Every effort is being made to spread access to the latest telecom facilities in Oman, with special attention to far-flung and less developed areas, said Telecom Minister Malik bin Suleiman Al Maamari on Monday.
He said that after signing seven agreements with several companies, the government was fully aware of the growing importance of telecommunications.
He added that concrete steps were being taken to modernize the system so as to compete with the best in the world, the Gulf News quoted him as saying.
Maamari, who is also chairman of Oman Telecommunications Co., said more agreements to modernize telephone services using satellites would be signed next week. Equally important, the road network was being constantly extended, he said.
The first agreement provides for installation of 100 public telephones in remote areas and tourist sites in 18 months, while the second one, signed with Oman Fiber Optics Co., covers the supply and construction of 443km of optic fiber.
The third project, worth RO666,000 million, will be executed by Oman Telecommunications Holding Co. in the Batinah and the governorate of Musandam, while the fourth will see the Indian Telecommunications Company providing an external telecom network in the governorate of Muscat.
Electroman has been assigned the fifth project in the Dakhilya and Dhahira regions, while the National Telephone Services Co. will take care of the sixth in the Muscat governorate. Al Zuabiari Trading Co. is in charge of the seventh and is assigned the Sharqiya and Wusta regions and the governorate of Dhofar, said the paper.
Late last month, Maamari signed two big deals for the expansion of GSM networks in Muscat, Batinah and Musandam. The first one, signed with Ericsson, covers the installation of 91 new GSM stations in the Muscat governorate – Albawaba.com
