PCCW-Awaser loses Oman fixed-line licence to Nawras

Oman’s regulator has overturned the  award of the country’s  second  fixed-line licence to the  PCCW-Awaser Oman consortium,  and instead passed  it to second mobile operator Nawras, it was announced on November 19.

CEO of Nawras Ross Cormack is  thrilled to gain access to Oman’s fixedlineand broadband market

The Telecommunications  Regulatory Authority (TRA)  had previously announced on October 25 that the consortium led by Hong Kong’s PCCW was the winning bidder.

PCCW’s Ayman Irshaid, vice president of business development, EMEA international projects, said the TRA had not informed PCCW of why the decision was reversed. “We are really disappointed and we don’t know any reason for the decision,” Irshaid told Comm. “But the Middle East is full of opportunities, we have a lot of opportunities to follow. There  are many new licences so we will continue to focus on the Middle East.”

A TRA statement noted that the licence was awarded to the Nawras consortium “on condition that it will honour all the obligations specified in the Information Memorandum, which comprises the tender terms and conditions relating to the bidding process.”

Nawras has promised to build the latest generation fibre optic backbone and WiMAX wireless access networks across the sultanate to deliver broadband and Internet access, and to offer innovative cutting edge IP-based media and communication services to consumers, businesses and government. Nawras will also build a new international gateway in order to provide both international voice and Internet access choice for all customers in the sultanate.

“We are very proud to have been chosen as the new provider of fixed-line services for the people of Oman,” stated CEO of Nawras, Ross Cormack. “The whole company will work together to support the sultanate’s bold vision for delivering the highest possible standard of communications and we are well positioned to leverage Qtel’s growing international expertise in developing and deploying fixed-line and broadband services.”

Nawras is a subsidiary of Qatar Telecom (Qtel) and enjoys a 43 per cent market share with 1.4 million mobile customers since launching operations in the country in March 2005.