy future. They include guidelines governing the rollout and installation of EV charging stations, tax waivers on EV car imports and other specifications.

In outfitting telecom towers to also double as EV charging stations, Oman Towers says it is unlocking new value from its investment in wireless passive infrastructure currently being rolled out across the country. These innovations are also designed to open up new revenue generating streams for the company.

Late last year, Oman Towers transformed its static tower in the heart of Salalah into a striking landmark featuring outsized LED screens and other design embellishments that enhance the aesthetic appeal of the surrounding landscape. The resulting ‘mosaic tower’ that was created is now proposed to be replicated at other locations where new tower structures are planned for installation.

In a post, Majid al Kharoosi, Managing Director – Oman Towers, said the agreement with Madayn will pave the way for mosaic towers to be installed at all of the industrial cities operated by the latter around Oman.

“I‏n a long-term strategic partnership, Oman Towers and the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates signed an agreement to build a number of mosaic towers in all industrial areas in the Sultanate to extend the services and capacity of the service operators wishing to benefit from these towers,” Al Kharoosi said.

“The new towers will be able to accommodate technologies associated with the 4th Industrial Revolution, and with the capability of providing (charging) for electric cars,” he added.

Oman Towers was established in 2018 to provide the passive infrastructure to licensed wireless telecom service operators, as well as government entities, in an open access manner.

Shareholders in Oman Towers include Oman 70, Al Souroh Investment, Oman Broadband and Aktivco, (part of Camusat Group), a leading player in assets management for telecom energy infrastructure.