Oman Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 26 Sep 2024 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 168

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

Contact BuddeComm

Purchase this Report

Summary
Table Of Contents

Oman preps for closing down 3G networks

Oman has made considerable progress in migrating mobile infrastructure from legacy networks to LTE and 5G. The regulator is managing a program to close down 3G infrastructure, a process largely complete by late 2024 and which will allow the MNOs to refarm spectrum for 5G. Progress with developing 5G has been steady, with the number of sites doubling in 2023 alone, and having increased 19% in the year to June 2024. Of the sites installed by then, about a third were in Muscat.

The mobile market had long been a duopoly between the incumbent telco Omantel and its challenger Ooredoo Oman. In January 2022, Vodafone Oman launched commercial services and immediately impacted on the market share and revenue of the two main players.

Oman’s fixed broadband infrastructure penetration is considered low, at about 11% in early 2024, though the regulator has encouraged the building out of fibre-based networks as part of Oman’s Vision 2040 program. It is expected that at least three-quarters of all buildings in the Sultanate will be fibre-enabled by 2025.

Oman has also established itself as an important communications hub in the Middle East, with access to numerous submarine cables including the 2Africa submarine cable, which should become available by late 2024. There is also the new 275km Oman Emirates Gateway (OEG) cable link connecting data centres in the UAE and Oman, while in mid-2024 work started on a network connecting Pakistan with the UAE and Oman.

Key developments:

Ooredoo Financial Technology International (OFTI) secures a Payment Service Provider license in Oman.
Fixed broadband provider Awasr opens the Oman-IX IXP.
Oman nears completion of a project to shut down 3G networks and refarm spectrum for LTE and 5G.
Starlink Muscat is issued a Class I licence to provide satellite broadband services in the Sultanate.
Report update includes operator data to Q2 2024, regulator’s market data to June 2024, updated Telecom Maturity Index analyses and charts, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report include:

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel), Oman Mobile, Ooredoo Oman, Oman Broadband Company (OBC), FRiENDi, Majan Telecom (Renna), Integrated Telecommunications Oman (TeO), Awasr-Oman, Oman Future Telecommunications (OFT) consortium, Vodafone Group, Oman Tower Company (OTC)

Key statistics
Regional Middle East Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI versus GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed and mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market overview
Oman Vision 2040

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Revision of the telecommunication regulatory law – 2011-2015
Telecom sector liberalisation
Second fixed-line licence
Third fixed-line licence
Privatisation
Interconnect
Access
Universal Service Obligation (USO)
Royalty fees
Competition issues
Market competitiveness report

Mobile network developments

Second mobile licence
Third mobile licence
Reseller/MVNO licences
Roaming
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Spectrum allocation

Mobile market

Mobile market analysis
Mobile statistics

Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Mobile infrastructure

Towers
5G
4G
GSM, 3G
M2M
Satellite mobile

Major mobile operators

Omantel/Oman Mobile Telecommunications (OMTC)
Ooredoo Oman
Vodafone Oman
MVNOs

Fixed-line broadband market

Broadband statistics
Fibre-to-the-Premises networks
Other fixed broadband services

