No plan to block BlackBerry services in Oman

Press Trust of India / Dubai August 10, 2010, 16:12 IST

Oman has said it does not plan to block BlackBerry services even as Saudi Arabia is working with the device maker RIM on a solution that

Nawras was fined RO 100,000 (US$260,000)

By George Bevir

Published December 22, 2009

The CEO of Oman telecom operator Nawras said he was shocked by the regulator's decision to fine the operator for failing to conclude an agreement with one of the firms awarded a reseller licence.

Earlier this week, Nawras was fined OR100,000 (US$260,000) by Oman's telecommunications regulatory authority (TRA) after Injaz International Telecom Company complained that Nawras had refused to conclude an agreement to provide resale services.

"The decision came as a complete surprise to Nawras and we are still trying to determine the basis on which the decision has been made by the TRA," said Ross Cormack, Nawras CEO.

Oman was the first country in the Middle East to award licences that allow firms to resell the services of the country's two network operators and establish themselves as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs).

Two of the licensees, Friendi and Renna, signed wholesale deals with Oman Mobile and launched in the first half of the year. They were followed by Mazoon, which launched last month after sealing an agreement to use Nawras' network.

"Nawras has worked extremely hard to finalise agreements with resellers and has already successfully launched Mazoon, with plans to launch Samatel in the first quarter of 2010," Cormack added. "We will assess our options and in the meantime our focus will remain on serving our customers."

According to local paper the Oman Tribune, Nawras has one week to pay the fine and 15 working days to conclude the resale agreement with Injaz under a plan presented to the TRA.

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http://www.itp.net/578666-oman-regulator-fine-complete-surprise-to-nawras

Nawaras to set up a second fixed line in Oman

Omani telecommunications regulator has confirmed that mobile operator Nawras has won a licence to set up Oman's second fixed-line network. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said the licence had been awarded to Nawras Consortium, which is 70 percent owned by Qatar Telecom (Qtel), on a condition that it will honour all the obligations specified in the information memorandum which comprises the tender terms and conditions relating to the bidding process.

The award ends the monopoly of Omantel as the Sultanate liberalises the sector as part of efforts to encourage foreign investment to counter falling oil production. Oman had shortlisted six bidders for the licence and an official had said the contry of about 2.7 million people was looking for a company that could invest at least USD 300 million in the first five years of the contract.

The Sultanate has a fixed-line penetration of just 10 percent. The extension of Nawras into fixed line and broadband services complements the Qtel Group's clearly-articulated strategy to grow its operations across dedicated business lines, as part of its objective to become one of the world's top 20 telecommunications companies by 2020.

Published in

http://www.telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=239301&nr=

Tender for new fixed licence in Oman

Published: Tuesday 12 August 2008 11:08 AM CET, Telecompaper

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Oman has invited expressions of interest for a new fixed communication licence. The licence will include national, local access and international services, including radio spectrum for broadband access and a submarine cable and landing station in Oman. The total licence will run for 25 years, while the spectrum rights will be valid for 15 years. Interested bidders must have at least 200,000 access lines in service for at least two years and hold assets of over USD 200 million. They also need experience in long-distance services and the start-up of a telecommunications network in a competitive market. Applications are due by 25 August, and the TRA can pre-qualify up to 10 bidders.

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http://www.telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=225907&nr=

Injaz to launch mobile telephone services in Oman

Times News ServiceSaturday, June 28, 2008 1:09:17 PM Oman Time

MUSCAT: Injaz International Telecommunications has been licenced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority to launch state-of-the-art mobile telephone services in the Sultanate. The licence was issued on June 21.

The new company is expected to commence its activities in the coming months and will announce its plans and launch date in due course. According to Injaz International Telecom Chairman Sheikh Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al Harthy: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority for facilitating this opportunity and for their professional and methodical licencing process and for their scientific approach in analysing the Omani mobile market requirements.” Sheikh Al Harthy added: “From our part, all preparations for a tier one customer-centric mobile operator are underway and the company promises mobile consumers in Oman a focused approach and tailored services to meet their personal and professional needs.” “Customer service excellence will be our focus as Injaz is determined to raise the service bar and set itself as a benchmark for quality through serving customers and attending to their communication needs,” Sheikh Al Harthy added.

Injaz International telecom CEO, Samir Saade, said: “Our launch will herald a new era in customer centricity in the Sultanate and will raise the level of competition in the Omani telecommunication market to the benefit of our valued customers.

The company will distinguish itself as a service-oriented and customer-driven company, becoming the preferred ‘enhanced mobile service provider’ in Oman for both consumers and enterprises alike and will bring in novel and affordable products and services that are competitive and world-class.” Saade said that the network will launch its own products and tariffs under a new and exciting brand which will be announced at the appropriate time; and in partnership with the best mobile operator in the Sultanate.”

The company will formally launch its brand to the Omani market later this year in an exclusive ceremony.

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http://timesofoman.com/inner_cat.asp?cat=4&detail=17300&rand=vr6PrJuRHMO6rCQxE9xBjPgEb9#

Friendi Mobile wins 3rd Oman mobile licence

by Saleh Al-Shaibany on Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Dubai-based Friendi Mobile has won a licence as a third mobile service provider in Oman, where it will operate by renting space on existing networks, a public relations firm said on Wednesday.Friendi is to announce details on Saturday about launching services as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Momentum Public Relations said in a statement.MVNOs provide mobile services without owning any frequency spectrum nor telecommunications infrastructure of their own.

Officials at Friendi and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority were not immediately available to comment.Oman, a Gulf Arab state of 2.5 million people, has been liberalising its telecommunications sector. Oman Telecommunications Co. (Omantel) lost its mobile phone monopoly when Nawras, 70 percent owned by Qatar Telecom, started operations in March 2005.Friendi, earlier called Moobility Telecom, has set up local operating companies and joint ventures in the Middle East and North Africa, according to its website. (Reuters)

Published in

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/523033-friendi-mobile-wins-3rd-oman-mobile-licence?ln=en

A second fixed line telecom and a third mobile phone licenses in Oman

As part of opening up its telecommunications sector, Oman has invited applications for a second fixed-line telecom license and a third mobile phone license, Reuters has reported. Telecom companies have time till April 1, 2008 to apply.
The Oman Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has said: "The TRA invites telecom companies to submit proposals to set up mobile and fixed-line telephone services in Oman that will lead to a license as operators."
The fixed-line market in Oman so far had a single player in Omantel, which lost its mobile phone monopoly in 2005 with the advent of Nawras.

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http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1283975/oman_to_issue_fixedline_mobile_phone_licenses/#