Page 136 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

while residential customers are still waiting for the feature. Bhatta speed was measured at 17.80 mbps compared to the global
said that 70 percent of the problems occur between the router average speed of 41.09 mbps. Since the government imposed a
and connected device due to several factors such as incorrect nationwide lockdown, internet utilization across the country has
placement of the router, resetting the device time and again, jumped 25 percent. With more people staying and working from
quality of router and connecting more devices. In case of issues, home, ISPs ran out of bandwidth quickly, resulting in slow internet
internet service providers can provide the information of service and a spike in complaints. According to the association, internet
used, he said. Though information on real-time bandwidth can companies have started bolstering their networks by adding
be obtained, internet utilization is another thing, with no system additional international bandwidth capacity. Internet utilization
in place to access it. Except for a few apps, customers do not after the lockdown has reached 500 gigabytes, an increase of 30-
have the option to check the speed and information regarding 40 percent. Internet service providers who used to manage their
their internet connection. If customers find that their internet network load by dividing it during peak hours and working hours
speed is not according to the agreement, they can complain to are struggling to provide stable internet during the lockdown as
their service provider. Meanwhile, the global speed test report of users are using the internet 24 hours, with greater usage during
Ookla in May ranked Nepal 119th, down one position compared to the daytime.
March in fixed broadband, with a download speed of 18.58 mbps (June 20, 2020) kathmandupost.com
against the global average speed of 76.94 mbps. Nepal’s upload

Oman

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) confirmed at 6,801, whereas ISDN channels rose by 3.8% to 50,364. The total
that it studied all the observations it had received from the number of mobile subscriptions fell by 5.5% to 6.23 million until
governors and members of Majlis Ash’shura and citizens with the end of April 2020, compared to 6.59 million subscriptions in
regard to the initial list of rural villages in complementation of the April 2019. Out of this, postpaid mobile increased by 11.7% to
efforts aimed at connecting the internet and telecom services as 816,585 from 731,265 subscribers in April 2019. Pre-paid mobile
part of the 500 villages initiative. The first vice-chairman of the connections fell by 7.6% to 5.41 million, compared to 5.86 million
TRA and head of the team overseeing the project stated that a in April 2019. Also, the number of resellers rose 45.9% to 1.08
new list has been prepared which includes 598 villages with an million until the end of April 2020.
increase to the previously announced figure. He added that the (June 27, 2020) omannews.gov.om
TRA is currently working with the Ministry of Technology and
Communications and the Ministry of Finance to put the finishing In the course of its efforts to build a collaboration with
touches to an agreement that will be signed with the Oman large IT companies to further enhance the information and
Broadband Company which is executing the project. communications technology field in the Sultanate, the Ministry
(June 27, 2020) omanobserver.om of Technology and Communications (MTC) has signed a
Memorandum of Cooperation with Cisco International Limited.
The Sultanate’s total internet subscriptions, excluding active The MoC was signed digitally by Dr. Salim bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi,
mobile subscriptions rose by 11.2% to touch 491,985 until the end CEO of MTC and Ali bin Mohsen Al Lawati, GM Oman and Yaman,
of April 2020, compared to 442,572 in April 2019. Fixed broadband Cisco. As stated by the MoC, MTC and Cisco will implement
internet subscriptions, which have more than 256 kilobytes speed capacity building and training workshops, hackathons and
increased by 11.3% to stood at 489,961 until the end of April improve camps in ICT latest trends and solutions developed by
2020, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Cisco. Cisco will also help MTC to inspire potential startup ideas
Statistics and Information (NCSI). The number of active mobile and successful solutions to improve and increase through the
broadband subscriptions inclined by 27.1% to 5.25 million until the Cisco platform and featuring them in Cisco innovation centers. In
end of April 2020, compared to 4.13 million subscriptions in April addition, Cisco will offer access to its sandbox environment (Cisco
2019. Total fixed telephone lines subscriptions rose by 2.7% to DevNet) for testing and creating new solutions. Both MTC and
588,925 until the end of April 2020, against 573,188 subscriptions Cisco will control design thinking framework sessions on artificial
in April 2019. According to the NCSI report, the number of voice- intelligence and the internet of things projects to ease solutions
over-internet protocol (VoIP) lines surged by 13.6% to 215,873, development. This MoC will also promote further collaboration
compared to 190,019 subscriptions in April 2019. Further, analogue between MTC and Cisco to enable knowledge sharing and best
fixed connections fell 3.6% to 314,314 from 326,184 subscriptions practices adoption by government entities and SMEs.
in April 2019. Public payphone connections remained unchanged (June 15, 2020) menafn.com

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