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Telecommunications in Oman see major changes after privatisation

Gholam Al Balushi, Director of the Arab Centre of Excellence (ACE) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said momentous developments had taken place in the Sultanate's telecom industry in the aftermath of the privatisation that saw the entry of a second mobile operator.

"This has led to a marked improvement in services," he pointed out, adding that the sector saw both "qualitative and quantitative development" after privatisation. The number of Oman Mobile subscribers rose within a few months to 1.3 million from less than one million and that of the second player topped 500,000, Balushi said.

"This process facilitated diversification of services and improvement of their quality. The last two years saw the introduction of several new services in the Sultanate," he added addressing a five-day workshop on Multi Protocol Labelling Switching (MPLS) technology, under say in the southern Dhofar city of Salalah.

The event, jointly organised jointly by Omantel and ITE and ACE, is attended by some 100 experts in the field from around the Arab world. The workshop focuses on practical applications of MPLS and how it works, highlighting the substantial differences between this highly advanced technology and other similar systems in terms of method of operation.

Balushi, reiterating the importance of MPLS, spoke about the future services it would provide, noting that it facilitated the transfer of data and information in a much faster and more secure manner than other similar systems.

"It is useful, not only for institutions and operators, but also for individuals who can benefit from the system through using its special data and diversified services fast and safely," he said.

Balushi observed that the telecom sector was developing very fast, adding that a range of new technologies were expected to emerge during the next three years, including W-Max system, which provides large Internet capacities.

"Also, we have what is called the 4th generation of services, the integrated services technology, which allows for the integration of mobile and fixed line services and television programmes. All these services will be introduced under a unified system," he added.

He said Oman was making "sound strides" in the telecom industry and was now competing with developed countries to attract advanced networks.