Nawras First Again With In-Flight Roaming

Nawras, the Middle East Mobile Operator of the Year, is delighted to launch another innovation today with its in-flight roaming service enabling Nawras Ajel (postpaid) customers to get more by being the first to use their mobile phones on flights equipped with the AeroMobile communication system. AeroMobile’s equipment gives Nawras customers the opportunity to make and accept calls as well as send and receive SMS during their flight. Convenient billing is in the normal way with roaming charges clearly shown on monthly statements. The service begins with selected flights from Emirates and will be extended to more flights as well as a number of other airlines in the months ahead.

Ali Raza Jafri, Team Leader, Nawras International Roaming, enthusiastically announced this new development saying, “Nawras always seeks to give customers more communication choice and from today that extends to the skies too. This partnership with Aero Mobile gives a safe and cost-effective way for Nawras Ajel customers to use their phones while flying and once again shows Nawras being first with innovative services for its customers. With AeroMobile’s complete global coverage, our customers can safely use their own mobile phones to call and SMS just as they would on the ground.”

Passengers onboard an aircraft will be made aware when network is available through crew announcements, in seat pocket information and via overhead signs. The service is operated in cruise altitude only and not during take-off or landing.

Nawras was also the first operator in Oman to provide data roaming which allows customers to read and send emails as well as browse the internet not only in the Sultanate but when travelling abroad. Today Nawras offers 102 data roaming partners in 59 countries and looks forward to making this service available on board flights in the future too. Nawras regularly adds new roaming partners so customers can get closer to friends, family and business even when travelling abroad.

International roaming was introduced for Nawras Mousbak (prepaid) customers in November 2005, months ahead of the service being offered by any other operator in Oman. Likewise, new ground was broken by the Middle East Mobile Operator of the Year when data roaming was launched for Nawras Mousbak customers, allowing them to send and receive emails when travelling in 16 other countries.

To provide easy access to this wealth of roaming opportunities, Nawras created a roaming navigator on its website leading directly to all the information customers might need when travelling: tariffs, dialling codes, operator assistance and more. Alternatively, customers can choose to send a free SMS to 1500 at anytime using the keyword Nawras, to find international roaming details.

Just last month, Nawras announced another ‘first’ with its supersize MMS, increasing the value of each national MMS sent Nawras to Nawras by doubling the size which allows customers to send up to 400KB for the same low price of only 45 Baisa. This is the largest picture message capacity available in the Sultanate today.

Nawras was first and is still the only operator in the Sultanate to offer 3G+ services giving fast mobile Broadband Internet, Mobile Info Browsing, Video Calling and Video Monitoring. Customers can also use 3G+ when travelling abroad with 20 partners in 17 countries – another plus introduced first by Nawras.

For more than three years, Nawras has been making communication easier, fun and more convenient by introducing exciting new products and services to Oman. In that short time, more than 15,000 locations for purchasing Nawras Recharge Cards have sprung up all over the country, giving customers the opportunity to buy in their own locality as well as providing business opportunities for many Omanis in the process.

Importantly, these have been supported by the reliability of the world-class Nawras Network which covers 96% of the population with national roaming where required.

Nawras currently covers 96% of the population with its world-class network, using national roaming where necessary and always with Nawras great value.