The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) says it has collaborated with the Sultanate’s leading telecom players in augmenting mobile and broadband coverage in remote parts of the country.
Three initiatives, launched last year in line with the Authority’s universal service obligations, have helped ramp up telecom services in rural areas of the Sultanate, it said in its recently released Annual Report.
In the first initiative, dominant operators Omantel and Ooredoo installed a total of 200 mobile communication stations (100 apiece) designed to provide coverage to around 250 villages distributed across the length and breadth of the Sultanate. A further 112 communications stations were added in a second initiative aimed at supporting coverage in 160 rural locations across the Sultanate.
In addition, Omantel rolled out fixed broadband services via the installation of fibre optic cables to seven rural sites in Al Wusta, South Al Sharqiyah and Dhofar governorates. A further 11 rural communities in Dhahirah, Al Dakhiliyah and Dhofar governorates were connected to Omantel’s mobile broadband services following the installation of mobile stations in these areas. Furthermore, in line with its role in monitoring the coverage and quality of telecom services, the TRA undertook a field survey to assess coverage and quality of services in 3,900 villages across the Sultanate. The survey covered areas of high usage, notably airports, shopping malls, and tourist attractions.
Based on the findings of the survey, the TRA created an interactive map that helps users and customers gauge the quality of telecom services, as well as the status of the national network in the Sultanate. The Coverage and Quality Interactive Map allows users of mobile telecom services in Oman to find out the coverage status and estimated download speeds in areas of their interest and make comparisons between different service providers, the regulator added.
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