MUSCAT: The Ministry of Education has worked to ensure smooth access to education in all regions, including schools in remote geographical areas.

It has successfully overcome the technical challenges particularly in remote schools suffering from weak Internet services, by deploying satellite technologies and 5G. It is also adopting advanced digital solutions to manage massive data volumes and efficiently link educational systems to national networks.

Internet coverage in schools has reached 100 per cent since 2021, with a focus on improving quality. Furthermore, the percentage of schools covered by fibre optic and 5G networks has increased from 74 per cent to over 97 per cent, enabling educational applications that require high speeds.

Over the past period, the ministry has worked to empower the digital infrastructure of all schools. The ministry has collaborated with telecommunications companies to upgrade Internet speeds to ten times their previous speed using fibre optic technology or 5G. The ministry also coordinated with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to upgrade Internet networks in remote schools using Starlink. Fifty government schools have been connected to the Starlink high-speed satellite Internet service to improve the quality of digital services.

Omar bin Abdullah al Qutbi, Vice-President of the TRA, emphasised the issue of coverage in cities and rural areas. He stated that the Authority is continuously working with companies to ensure the expansion of services beyond city centres to include economic zones, main roads, and rural areas, thus guaranteeing access to telecommunications services throughout the Sultanate of Oman. He explained that the expansion of fibre optic and 5G networks has contributed to enhancing coverage both within and outside cities, in addition to satellite technology solutions. The ministry is giving considerable attention to modernising learning environments, enhancing the efficiency of educational infrastructure, and improving the performance of educational institutions, in line with global developments and responsive to the specific needs of the local context.

Fibre optic subscriptions saw a 93 per cent increase, from 180,000 to over 350,000 subscribers, while fixed 5G subscriptions grew by 189 per cent, from 76,000 to 220,000 subscribers. Fibre optics and 5G thus represent approximately 95% of all fixed Internet subscribers, while older technologies with limited speeds are declining.

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