Page 23 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Omantel Signs MoU to Provide ICT Solutions to Develop Municipal Services

Muscat Municipality and Oman quality of municipal infrastructure services Ammar Al Obaidani, President-Commercial
Telecommunications Company Omantel to save time, effort and cost.” Al Murshidi at Block-chain Oman emphasized that
signed a memorandum of understanding said that the memorandum will help in collaboration with Omantel enriches the
(MoU) to employ the information making a big leap in e-services which will digital experience in the Sultanate, thus
technology solutions and services in be the impetus for us in Omantel to develop promoting the fourth industrial revolution.
developing municipal services and making similar solutions for smart cities in the It is worth to mention that the Municipality
the two cities of Muscat and Sohar smart Sultanate of Oman. Al Mamari believes that seeks to improve the quality of its services
and sustainable. Eng. Isam Saud Hareb Al the development of telecommunications and make moves towards technical and
Zadjali, Chairman of Muscat Municipality services motivated the world to be on the digital transformation strategies, based on
and Sheikh Talal bin Said Al Mamari, the verge of a big breakthrough in this field. Dr. the Oman Vision 2040.
CEO of Omantel, signed the memorandum
on behalf of both Muscat Municipality and
Omantel, in the presence of Abdulsalam
Mohammed Al Murshidi, the chairman
of the governing council of Omantel, in
the presence of officials from both sides.
Under the memorandum, many solutions
for ICT services and smart city services
will be provided in the municipal sectors,
in addition to introducing the blockchain
technology and smart cloud services
to integrate them in the management
system of customer relation. Al Zadjali
stated that smart cities will provide the
populace with services that facilitate the
use of municipal services. He also added,
“The memorandum also provides many
innovative solutions that will improve the

Omantel to Install Thousands of 5G Sites in Oman by 2024

Oman Telecommunications will set up that would be invested in setting up the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications
more than 2,200 5G sites in the next five facilities. “The scale of investment is not Company and Bahrain’s Batelco followed
years as it increases services for the high- only linked to the construction of sites but suit. Omantel is using the services of
speed network across the country. Omantel also with preparing other infrastructure multiple vendors, including Huawei,
launched the network in December and such as core network and the backhaul.” to procure equipment required for the
said it is ahead of its target for this year in A backhaul is a high-capacity line that smooth transmission of 5G services. “We
installing 5G infrastructure. “Omantel has transmits signal from a remote network are following multiple-vendor model and
signed an agreement with TRA to set up to another site, usually a central one. The there are special teams looking after the
2,226 5G sites or locations by 2024. This sultanate’s largest telecom operator is security of equipment and infrastructure,”
is in accordance with the requirements 51 per cent owned by the State General said Mr. Allawati. Huawei – a key 5G
of commercial use and evolvement of Reserve Fund – a sovereign wealth fund services provider – has faced scrutiny
technology across the country,” Baha – while the remaining 49 per cent is over the past year after the US alleged the
Allawati, vice president of Omantel’s publicly-owned. Besides using its own company was using its equipment to spy
enterprise business, told The National. 5G infrastructure, Omantel is also using for the Chinese government. It is a claim
network promises internet speed of up to the fiber network of the state-owned that Huawei denies. Mr. Allawati said:
1.2 gigabits per second, which will gradually Oman Broadband Company to meet the “So far, there has not been any concrete
evolve to reach 10Gbps – more than 100 requirements of higher bandwidth in evidence that Huawei has those [spying]
times faster than 4G. “We already have a 5G, said Mr. Allawati. Etisalat, the UAE’s particular motives … If you look around,
number of 5G customers in Muscat region biggest telecom operator, became the a lot of European operators have chosen
and in other parts of Oman. We are running first service provider in the region last Huawei.” Omantel, which is the first 5G
slightly ahead of our plans with more than year to offer a network that supported provider in the country, offers services in
100 sites already been deployed,” said Mr. 5G smartphones for commercial use. various parts of Muscat, Al Batinah North
Allawati. He did not disclose the amount Soon after, the UAE’s second operator and Al-Batinah South. “We will continue

23 FEBRUARY 2020