Oman's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) is planning to roll out 5G networks in Oman with the help of a national level team it established. The 5G national team includes members from the TRA and mobile network operators in the Sultanate who will develop a 5G strategy that will facilitate the deployment of the 5G network in Oman and tackle challenges that could arise during the roll-out, according to H.E Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad al Rumhi, chairman of TRA.
The national team, accompanied by the concerned entities, participated in a 5G workshop in China to view the experiences of other countries. So, we expect not only higher speeds but also new experiences in augmented and virtual reality, connected cars and smart homes.
TRA is working on its role for the needed legislation and regulations facilitating mobile operators to adopt the 5G network-using infrastructure owned by government entities. There are also plans for a 5G congress to be held later this year in Muscat.
According to Dr. Hamed Salim al Rawahi, executive president, TRA, "pilot projects and a roadmap for embracing 5G in the sector aligned with International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) guidelines and international trends have commenced with the active engagement of the industry stakeholders."
On the consumer business level, 5G-capable phones will start to appear early next year. However, huge 5G deployments results are expected to appear this year in mobile traffic data, with North American markets leading the charge. On the global level, major 5G deployments are expected from 2020 onwards.
