Ooredoo this week announced that it has acquired new mobile spectrum that will boost its 4G network in Oman.
Ooredoo Oman said it paid 9.6 million rials (€23 million) for airwaves in the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands.
The new frequencies will help it to expand its LTE networks in rural areas, amongst other things, the telco said.
"This new spectrum will significantly boost indoor 4G coverage and enable its cost effective and faster expansion outside of city areas," said Ooredoo Oman CEO Greg Young, in a statement.
"Our customers will be able to use 4G in many more areas and benefit from higher data speeds. With this, we will be providing a whole new online experience," he added
"We have also driven the expansion of services into remote communities and played a leading role in expanding telecommunication services into rural areas," Young said. "We look forwarding to continuing to change the telecommunication landscape in these regions."
Ooredoo is the smaller of two mobile network operators in Oman, but the market is fairly evenly split. According to the latest figures from the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Ooredoo had a market share of 42.6% at the end of the first quarter of this year, compared with incumbent Omantel’s 45.5%. The remainder was accounted for by MVNOs.
There were 6.24 million mobile subscribers in Oman at the end of Q1, putting penetration at just above 150%.
