Incumbent telco Omantel yesterday launched an ADSL internet project which on completion will see around 14,000 new lines installed in several districts. This will take the operator’s total ADSL capacity to 170,000 lines. The work is to be carried out by China’s Huawei Technologies. Saleh bin Abdullah Al Farsi, Omantel’s head of marketing and customer service, said, ‘The first phase of the high speed ADSL internet project will include exchanges in Ghala, Al Khuwair, Wattayah, Ruwi, Wadi Kabir, Seeb and Al Khodh in Muscat governorate. It will also cover wilayat (province) of Nizwa in Al Dakhiliah region, Salalah in Dhofar governorate, Buraimi in Buraimi governorate, Ibri in Al Dahirah region and Sohar and Barka in Al Batinah region.’
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Omantel is the only internet provider in the Sultanate of Oman, and had just under 16,000 ADSL customers mid-way through 2007.