Muscat: Oman's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) held a press conference on Wednesday, during which it said that Oman’s telecom sector saw strong growth in 2024, with more people using mobile phones, internet, and smart device services, according to new government data.

According to TRA's officials, the number of mobile phone users rose to 7.5 million in 2024, up from 6.9 million in 2023, an increase of 7 per cent.

Fixed home internet connections also went up slightly to 573,000, compared to 562,000 the year before.

A big jump was seen in smart device connections, also known as Internet of Things (IoT) services, which grew by 72 per cent to reach 1.15 million in 2024.

This type of service includes smart meters, connected cars, and other internet-enabled devices. Just five years ago, the number was only 245,000.

During the event, TRA pointed out that telecom companies also earned more in 2024, with total revenues reaching RO 920 million, up 4 per cent from RO 881 million in 2023.

Companies also invested more in their networks, with investments equal to 28 per cent of their revenue, which is much higher than the global average of 15 to 20 per cent.

More schools and homes now have access to fast internet. Government figures show that 97 per cent of public schools are now covered by high-speed fixed broadband.

In total, 1,154 schools have full internet access.

Internet access at home also improved. By the end of 2024, 90 per cent of homes in Oman had broadband service, up from 85 per cent the year before.

As part of efforts to improve services, the number of fiber-optic internet connections increased from 5,238 in 2023 to 5,856 in 2024. Broadband units, which help deliver internet to homes and businesses, also rose from 737,000 to 841,000.

Officials said domestic postal deliveries reached 3.2 million in 2024. Outbound international items were 437,000, while inbound international items totalled 3.4 million.

Licensed postal companies generated 27.2 million rials in 2024, compared with 26.5 million rials the previous year, a 2 percent increase.

Regarding the Omanisation rate, the total number of Omanis employed in the telecom and postal sectors stood at 3,400, including 3,091 in telecom and 920 in postal services, TRA confirmed.

Omanisation rates reached 93 percent in telecom firms, 71 percent in postal companies, and 40 percent among service contractors.

Meanwhile, authorities began the systematic shutdown of the third-generation mobile network. A pilot shutdown was conducted on 123 stations, while 5,600 stations have already been upgraded to newer technologies. Additional frequency bands at 2300 MHz and 2600 MHz were allocated to meet rising data needs.

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