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New operator eyes prepaid mobile phone users in Oman

Over 90 per cent of the 2.8 million mobile phone users in Oman are prepaid subscribers and a new operator aims to add a few more to that number.

  • By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
  • Published: 21:26 November 30, 2008
  • Gulf News

Muscat: Over 90 per cent of the 2.8 million mobile phone users in Oman are prepaid subscribers and a new operator aims to add a few more to that number.

Speaking at a media briefing, Antti Arponen, CEO of FRiENDi mobile Oman, said: "It is true that the penetration level among the existing mobile phone service operators has crossed 100 per cent, but at the same time one must understand that some people use more than one SIM card. There is ample scope to create a new subscriber base here."

"At every stage, there are different segments to serve to and we have identified that," he said, adding that FRiENDi will initially only offer pre-paid SIM cards.

Arponen denied that there was any condition regarding pre-paid service in the licence, but added that due to logistic problems of billing, they opted for pre-paid only.

Oman's Telecommunications Authority (TRA) has issued licences for re-selling of mobile phone service to five new operators and FRiENDi have signed up with OmanMobile to offer its own services, using OmanMobile network.

Oman is the first country in the entire Middle East region to give licences to resellers.

Arponen also said that mobile phone credit card was widely catching up in the Far Eastern Asian countries and could soon come to the region. "If and when it catches up here we will also introduce the service where a customer can load his SIM card with money and use it as a credit card," he explained.

The technology that FRiENDi mobile has set up in Oman is currently being used by more than 140 million mobile phone users around the world.

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