Oman Tower company as Passive Infrastructure Provider is government company with partnership with CAMUSAT International established to provide passive telecom infrastructure and aims to support Mobile operators to develop strategies for network sharing to cope with the expected growth in network deployment cost by providing wholesale services such as tower sharing and in building solution to all ISPs on a non-discriminatory and on an open access basis. The positive outcome includes:
- Key enabler for 5G deployment
- Optimisation of scarce resources and positive environmental impacts.
- Stimulate migration to new technologies and the deployment of mobile broadband.
- Decrease in duplication of investment, reducing capital and operational expenditure
- Positive incentives to roll out into underserved areas.
- Improved quality of service, particularly in congested areas.
- Product and technological innovation as operators compete on service differentiation.
- Increased consumer choice as entry and expansion become easier.
- Reducing the time to the market.
- provide additional space capacity in congested areas where space for sites and towers is limited.
- Improve operational and/or organizational efficiency
- Supports the mobile operators to achieve regulatory targets.
The National Broadband Strategy aims to overcome the low levels of broadband penetration within Oman, and the challenges presented with the rapid expansion of mobile broadband networks in an often geographically challenging landscape. This includes the requirement to build new towers and the scarcity of available spectrum, in addition to the high cost of broadband in relation to the GDP when compared with the rest of the Middle East and the world.
The stated goals of the National Broadband Strategy aim to achieve numerous national, social and economic benefits. The main objectives of National Broadband Strategy are:
- Providing access for every citizen and resident in Oman to high speed broadband at affordable prices
- Providing access to all enterprises in Oman to world-class broadband services to enable companies to effectively compete at the international level
- Providing rural communities with access to broadband services to bridge the digital gap
In order to achieve these objectives, the Strategy was built on three main pillars
- Review of the telecom regulatory framework
This component is subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Transport & Communications and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. It aims to review policies and regulatory procedures associated to the provision of broadband services. This includes a range of initiatives, such as , Reforming licensing arrangements to adjust to new market structure, facilitate the market entry, and increase competition.
- Stimulating the demand for broadband
This component is subject to the cooperation of key institutions, the Information Technology Authority, and relevant government utilities. It aims to create programs and initiatives to increase the demand for broadband through integration with other sectors’ plans under the umbrella of the National Vision 2040, such as the Oman Digital Society, E-Government strategy and other initiatives.
- Enhancing the Broadband Infrastructure
This component is within the competence of Oman Tower company and it aims to upgrade and expand current Broadband infrastructure networks as well as the Future broadband technology such as 5G, enhance the technology used, and increase the integration among them; to be leased to the current service providers (Omantel / Ooredoo) and any operators in the future at a competitive price and high quality. Oman tower makes its infrastructure available on a non-discriminatory and on an open access basis.