MUSCAT -- As the capacity and usage of Oman's broadband network expands, the country's telecommunications, especially mobile, is rapidly surpassing anything customers have imagined. Ross Cormack (pictured), CEO of Nawras, says "at the heart of the digital revolution is mobile communication, which helps customers exploit the benefits of living in a digital world".
In comments to the Observer on new trends, Cormack said, "We recognise the growing trend for mobile broadband. Experts say the power of Internet will be increasingly found in the pockets of people around the world in devices that add value to people's lives." Nawras recently launched the fastest mobile broadband Internet service by introducing the Platinum Plan giving downlink speeds of up to 7.2Mb/s.
Nawras Network expansion of Edge technology continues and at the same time it is also quickly building out its latest 3G+ network. He said Nawras provides an extensive range of e-recharge services which allow customers to transfer credit from phone to phone and "we use the Internet to provide them with bill payment (Internet e-payment), self service and access to our services." "Recently Nawras introduced a mobile payment system for citizens in Oman wanting to participate in the Summer Sports Programme organised by the Ministry of Sports.
Cormack explained that Nawras does not sell technology; rather "we provide solutions to the everyday communication requirements of our customers by anticipating and responding to their needs." The trends "we have seen with products like I-pod from Apple are very interesting for us all. "The I-pod used to be an advanced music player but with the launch of the new 3G I-phone it has become a multimedia and personal communication tool with music player, e-mail access, Internet access, photo album, navigation system and last but not least a mobile phone. This is a very interesting development as it helps expand the use of mobile telecommunications", he said.
Ever since its inception in 2004, Nawras has produced a range of innovative products, including Nawras Ajel, Mousbak and Mousbak Plus, Nawras mobile e-mail, Nawras BlackBerry solutions, 3G+ broadband Internet, mobile info browsing, video calling and video monitoring. As a result, Nawras doubled its customer base in 2007 and to-date has more than 1.2 million customers, accounting for around 42 per cent market share as of July 22. This year, Nawras has invested more than RO 100 million on people, capital expenditure, running the operation, infrastructure development and customer service. This is on top of hundreds of millions already committed in those areas, he added.
By Hasan Kamoonpuri
© Oman Daily Observer 2008
