Six bidders shortlisted for second licence

A representative of the government has announced that telecoms regulator the TRA has shortlisted six bidders from an original ten companies seeking Oman’s second fixed line licence. The winning operator, which will be expected to provide competition with current monopoly Omantel, will be announced before the end of 2008. The official went on to say that efforts to liberalise the market were in line with the state’s attempts to encourage foreign investment in the wake of declining domestic oil production.