Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) says that Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has issued a decree approving a Category 1 telecoms license to Omani Space Communications Technologies (OmanSat) to provide fixed communications services.
According to a statement from TRA issued Thursday, the licence enables OmanSat to offer broadband internet services and satellite connectivity services for communication stations, as well as provide multiple connectivity options for people in rural areas.
Mahmood Omar al Zadjali, acting executive manager for TRA’s strategic planning unit, told the Oman Observer that it’s the same type of licence held by Omantel, Ooredoo, Vodafone and Awasr – which is to say, a licence to offer fixed broadband services using their own infrastructure. Category 2 licences are for operators that lease infrastructure to sell services.
OmanSat – which was created by the government in 2018 to spearhead the Sultanate’s satellite communications infrastructure – doesn’t own its own satellite yet, but leases capacity from other satellite operators, although this is also allowed under the Category 1 licence.
OmanSat issued a tender in June 2021 to build its first communications satellite, ‘OmanSat-1’, with the goal of putting it in orbit in 2024. However, that has yet to happen. Oman launched its first satellite – an earth observation satellite dubbed OL-1 – in November 2024.
SpaceX’s Starlink acquired a Category 1 licence last month to sell its LEO satellite broadband service in Oman.
Chinese LEO satellite operator Geespace is also angling to offer services in Oman. In July 2024, it said it was testing its network with local satellite services provider Azyan Telecom, with plans to launch services sometime this year.
The TRA said it sees satellite broadband as an essential component for extending broadband connectivity to remote areas and providing backup connectivity in the event of service outages on terrestrial networks.
The regulator also said the OmanSat licence “comes within the efforts of the TRA to enable investment in innovative technologies and services, ensure the existence of an accessible and secure infrastructure, and develop a flexible regulatory environment that keeps pace with developments.”
