Nawras Will Continue Changing The Telecommunications Landscape In Oman With The Fixed Line Licences

18th November 2008

Nawras is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded the new fixed line licence for the Sultanate of Oman. This development will enable Nawras to serve customers in exciting new ways in the future while maintaining the highest levels of quality, service and value that the company has been delivering successfully in the field of mobile communications since 2005.

Nawras will utilise the excellent international experience and expertise of its parent and majority shareholder Qtel in developing and deploying fixed line and broadband services for the Sultanate of Oman. Qtel is one of the largest telecommunications operators in the Middle East with fixed and mobile operations in 16 countries and a vision to be one of the world's top 20 telecommunications companies by 2020. Qtel have developed world leading IP, media, broadband and telephony services in Qatar and Singapore which can provide much knowledge and best practice for Nawras to draw on in our fixed services implementation here in the Sultanate.

With this fixed licence, Nawras will build the latest generation fibre optic backbone and WiMAX wireless access networks across the Sultanate to deliver Broadband telecommunications and Internet access and to offer innovative cutting edge IP based media and communication services to consumers, businesses and government. Nawras will build a new international gateway in order to provide both international voice and internet access choice for all customers in the Sultanate. Nawras has committed a very significant investment programme over the next few years which will generate hundreds of new jobs either working directly for Nawras or for its business partners in infrastructure provision and distribution and other related sectors.

Nawras Chairman, H.E. Sheikh Salim bin Mustahil bin Ahmed Al Ma'ashani, said, “We thank the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) for its professionalism and transparency in the process of granting this fixed license. Nawras is honoured to have this great opportunity to provide a wide range of innovative services for the people of Oman, which will be carefully designed to meet the requirements of the various market segments. Nawras will deliver fixed telecommunications services - with its brand values of being caring, excellent and pleasingly different - in the same successful way as it has provided mobile services to the Sultanate since 2005.

Nawras CEO Ross Cormack, said, “Nawras is delighted to have been chosen to provide new fixed line services for the people of Oman. I know I speak for everyone at Nawras when I say how proud we all are to have this opportunity to further support His Majesty’s bold vision which includes an important focus on developing technology and communications in the Sultanate. Our entire team of friendly professionals is dedicated to serving the people of Oman, by making communications easier and more convenient, using the latest in world-class technology, global expertise and local knowledge, with affordable price packages which will increase significantly the availability and usability of data and voice services.”

Nawras will create a new team which is focused on building, operating and making a commercial success of its fixed network. We have already identified the key management staff, and will form a dedicated programme office to ensure rapid build out of the core and access networks, Nawras is planning to employ around 250 people to support the new business, and create an additional 350 jobs in the sales and distribution channels of Nawras and its partners.

Our plan in the first two years is for Nawras to roll out its wireless broadband service to five Governates and 14 Wilayats, Muscat (Al Amrat, Al Seeb, Bawshar, Muscat and Mutrah), Batinah (Barka and Sorah), Al Dakhlia (Nizwa), Al Sharqiyah (Sur), Dhofar (Al Mazyunah, Salalah, Thumrayt, Sadah and Muqshin). Nawras is confident that its roll-out plans are well founded on a detailed understanding of the practicalities of rolling out a fibre optic backbone and wireless network in the Sultanate of Oman.

Nawras totally changed the mobile telecommunications landscape in Oman by making it easier and more convenient for customers to buy, pay and get help. Nawras is looking forward to providing fixed line services in the same pleasingly different way and reaffirms its unwavering determination to successfully provide customers with the best communications experience possible, ensuring they always get more with Nawras.

Since March 2005, Nawras has transformed the mobile telecommunications landscape in Oman and made it easier for customers to get closer. Through the introduction of many firsts, this innovative operator has remained firmly focused on customers and creatively and consistently, delivered products and services to meet their needs. With its reliable, world-class network and strong team of professionals, Nawras will keep on delivering great value, pleasingly different service and excellent quality to its ever-increasing customer base.

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