Page 103 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

limit or prevent competitive behavior, that are contrary to the postal articles slumping 76 per cent. “This can be considered
spirit of competition, or that violate prior regulatory obligations, as a normal result as many people have moved from using the
in accordance with the procedures for officiating competitiveness traditional mail system into electronic mailing services which
complaints,” said a statement from the organization. The decision are also considered another type of communication service, in
comes just days after the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority addition to the electronic billing that is widely available in many
decided to update its report on the current state of the Omani mobile applications,” said the Ministry. At the same time, there
telecom market, and called for all stakeholders involved in this was a 121 per cent increase in the number of domestic postal
sector to provide feedback on the public consultation document it packages, fuelled by strong growth in eCommerce. Ecommerce
has recently released in this context. “In light of the TRA’s role in also contributed to a 24 per cent jump in incoming international
conducting periodic reviews of the telecommunications services and domestic Express postal articles handled last year.
markets, the TRA is currently updating the market definition and (August 4, 2020) omanobserver.om
dominance report issued in 2013,” said the authority.
(August 9, 2020) timesofoman.com Enjoying the 50th global position in e-government in the UN index,
the Sultanate’s focus areas now are telecom and human capital,
Oman’s telecom sector currently has a total of 16 telecom service which stand at 63 and 72 positions respectively. The Ministry
providers operating in the following three categories: Category 1 – of Technology and Communications (MoTC) is studying how
Omantel, Ooredoo, Awasr, Telecom Oman ‘TEO’, Arab International to improve these two sectors. Shariffa al Maskery, Director of
Connect, Oman Broadband Company, and Almadakhel Investment International Relations and Communications at MoTC, said, “We
Company; Category 2 – Renna Mobile, Friendi Mobile, Zajel are currently studying all possible aspects, the biggest challenge
Communications, Awasr, and Albahlani Communication; and being updating timely and accurate data with UNESCO’s Institute
Category 3 – Azyan Telecom, Rignet, MHD telecom, MHD Sat of Statistics and telecom data with International Telecom Union
Services, and Kuthban Middle East. The announcement came (ITU).” “These two organizations need time to validate 193
in the newly published 2019 Annual Report of the Ministry of member states. So if we delay uploading our information on their
Technology and Communications. Telecom towers installed by dashboard, we would miss the chance. Once the UN begins to
licensed operators across all service categories reached 14,167 gather the information and if our information is not up to date,
in 2019 distributed across 2G (4,498 towers), 3G (5,399), and 4G they would use the old one. So we will be working very closely
(4,270), the report stated. To ensure telecom service coverage with the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) and ITU
in the rural areas, the TRA introduced the “Universal Service” in as well as the Human Capital Index and Institute of Statistics of
collaboration with licensed telecom companies. The operators UNESCO. They are all very cooperative but we just need to ensure
provide the services to the rural areas in return for facilitation and that information is uploaded,” explained Shariffa. COVID-19 has
exemptions. This initiative is being implemented in two phases seen a move towards digital services more than ever and has
during 2018-2019 and covered 350 villages. In the next stage, the seen a speed up to use Artificial Intelligence technology. “The
operators will focus on upgrading the coverage to include 3G and Ministry of Health is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology
4G networks. Meanwhile, broadband subscriptions by residential to monitor people in quarantine. The Royal Oman Police is using
and commercial customers surged 53 per cent in Muscat drones to urge people to stay indoors. Government employees
Governorate last year, but subscription trends were significantly have been working from home is something we would have never
lower in other governorate, according to the Ministry. The Ministry dreamt of. Thanks to technology, we did not stop working even
attributed the high uptake of services in Muscat to the high when we are at home due to the pandemic. Universities, colleges
population density in the capital area, as well as concentration of and schools have adapted to the situation by bringing education
commercial activities. Service providers too have been active in online,” she noted. Many factors enabled the Sultanate to secure
developing and promoting their services within the capital area, the 50th position in e-government. The two major factors –
it noted. There was a rapid increase in the number of residential the e-transformation program, and the MoTC’s work with the
subscribers of fixed broadband services, but fewer subscribers potential ministries to improve their portals and e-services –
in comparison in the commercial and institutional segments. were mainly due to cooperation among the government entities.
Mobile broadband subscribers saw their numbers grow 12 per The e-transformation program sees the MoTC engaging with
cent in 2019. Around 99 per cent of the population currently the whole of government – supporting, advising and training, to
enjoys 3G/4G coverage, representing a 10 per cent growth over transform services to digital services, and hence in 2018 for the
2018 trends. A significant decline was recorded in the volume of Online Service Index, Oman was ranked 43 and now it is on 24th
traditional postal services last year, with outgoing international position. (July 19, 2020) omanobserver.om

Pakistan

Federal Minister for Information Technology and are being taken for the development of IT and Telecom sector. The
Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque has said that the steps Federal Minister for IT was chairing the 7th meeting of the Prime

103 AUGUST 2020