Oman's telecom regulator said on Wednesday it is working with operators to provide services to more than 150 out-lying villages in the sultanate. The project is expected to begin in the third quarter of this year and will bring telecom services to some of the most remote areas in Oman. The initiative is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, a statement said. The joint initiative with operators Omantel and Nawras comes in response to requests from citizens to provide telecommunications services to villages of rural and remote areas that are inhabited by a small number of people and currently lacking of such services. Field surveys were conducted for these areas to determine the possibility of connecting these areas to the nearest telecommunications network, the statement added. As part of the initiative, Omantel and Nawras have agreed to build a total of 120 mobile sites in rural areas in the sultanate. Dr Hamed Al Rawahi, chief executive of TRA, said: "Telecommunication companies usually target areas with high population density that have economic returns in order to develop their networks and provide various services. "However, TRA appreciates the response of telecom operators to this social initiative which aims to provide telecommunications services to citizens and residents in the rural areas." He said the new mobile sites would cover more than 150 villages that are currently deprived from telecom services.
