As part of the efforts to upgrade the telecom services to meet the needs of the future, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) will stop providing third-generation (3G) mobile services gradually, starting from the third quarter of 2024.
With this move, mobile devices limited to 3G and 2G capabilities will have to be phased out as their users will be forced to upgrade their gadgets in line with the needs of telecommunication services.
TRA said its plans to stop the 3G services from July 2024 as part of the efforts to improve communications services, directing natural resources such as frequency band spectrum, investing in modern technologies, and focusing on offering services with better quality.
Earlier, speaking to the Observer, a top TRA official had said that there is a programme in place to close 3G networks so that service providers can use 3G spectrum capacities for new technologies such as 4G and 5G.The suspension of 3G services will take place gradually, starting with the least populated areas.
The decision also reflects the rapid development of the telecommunications sector in the world, which necessitates investment in modern technologies, which results in shutting down the least effective networks to allow the use of more effective networks, allowing subscribers better quality services and enhancing the experience of using the latest and most advanced networks.
In the first six months of 2022, 21 per cent out of 526,531 home fixed broadband subscriptions were via 5G wireless, while 49 per cent of fixed broadband subscriptions were in the Muscat Governorate. There has been a constant growth in the number of Fibre to Home subscriptions, with more homes and areas coming under coverage. It was revealed that nearly 80 per cent of buildings would be covered by fixed high-speed broadband, noting that over 600,000 buildings would be covered by fibre services in 2022.
According to GSMA Intelligence, by 2025, there will be around 50 million 5G connections, with around 20 million in the GCC States. The report added that 5G would also add pressure to phase out previous generation networks in markets where 5G network rollout has been quick. The timeline for phasing out 2G or 3G will depend on various spectrum factors as well as the number of devices used on 2G/3G networks.
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