Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

OBC to complete 65 pc of fibre optic cables by Dec

1313864
1313864
minus
plus

MUSCAT: Said bin Abdullah al Mantheri, CEO of Oman Broadband Company (OBC), said that the company’s efforts to cover the Governorate of Muscat with fibre optic service are moving forward and will continue until 2020 to cover 85 per cent of most residential areas in the governorate.


He said in a statement to ONA that during this period, fibre optic service will be completed in Al Amerat and Al Khuwair, in addition to some expansions in Al Khoudh, Al Maabela, Bausher, Al Ansab, Ruwi and Al Qurum.


He added that completion percentage in supplying fibre optics exceeded the percentage set by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).


He said that this year, the company will cover about 65 per cent of the Governorate of Muscat and this percentage will rise next year, especially when large neighbourhoods are opened in Bausher, Al Ansab and Al Amerat.


He noted that in the current and next years the service will be provided outside the Governorate of Muscat in the Wilayats of Salalah, Al Musannah, and Madha, stressing that work is under way on the completion of the remaining places in the Wilayat of Salalah and the industrial and residential areas in Suhar.


He also said that the other projects will be synchronised with the implementation of electricity and water projects, and that a number of the Sultanate’s governorates will be decided later during this year.


About the challenges in rationalising spending, Al Mantheri said that the government implemented in 2017 its commitments to subsidise the company and completed the payment of the money needed to implement the projects.


Since the beginning of 2018, the company focused on its financial plans to rely on external loans, adding that loans were obtained, thus the financing of projects will be through external financing and their operating costs will be covered by the revenues.


He added that the loans obtained by the company come to cover the projects carried out according to the plan and for a period of three years until the end of 2020. — ONA


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon