MTNL to bid for Omani licence

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has placed an initial bid for a unified services licence in Oman, DNA India reports, citing a company official. The concession would enable the Indian company to offer a variety of telecoms services in the Sultanate, including fixed and mobile telephony, as well as broadband internet. ‘We have put in an expression of interest for securing a unified services licence in Oman,’ the source said, adding, ‘The bids, to be first judged on a technical basis, will be opened by the middle of next week.’ According to the official, one reason behind the move is that the average revenue per user (ARPU) in Oman is high (around USD82 for fixed telephony and USD44 for mobile) but broadband penetration is low. If successful, MTNL would become the country’s third operator, joining state-owned incumbent Omantel and alternative telco Nawras, which is 55% owned by Qatar Telecom (QTel), with the remaining held by Danish operator TDC (15%) and Omani investors (30%).