Omantel has added 77 new 5G sites since February
Ericsson will be working with Omantel, Oman’s primary internet service provider, to support the Sultanate’s ongoing 5G radio access network (RAN) deployment plans at key locations across Oman, including Salalah, Nizwa and Sur.
The deployment on Omantel’s network will include hardware and software products and solutions from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio, including Advanced Antenna Systems and 3GPP standards-based 5G New Radio (NR), the vendor said.
The partnership will allow the service provider to expand coverage while simultaneously providing a network “fit for the future”, as Ericsson described it, as well as meet growing data traffic demands, deliver high-quality fixed wireless access and enhanced mobile broadband experiences.
In addition, a press release stated that Ericsson’s technology will enable “significant benefits to industry and enterprise” within the Sultanate.
“Omantel will be able to explore and build new business models and use cases, including Internet of Things (IoT) applications,” the release said.
Omantel’s CEO Eng. Samy Ahmed Al Ghassany commented that the service provider is “constantly working” to improve the lives digital lives of Oman’s people and businesses.
“The deployment of 5G will enable Oman to be at the forefront of digitalization, helping us transform both industry and infrastructure and turn the next generation of possibilities into reality,” he continued. “We value our long-standing relationship with Ericsson and their engagement during the 5G trials over the last three years. We are looking forward to further cooperation in the 5G era.”
Fadi Pharaon, president of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, further said that Ericsson’s technology will ensure that “many 5G use cases will emerge for people as well as industries, with examples such as Fixed Wireless Access,” which has the potential to support applications like wirelessly operated harbors and mines.
Omantel has undergone a series of recent network upgrades in order to keep up with increased traffic demands resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the measures included expansion of fixed-line and mobile 3G through 5G networks by increasing the capacity of existing sites, adding new sites and increasing Internet capacities.
Between February and July, the service provider added an impressive 77 new 5G sites, upgraded 42 sites from 3G to 4G, as well as added 26 new sites to its 3G and 4G networks.
