Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Oman 2013
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Over the past 40 years, Oman’s telecoms market has transformed from a state monopoly to a multi-player market, one that has been marked by an increasingly fast pace of development. As more players have entered the market, fierce competition among operators has helped keep prices down. The sector has enjoyed good growth in recent years; mobile subscribers almost tripled between 2005 and the second quarter of 2012, increasing 274% from 1.33m to 4.98m. Looking ahead, the market has several strengths, including an evolving regulatory framework, multiple competitive players and a steadily growing customer base. The market, however, could hit some stumbling blocks as it matures. Regulation has come quite far in the past few years, but communication among state entities, private operators and consumers is set to be crucial to ensure that legislation continues to accommodate growth.

This chapter includes an interview with Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO, Information Technology Authority (ITA).

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Unlocked potential: Evolving regulations and continued growth in mobile broadband are fuelling expansion
OBG
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There is a tiny island off of the Musandam Peninsula, the rocky patch of Omani territory that makes up southern extent of the Strait of Hormuz. That island, called Telegraph Island, marked some of the sultanate’s first steps into modern communication technology. The area hosted a telegraph station used by the British Empire, part of a line connecting British-operated telegraph offices in India and Egypt. From then until 1970, the country’s telecommunications technologies laid fallow for the most…

Analysis

The next generation: The introduction of 4G technologies is creating opportunities for operators and the government
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In the mature telecommunications markets of North America and Europe, internet services generally grew out of existing telephone networks. During the 1990s, early adopters around the world can still recall the odd noises of their 56-K dial-up modems. As technologies developed, operators used copper phone, cable television and other fixed infrastructure to deliver high-speed broadband services in the home and office. It was only in the latter part of the 2000s that internet access on mobile phones…

Interview

OBG talks to Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO, Information Technology Authority (ITA)
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Interview: Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi How does the regulatory framework of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector promote competitiveness among players? SALIM SULTANAL RUZAIQI: Oman is committed to achieving international standards across the ICT sector. The ITA is creating a competitive environment, having established the Oman eGovernment Architecture Framework (OeGAF). With the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) working on regulatory capacity, the combined…

Overview

Surf’s up: Rapidly expanding broadband usage supports an increasingly dynamic ICT sector
OBG
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A revolution of sorts has been taking place in Oman over the past decade. Around 8% of the country’s population was using the internet in the latter half of the 2000s, at a time when the countries of the OECD had averages hovering between 40% and 60%. By 2011, however, the percentage of internet users had soared, reaching nearly 70%, according to data collected by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) – no small feat considering fewer than one out of a hundred individuals…

Analysis

Keeping ahead in the cloud: Continuing developments in broadband and cyber security are pushing the sector forward
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In recent years, a confluence of factors like broadband infrastructure, social awareness and mobile penetration have given the ICT sector a major boost in the Middle East. The region as a whole is set to spend over $20bn on information technology in 2012, a 10% increase compared to 2011, according to US-based market research firm Frost & Sullivan. Much of that spending is going toward new software and technology innovations, especially as companies turn to IT solutions to implement cost-cutting…