20 October 2010
MUSCAT -- In view of the ongoing quest of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to upgrade its performance and promote its processes in accordance with the international standards and specifications, Mohammed bin Nasser al Khusaibi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of National Economy, and Chairman of the TRA signed a contract to implement the project of Advanced Automated Spectrum Management System (ASMS) with OHI Telecommunications Company, a local agent for LS Telecom, Germany, the world's largest company in developing such software.
Al Khusaibi stated that since its establishment the TRA has sought through dedicated and hard work to provide the best services to all licensees and users of spectrum, whether in public or private sector, in accordance with best common international standards.
The ISO 9001:2008 quality management certificate that the TRA Spectrum Management Unit has obtained in 2008 and the ISO 27001:2005 in management of information security that the unit has obtained in 2010 as the first government organisation in the Sultanate to acquire these two certificates, are the best evidence for the approach the TRA is adopting in providing high-quality services.
He noted, the TRA policy in spectrum management focuses on achieving maximum utilisation of the spectrum, providing adequate allocations for public services and communication services related to society, encouraging the use of efficient applications of radio techniques and supporting the objectives of government policy for the telecommunications sector.
The TRA policy also depends on market forces to ensure efficient economic use of spectrum, improving competition, adopting maximum flexibility to respond to the requirements of market forces, ensuring the availability of frequencies to allow introduction of new technologies and telecommunications services to the Sultanate and attracting investment in the telecommunications sector.
The chairman noted that signing this contract, at a cost of RO 2,110,000 is a true interpretation of the vision of the state which gives utmost care to electronic provision of services in the future.
He also stressed that this new system of spectrum management will meet the expectations of the spectrum users in the Sultanate with respect to the transparent manner of radio licensing to obtain a high quality and fast service in light of the high complexity associated with licensing processes and the allocation of spectrum due to the emergence of new technologies, services and methods of co-ordination locally, regionally and internationally.
Naashiah al Kharusiya, a TRA member, confirmed that acquiring such system by the TRA in the future will meet the needs of users of spectrum in the Sultanate which include speed in issuing, submitting and processing licences electronically, especially for operators of telecomm services who will be able to get the radio licence automatically within a few hours, which would be considered as an achievement at the level of the entire region.
While Yousuf al Balushi, Senior Manager of Spectrum Management Unit, affirmed that signing the contract to implement the project of Advanced Automated Spectrum Management System (ASMS) will open new prospects for managing the spectrum efficiently in the Sultanate.
The project will be implemented in two phases; the first phase will be completed in 2011 to implement the Advanced Automated Spectrum Management System (ASMS) without connecting it to the Internet. The second phase will be completed in 2012 and during this stage the system will be connected to the Internet. By the end of this stage, spectrum users will be able to complete most of their transactions electronically from their own places and without the need to visit the TRA's office.
MUSCAT -- In view of the ongoing quest of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to upgrade its performance and promote its processes in accordance with the international standards and specifications, Mohammed bin Nasser al Khusaibi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of National Economy, and Chairman of the TRA signed a contract to implement the project of Advanced Automated Spectrum Management System (ASMS) with OHI Telecommunications Company, a local agent for LS Telecom, Germany, the world's largest company in developing such software.
Al Khusaibi stated that since its establishment the TRA has sought through dedicated and hard work to provide the best services to all licensees and users of spectrum, whether in public or private sector, in accordance with best common international standards.
The ISO 9001:2008 quality management certificate that the TRA Spectrum Management Unit has obtained in 2008 and the ISO 27001:2005 in management of information security that the unit has obtained in 2010 as the first government organisation in the Sultanate to acquire these two certificates, are the best evidence for the approach the TRA is adopting in providing high-quality services.
He noted, the TRA policy in spectrum management focuses on achieving maximum utilisation of the spectrum, providing adequate allocations for public services and communication services related to society, encouraging the use of efficient applications of radio techniques and supporting the objectives of government policy for the telecommunications sector.
The TRA policy also depends on market forces to ensure efficient economic use of spectrum, improving competition, adopting maximum flexibility to respond to the requirements of market forces, ensuring the availability of frequencies to allow introduction of new technologies and telecommunications services to the Sultanate and attracting investment in the telecommunications sector.
The chairman noted that signing this contract, at a cost of RO 2,110,000 is a true interpretation of the vision of the state which gives utmost care to electronic provision of services in the future.
He also stressed that this new system of spectrum management will meet the expectations of the spectrum users in the Sultanate with respect to the transparent manner of radio licensing to obtain a high quality and fast service in light of the high complexity associated with licensing processes and the allocation of spectrum due to the emergence of new technologies, services and methods of co-ordination locally, regionally and internationally.
Naashiah al Kharusiya, a TRA member, confirmed that acquiring such system by the TRA in the future will meet the needs of users of spectrum in the Sultanate which include speed in issuing, submitting and processing licences electronically, especially for operators of telecomm services who will be able to get the radio licence automatically within a few hours, which would be considered as an achievement at the level of the entire region.
While Yousuf al Balushi, Senior Manager of Spectrum Management Unit, affirmed that signing the contract to implement the project of Advanced Automated Spectrum Management System (ASMS) will open new prospects for managing the spectrum efficiently in the Sultanate.
The project will be implemented in two phases; the first phase will be completed in 2011 to implement the Advanced Automated Spectrum Management System (ASMS) without connecting it to the Internet. The second phase will be completed in 2012 and during this stage the system will be connected to the Internet. By the end of this stage, spectrum users will be able to complete most of their transactions electronically from their own places and without the need to visit the TRA's office.
© Oman Daily Observer 2010
