All-round efforts are being made to make the Internet reliable and affordable in the country, The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said in its annual report for the year 2022 published on Tuesday.
Efforts have been made to speed up the Internet in the country with the number of 5G stations going up by 2,600 stations, and the number of buildings covered by the fibre optic network is 648,927, while 94 per cent of public schools were covered by fast Internet, compared to 74 per cent in 2021, said the report.
The report said that various incentives have been offered to move subscribers from fibre optic and 5G networks by reducing monthly rents, doubling package speeds, cancellation of service and contract termination fees for subscribers.
TRA said it is reviewing the Retail Tariff Regulations as there will be a single reference document to ensure transparency in fares, to promote fair competition and consumer protection.
The TRA reviews the agreements submitted by mobile network operators in the Sultanate of Oman with the aim of reducing the cost of building networks by sharing networks, accelerating the deployment of mobile network coverage, and encouraging investment in modern technologies.
In the postal services sector, licenses have been issued to 24 companies to provide postal services; bringing the total number of licensed companies in this sector to 48.
The increase in licensed postal companies is in response to the steady increase in the volume of mail-related e-commerce, as this contributed to providing more than 144 additional job opportunities with permanent contracts in the postal sector during the year 2022.
To keep pace with the expansion of services, two licenses were issued in 2022 - one to the Oman Technology Infrastructure Company and the Oman Towers Company.
Omar bin Hamdan al Ismaili, CEO of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, mentioned in the annual report that the Authority continues its ambitious path towards achieving the strategic goals derived from Oman Vision 2040 towards its institutional vision.
In order to enhance the added-in-country value; the Authority provided training programmes in specialisations related to the provision of services to the telecommunications and postal services sectors, through the Nafath initiative. Small and medium-sized companies and freelancers have also been linked to the opportunities offered in the telecommunications and postal sectors. Six operators and 267 registered in the Nafath platform from individuals, and freelancers.
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