Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has invited comments from telecoms licensees, other stakeholders and the general public on its draft Market Definition and Dominance (MDD) Report 2020, which was last updated in 2013. Taking into consideration recent and expected future developments in the telecoms sector, the TRA has completed its analysis of all retail and wholesale markets to assess their competition status and to determine the ex-ante obligations that dominant service providers in those relevant markets are subject to. Interested parties have until 20 September 2020 to submit their comments on the MDD Report 2020.
The draft states that Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) retains its dominant position in the retail fixed telephony market and the retail broadband market and will be subject to obligations of tariff approvals, accounting separation, non-discrimination and publication of information, while Ooredoo is no longer found to be dominant in the retail broadband market. Both operators remain dominant in the retail mobile sector, although the TRA will reassess this market two years after the launch of commercial services by the third mobile network operator. Omantel and Oman Broadband Company (OBC) have been designated dominant operators in the wholesale broadband market, although only Omantel will be subject to obligations of supply of service, publication of reference offer, wholesale price control and accounting separation.