Vodafone has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oman Future Telecommunications and Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications to begin operations in the country. Vodafone will provide 4G and 5G services and will begin operations in 2020. Its entry in Oman will make it the third telecom service provider after Omantel and Ooredoo Oman.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of Oman pointed out that Vodafone’s entry into Oman’s telecommunication market indicates that it’s highly attractive to international and domestic investors, thus enhancing the chances of competition.
Earlier this year, Vodafone’s two competitors Omantel and Ooredoo Oman renewed their operating licences for 15 years for a price of $195 million each.
Vodafone Regional Executive and Programme Director Jacek Passia told the media that, “We are going to bring the best of Vodafone’s innovation, services and expertise to Oman. We will build Vodafone Oman to provide the best possible customer experience.”
He added, “The launch of Vodafone Oman will be delivered by a joint team of Vodafone, and local Omani personnel, as upskilling of the Omani workforce is a key focus of our partnership.”
With its entry in Oman, Vodafone will strengthen its presence in the Middle East and North African region. The telecom operator already provides its services in the UAE as well as in Qatar.
In the UK, Vodafone is seeking a review of the Office of Communication’s decision to relax restrictions on how much BT can charge for business fiber connections. According to Vodafone, it may lead to higher bills for companies, universities as well as hospitals.
Vodafone, along with Talk Talk lodged an appeal against the decision with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).