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Muscat: Oman will soon auction a licence for a second fixed-line service provider, with broadband, according to the country's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) member Naashiah S. Al Kharusi.
"We have already appointed consultants to prepare terms and conditions for the auction and soon the process would start," Al Kharusi told Gulf News on the sidelines of the opening of Oman's biggest IT show - Comex 2008, at the Oman International Exhibition Centre (OIEC).
She stressed that the new licence for fixed-line service would be with broadband service also. "The highest bidder would get the license," she added.
She also did not rule out possibility of another mobile phone service provider in the country. Currently, partly government-owned OmanMobile and Nawras are the two service provi-ders in the mobile phone sector with the later operating for the last three years.
The TRA member denied that the regulatory authority was controlling subscription rates in the country. "It is a misconception as we do not interfere in the retail price but control only the inter connection prices between the operators," she stressed. However, she said that the TRA would definitely discourage unhealthy cost cutting.
Regarding frequency problems faced by the new FM radio stations in Oman, Al Kharusi said that the problem was still there.
"We are coordinating with the neighbouring and the other GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries on the issue that remains a problem," she revealed.
Meanwhile, Juma Bin Ali Juma, Minister of Manpower, inaugurated the country's largest IT, telecom and technology show - Comex 2008, yesterday at the OIEC in Seeb.
Organised by Oman International Trade and Exhibitions (OITE), the business section of this two fold event will be open from 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9.30 pm.
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