Qtel will bid for new fixed line licence in Oman

Qatar’s incumbent telco Qtel intends to expand its presence in Oman, reports the Gulf Times. ‘Qtel will definitely be bidding for the new fixed line licence in the Sultanate,’ Qtel CEO Nasser Marafih said. The procedure by which the Telecoms Regulatory Agency (TRA) will award a second fixed line concession is not yet known. ‘We understand the process will start this year. We are waiting for the details,’ Marafih said. Qtel already operates in Oman through cellco Nawras, its joint venture with Denmark’s TDC and several Omani investors. Nawras launched services in the first quarter of 2005 in competition with Oman Mobile, the cellular subsidiary of state-owned telco Omantel, and recently signed up its millionth subscriber.