Omantel to focus on internet

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) has revealed plans to concentrate on its internet services in a bid to boost growth. The announcement comes after its net profit fell 5.8% to OMR68.6 million (USD178.7 million) in 2005, the first year it faced competition, with Nawras Telecom launching in the mobile market. The country’s internet market is currently very small, with a penetration rate of just 2%. Omantel has offered consumer internet services since 1997 but the majority of customers are still business users. ISDN lines were launched in 2001 and ADSL services three years later, after a soft launch the previous year. The incumbent is currently the country’s only internet service provider (ISP), although this will change in the near future, following the regulator’s repeated declarations that it will begin to licence new operators.