Siemens Wins Oman GSM

MUNICH -- Oman Telecommunications Co. (Omantel) has commissioned the Siemens Information and Communication mobile Group (Siemens Mobile) to expand the GSM network in Oman. This means that people living in the country's remote regions, such as al-Dahkilia, al-Sharqiya and al-Dhaira, will soon also have access to mobile telephony. Under the terms of the approximately US-Dollar 40 million contract, Siemens will supply and install base stations as well as fit GSM technology along the main highways linking the cities of Muscat, Nizwa, Ibri, Beidbeid and Sur.

"Countries such as Oman, and indeed the Middle East as a whole, play an important role for our business," said Christoph Caselitz, President of Networks within Siemens mobile. "So we're glad to be able to offer our partner Omantel the experience and expertise we have gained from projects in many countries throughout the world in order to support them in their privatization and help prepare them for the liberalization of the telecoms market."

Siemens expanded the GSM infrastructure in 2001 to include prepaid services, also used enthusiastically by mobile radio subscribers in Oman. As Mohammad Al Wohaibi, Executive President of Omantel, explained: "The network then grew at such a rate it was soon in need of technical expansion. The aim of our renewed collaboration with Siemens is not only to bring increased network capacity and coverage for the GSM infrastructure; it will also pave Omantel's way toward UMTS. We value Siemens as a dependable partner with a high level of technical expertise."

Siemens Information and Communication Mobile Group