Muscat: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has underscored the critical role of internal telecommunications wiring in ensuring high-quality and uninterrupted services inside residential and commercial buildings across the Sultanate of Oman.

As part of an awareness campaign aimed at educating the public on the importance of proper internal telecom connections, the TRA noted that poor internal wiring is the leading cause of subscriber complaints received from various governorates.

The Authority urged property owners, developers, and service providers to adopt the technical guidelines it has issued, which outline installation requirements and standards for internal wiring depending on the building type—whether it is a single-storey house, multi-storey building, commercial property, or an integrated residential compound.

The guidelines aim to enhance network efficiency and boost the performance of digital services in homes and offices by ensuring reliable infrastructure from the outset.

Recommendations by building type

Single-storey residential buildings:

The TRA recommends the use of copper cables of category six (CAT-6) or higher, extending from the main distribution box to all telecommunications sockets. A dedicated infrastructure should be installed to connect each wireless access point (Wi-Fi) to an independent cable, improving coverage and performance. It is also advisable to allocate a separate RJ45 cable for each television, security camera, ground-floor window, and main entrance to support smart home integration.

Multi-storey residential buildings:

A main distribution box should be installed on the ground floor, connected via vertical conduits to distribution boxes on each level. In larger buildings, the Authority suggests replacing individual boxes with a dedicated telecommunications room. Each housing unit should also have its own distribution box, connected through structured cabling ducts.

Commercial buildings:

Given the higher demand and specific nature of telecom services in commercial facilities, a dedicated telecommunications room should replace the main distribution box to manage the network effectively.

Residential compounds:

For larger housing developments, a central telecom room should be established at the heart of the compound. This room must connect to the external boundary via specialised conduits, with optical fibre cables linking it to all residential or commercial units within the compound. This setup ensures the delivery of high-speed, high-quality data services.

The TRA affirmed that adherence to these technical standards will help create robust internal telecom networks that support the country’s digital transformation efforts.

The Authority further warned that failure to follow the approved specifications could result in continued poor service coverage within buildings, negatively impacting the end-user experience.

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