Page 39 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

capacity of rail infrastructure, punctuality
of trains and also on customer experience.
Kathrin Buvac, President of Nokia
Enterprise and Chief Strategy Officer, said:
“We are very pleased to be Deutsche Bahn’s
partner, bringing digital technology to the
forefront of the Hamburg S-Bahn network
and rail system. Together, we have worked
to research, develop and deliver the world’s
first 5G-based communication system for
automated rail operation, an important
milestone towards the Future Rail Mobile
Communication System and a major step
in making Industry 4.0 a reality.”

Oman Broadband Covering Half a Million Housing
Units with Optical Fiber

The company has covered approximately as part of the government project to governorates with an average of 39,586
4,581 residential units throughout the cover the Sultanate with fiber optic housing units in Muscat and 29,931
region, which are now ready to request network. Large parts of the Sultanate’s in Dhofar, said Eng. Said bin Abdullah
service through one of the licensed service governorates were covered by the service; al Mantheri, CEO of Oman Broadband
providers in the Sultanate (Omantel, approximately 400,000 housing units and Company. It is worth mentioning that the
Ooredoo and Awasser). The project was connected around 86,300 housing units. company is entrusted with building the
implemented in 10 months due to the Approximately 81,600 housing units were fiber optic infrastructure and leasing it to
nature of the area and the difficulty of also connected in Muscat, 2,500 in North the three operators Omantel, Ooredoo, and
its topography. It is worth mentioning and South of Al Batinah Governorates, Awaser. This has contributed significantly
that this project is one of the most 1,800 in Dhofar Governorate and 400 in Al to the speed of the Internet and lower
important achievements of the company Dakhiliyah Governorate. The company also prices in the areas covered by the network.
because the network in Jabal Al Akhdar signed several agreements with some real So far, the company has covered 54% of
was also connected to Muscat to link estate developers to spread the network, urban areas and will cover 95% of them by
the establishments in Muscat with the such as WUJHA Real Estate Company, 2030 to achieve the national broadband
establishments in Jabal Al Akhdar - one Dar Al Zain Company, Assas Company strategy.
of the tourist destinations for Omanis and Bahwan Engineering Company. ‘The Muscat Governorate
and foreign tourists. The presence of the efforts are still ongoing to open new areas The company has connected
optical fiber network will contribute to in the last quarter this year. Some areas approximately 81,600 housing units in
the revitalization and activation of tourist in Al Batinah North Governorate will be Muscat Governorate in the wilayats of
and commercial activity in the region. It opened this year. Approximately 8,438 Seeb, Baushar, Al Amirat, Muttrah from
is worth mentioning that the company housing units will be opened. Some parts 2015 until mid-2019. Efforts are continuing
started building the network since 2015 will also be opened in Muscat and Dhofar in the last quarter of this year to cover

39 JANUARY 2020