TRA publishes 5G roadmap as part of Oman Vision 2040 strategy

According to local press reports, Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced more details of its 5G roadmap as per the country’s Vision 2040 strategy plan. On 15 October 2019 the industry regulator revealed that domestic operators Omantel and Ooredoo have been granted rights to use a 100MHz block of 5G spectrum to introduce a range of advanced and innovative services in the coming years. The TRA’s statement read: ‘The authority began early preparations to enable companies to provide 5G services and exempt companies from annual frequency usage fees for one year to encourage investment in the sector,’ adding that ‘In the next five years, 4,400 [base] stations will be constructed by Omantel and Ooredoo and they will conduct workshops to inform relevant government agencies of the applications in preparation for their readiness to use it.’ It is understood that 1,000 new BTS will be deployed in 2019-2020 which TRA says displays the Sultanate’s readiness for fifth-generation mobile services to enable cellcos to ‘employ artificial intelligence in data analysis and decision making, providing vital impetus to the overall economic development’.