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Omantel to convert all leased circuits into MPLS

Revealing this at a workshop on the MPLS technology under way in Oman's southern city of Salalah, Samir bin Hamad Al Siyabi, Omantel's First Director of Networks Development, said MPLS was the main element of the unified e-government network.

It seeks to link government institutions and companies together to allow for speedy and high quality transfer of data and information, he said. He stressed that the new system was easier to expand than other circuits, "in addition to the fact that its management is simpler in view of the existence of the Network Management Centre, which is in operation round the clock and can repair any fault or breakdown within four hours at most."

Siyabi said MPLS had proved its "worthiness" all over the world as the best available technology in terms of quality and protection of data and information during the exchange process. "It can utilise the present capacities and it can transfer all sorts of data including voice, picture, video, games and multimedia. In other words, it transfers all Internet services," he added.

The service is only used locally at present, and cannot by applied outside the country. However, Omantel is coordinating with global companies to set up an international link, "in order to allow institutions and companies to connect their branches abroad with their head offices in the Sultanate," Siyabi said, adding:

Omantel has further supported the service with the so-called Service Level Agreements (SLA), under which it pledges subscribers of a certain quality level. "There are three quality level options, namely: golden, silver and bronze. Omantel commits itself to the service level agreement. In case of an interruption in the service, or reduced quality, Omantel compensates the affected subscriber," Siyabi explained.

Several government institutions and private sector companies have already applied MPLS system since Omantel offered it to commercial subscribers, the Information Technology Authority being the first.

Some other agencies, including the ministries of commerce and industry and regional municipalities, environment and water resources, have tried the system for certain periods and expressed their satisfaction with its quality and have decided to introduce it in their private networks.

The ministries of information and health and the prosecutor-general's office have incorporated the system in some of their offices and branches. Private sector institutions such as the Mohsin Haider Darwish group have also gone in for it.

Omantel has signed the BankNet agreement with the Central Bank of Oman to link it with all main offices of banks working in the Sultanate.