Celebrating Oman’s 45^th National Day, Awasr, the Sultanate’s only purpose-built fibre broadband service provider, announces its partnership with Oman Broadband Company (OBC).
The agreement was signed under the auspices of HE Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, during a ceremony at the Chedi Muscat. The agreement was signed by HH Sayyid Taimur bin As’sad Al Said, Chairman of Awasr, and Said bin Abdullah Al Mantheri, Chief Executive Officer of OBC.
The agreement will allow Awasr to access OBC’s fibre optic broadband network, which already reaches over 70,000 residential and business properties in Muscat.  Said Al Manthari, CEO of OBC, said, “We are excited to support a new service provider through our network; this is a strong example of how Oman’s National Broadband Strategy is coming to life and can make a difference. The ultimate aim of the strategy is to develop a shared telecoms infrastructure that is utilised by all licensed services providers in the country; this will allow them to focus on delivering smart services through a single network, rather than investing their resources into building standalone networks. We are stronger together.”
Now in partnership with OBC, Awasr is preparing to launch its ultra-fast Internet services to create new dynamic experiences for homes and businesses across the Sultanate.  Awasr is set to introduce its initial fibre optic broadband solutions next year across Muscat, including the districts of Al Khoud, Al Mawaleh, Al Hail, Shatti Al Qurum, Al Mubailah and Al Ghubra.
Ghaith Al Darmaki, Awasr’s Project Director, commented, “By providing services through OBC’s fibre optic network, Awasr can deliver considerably higher speeds and enhance the local market’s online experience with reliable state-of-the-art connections. Our cutting-edge technology will boost the Sultanate’s digital infrastructure and act as an enabler for Small and Medium Enterprises, whilst offering home users the opportunity to experience the full power and enjoyability of the Internet.”
He added, “Our teams have already started the trial phases in certain areas to ensure that quality remains at the helm of our operation. During these trials, our network has successfully delivered connections of up to 1Gbps with our test users.”
Garry Lewis, Awasr’s Head of Operations, added, “Awasr will launch some of its high-speed services to both home and business customers in early 2016, with additional product releases taking place throughout the year. Those interested in benefiting from our services will soon have a wide range of channels to obtain more details about the full scope of our broadband packages.”
Bringing proven technology and international experience to Oman, Awasr has partnered with a number of industry specialists from across the globe to ensure a new market experience, one centered on quality and delivery.  A key partner is Singapore’s ViewQwest, which is providing expertise with 13 years of market-leadership characterizing its credentials.
Vignesa Moorthy, CEO of ViewQwest, one of Singapore’s pioneering broadband Internet service providers, commented:  “ViewQwest is happy to have entered into a strategic partnership with Awasr, Oman’s first purpose-built fibre broadband service provider. Our achievements in Singapore, which are attributed to our strategic vision in delivering premium value, will enable us to work closely with Awasr and drive the quality and success of its services. ViewQwest understands consumers’ need for speed, thus we have always been first in the race to offer the fastest broadband services in Singapore – we were the first to launch a 2Gbps home broadband service. We are confident that Awasr is well-equipped to deliver new industry-leading experiences to the Omani market.”
In addition to OBC and ViewQwest, Awasr’s partners include Orixcom, a seasoned regional operator that supports Awasr with connectivity, and Eos Telecom, who provides specialist telecom expertise. To learn more and check the coverage of Awasr’s latest fibre broadband services, visit www.awasr.om.