Third Omani MNO expected to launch in 2021

Oman Future Telecommunications (OFT) is now expected to launch as the Sultanate’s third mobile network operator (MNO) next year, according to a report by Times of Oman, which cites a social media comment from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. The OFT consortium, which is led by Itqan Tech Development, secured the third MNO licence in October 2017 after the tender process was cancelled, and in September last year it signed a strategic partnership agreement with Vodafone Group. Under the 15-year non-equity agreement, Vodafone and OFT will work together to roll out a new mobile network and develop a number of new services using the Vodafone brand in Oman. As well as Itqan Tech Development, the OFT consortium is said to include pension funds, government investment funds and investors from the private sector.