Ooredoo Oman, the Sultanate’s second largest mobile network operator, has acquired additional spectrum in the 800MHz and 2600MHz frequency bands to boost the capabilities of its 4G LTE network. The company paid OMR9.6 million (USD24 million) for the spectrum, which will be used to improve indoor coverage and will lead to significantly faster download speeds. ‘One of our aims is to provide innovative and best-in-industry technology and services to our customers,’ noted CEO of Ooredoo, Greg Young, adding: ‘This new spectrum will significantly boost indoor 4G coverage and enable its cost effective and faster expansion outside of city areas. Our customers will be able to use 4G in many more areas and benefit from higher data speeds… This additional investment future-proofs our network investment with the necessary spectrum to underpin cost effective capacity increases to keep pace with accelerating 4G demand, and the introduction of 4.5G will deliver an even faster user experience.’
The acquisition enhances Ooredoo Oman’s extensive network modernisation programme, which has been underway for the last three years. The company has also recently showcased LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) technology, demonstrating speeds of up to 200Mbps at the Salah Festival.