The Sultanate of Oman has established a progressive mobile sector that comprises substantial coverage of both 3G and 4G LTE networks, reports Research & Markets.
To prepare for the advent of 5G, trials have been conducted, networks upgraded, and spectrum allocated. The major operators Omantel and Ooredoo have been granted the right to use 100MHz of 5G spectrum by the country’s regulator, with Omantel launching an initial 5G network in late 2019.
While the two major players have a similar market share, there are a number of smaller competitors following the introduction of MVNOs over the past decade. The competitive landscape will be strengthened further by Vodafone’s entry to the market in 2020.
The regulator signed a strategic MoU with Vodafone Group, along with a local consortium of investors, to form a third mobile network operator in Oman, which will use Vodafone’s branding. In early 2020 the consortium agreed to lease mobile towers from Oman Tower Company.
While Oman's fixed broadband infrastructure penetration is considered low, it is being improved upon with the building of fibre-based networks as part of Oman's National Broadband Strategy. By 2040 it is hoped that all homes and businesses will be connected to the national broadband infrastructure.
Oman is well positioned to be a technology hub in the Middle East as it is well located between Asia, Africa and Europe and has access to several submarine cable systems.