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
Satellite broadband

Fixed network operators

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel)
Ooredoo Oman
Awasr

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network

Alternative infrastructure
VoIP

National broadband strategy (NBS)
International infrastructure

Submarine cable networks
Satellite networks

Smart infrastructure

Smart cities
Smart grids
Digital economy
Data centres
Cloud computing

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Oman – 2024 (e)
Table 2 – Oman - GDP and inflation – 2012 – 2024
Table 3 – Development of telecom market revenue and investment (OMR million) – 2018 – 2023
Table 4 – Change in the number of mobile number portings – 2012 – 2022
Table 5 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 6 – Development of mobile ARPU – 2017 – 2024
Table 7 – Change in mobile data ARPU – 2018 – 2022
Table 8 – Change in the share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 9 – Change in domestic mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2024
Table 10 – Development of mobile and wholesale mobile revenue – 2012 – 2024
Table 11 – Development of mobile market revenue – 2018 – 2024
Table 12 – Development of telecom market investment by platform (OMR million) – 2010 – 2023
Table 13 – Change in the number of prepaid and postpaid subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 14 – Change in the number of SMS messages – 2012 – 2020
Table 15 – Change in the number of MMS messages – 2012 – 2020
Table 16 – Change in the market share of mobile broadband subscribers by operator – 2023 – 2024
Table 17 – Development of domestic mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2024
Table 18 – Change in average mobile data use per subscriber – 2018 – 2021
Table 19 – Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 20 – Change in the number of mobile towers by platform – 2015 – 2021
Table 21 – Increase in the number of 5G base stations – 2020 – 2024
Table 22 – Increase in the number of M2M mobile connections – 2013 – 2024
Table 23 – Change in the number of Omantel Mobile’s mobile subscribers – 2016 – 2024
Table 24 – Change in the number of Omantel’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2019 – 2024
Table 25 – Development of Ooredoo Oman’s mobile ARPU (QAR / month) – 2013 – 2024
Table 26 – Change in the number of Ooredoo Oman’s mobile subscribers by type – 2012 – 2024
Table 27 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Table 28 – Change in the number of fixed wireless broadband subscribers by platform – 2021 – 2024
Table 29 – Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2014 – 2024
Table 30 – Development of fixed broadband ARPU – 2017 – 2023
Table 31 – Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscriptions by data rate – 2019 – 2023
Table 32 – Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscriptions by platform – 2019 – 2024
Table 33 – Increase in fixed broadband traffic – 2012 – 2024
Table 34 – Change in the proportion of fibre broadband subscriptions by platform – 2017 – 2021
Table 35 – Increase in the number of Omantel Oman’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2020 – 2023
Table 36 – Share by fixed-line revenue by major operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 37 – Share by fixed-line subscribers by major operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 38 – Development of Omantel Group’s financial data (OMR million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 39 – Development of Omantel Oman’s financial data – 2012 – 2024
Table 40 – Change in Omantel’s domestic revenue by type – 2019 – 2023
Table 41 – Change in the number of Omantel’s subscribers by type (million) – 2019 – 2024
Table 42 – Development of Ooredoo Oman’s financial data (QAR million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 43 – Change in the number of Ooredoo Oman’s fixed-line subscribers – 2012 – 2024
Table 44 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 45 – Change in the number of VoIP subscriptions – 2016 – 2023
Table 46 – Decline in domestic fixed-line voice traffic – 2019 – 2024
Table 47 – Decline in fixed telephony revenue – 2012 – 2024
Table 48 – Decline in fixed telephony ARPU – 2012 – 2024
Table 49 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2024
Table 50 – Historic - Oman - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 – 2011
Table 51 – Historic - Omantel Group financial data (OMR million) – 2003 – 2011
Table 52 – Historic - Oman - Fixed broadband subscribers – 2004 – 2011
Table 53 – Historic - Oman - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate - 1995 – 2011
Table 54 – Historic - Oman - Mobile sector total ARPU – 2005 – 2011
Table 55 – Historic - Change in Omantel Oman’s revenue by type (OMR million) – 2011 – 2018
Table 56 – Historic - Oman - Total prepaid and post-paid subscribers – 2005 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in the Middle East
Chart 2 – Middle East – Telecoms Maturity Index global ranking
Chart 3 – Middle East – Telecoms Maturity Index by country
Chart 4 – Middle East - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Middle East – Mobile subscriber versus mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Middle East – Fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Development of telecom market revenue and investment (OMR million) – 2018 – 2023
Chart 8 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 9 – Development of mobile ARPU – 2017 – 2024
Chart 10 – Change in the share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 11 – Change in domestic mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2024
Chart 12 – Development of mobile service and wholesale mobile revenue – 2012 – 2024
Chart 13 - Development of telecom market investment by platform – 2010 – 2023
Chart 14 - Change in the number of prepaid and postpaid subscribers – 2012 – 2024
Chart 15 – Development of domestic mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2024
Chart 16 – Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 17 – Change in the number of mobile towers by platform – 2015 – 2021
Chart 18 – Increase in the number of M2M mobile connections – 2013 – 2024
Chart 19 – Change in the number of Omantel’s mobile subscribers by type – 2019 – 2023
Chart 20 – Development of Ooredoo Oman’s mobile ARPU – 2013 – 2024
Chart 21 – Change in the number of Ooredoo Oman’s mobile subscribers by type – 2012 – 2024
Chart 22 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Chart 23 – Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscriptions by platform – 2019 – 2024
Chart 24 – Increase in fixed broadband traffic – 2012 – 2024
Chart 25 – Development of Omantel Group’s financial data – 2012 – 2024
Chart 26 – Development of Omantel Oman’s financial data – 2012 – 2024
Chart 27 – Change in Omantel’s domestic revenue by type – 2019 – 2023
Chart 28 – Change in the number of Omantel’s subscribers by type – 2019 – 2024
Chart 29 – Development of Ooredoo Oman’s financial data – 2012 – 2024
Chart 30 – Change in the number of Ooredoo Oman’s fixed-line subscribers – 2012 – 2024
Chart 31 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012– 2027
Chart 32 – Decline in fixed telephony revenue – 2012 – 2024
Chart 33 – Decline in fixed telephony ARPU – 2012 – 2024
Chart 34 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2024

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 2 – Middle East – Market leaders and market developments
Exhibit 3 – Middle East –Market challengers and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Middle East –Market emergents and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Telecom Services Providers in Oman
Exhibit 6 – 2Africa landing stations
Exhibit 7 – Encouraging the start-up sector in Oman

Related Reports

Purchase this Report

Contact BuddeComm

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Monitor critical insights with our AI-powered Market Intelligence Platform gathering and analyzing intelligence in real time. With AI trained to spot emerging trends and detect new strategic opportunities, our clients use TMT Intelligence to accelerate their growth.

If you want to know more about it, please see:

TMT Intelligence Platform

Research Methodology

BuddeComm's strategic business reports contain a combination of both primary and secondary research statistics, analyses written by our senior analysts supported by a network of experts, industry contacts and researchers from around the world as well as our own scenario forecasts.

For more details, please see:

Research Methodology

More than 4,000 customers from 140 countries utilise BuddeComm Research

Are you interested in BuddeComm's Custom Research Service?

Hot Topics

News & Views

Have the latest telecommunications industry news delivered to your inbox by subscribing to BuddeComm's weekly newsletter.

Unsubscribe

Oman Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Oman preps for closing down 3G networks

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report include:

Key statistics

Regional Middle East Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Smart infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views