Omantel has signed a landing-party agreement with Pakistan’s Trans World Associates (TWA) to lay a submarine cable from Seeb to Karachi.
The deal involves a total outlay of $1.2 million. Engineer Mohsin bin Hassan Al Raisi, vice-president for Networks and Technology at Omantel; and Kamran Malak, chief executive of TWA; signed the agreement in the presence of Engineer Tariq bin Ali Al Amri, vice-president for Corporate Resources and Customer Services of Omantel.
“In line with this agreement, Seeb landing station will be upgraded to a multiple link hub and a main station for Falcon, FLAG and TWA. It will also elevate Omantel status as a regional multi-cable operator and will open up new business horizon within Oman and within the region,” Omantel sources said.
Work on the project will commence in February 2006, and the agreement is valid for 15 years. TWA has also shown an interest to acquire a capacity from Omantel on Falcon/FLAG/SMW3. It will benefit Omantel in leasing such capacities either to TWA or to any other potential operators.
Omantel and TWA are also undertaking a feasibility study to leverage Omantel’s world standard Internet facilities to provide customers with IPMPLS services such as e-government, e-business, data warehouse and VPN solutions to the ministries, banking and corporate sectors.
Kamran Malak said the agreement is a good step for the telecom sector in Pakistan, as it will boost telecom sector cooperation between Oman and Pakistan. “TWA will lay a submarine link from Karachi in Pakistan to Seeb landing station in Oman and to Fujairah of the UAE. TWA is a telecommunication network operator in Pakistan, owned by Pakistan’s Saif Group and Mobilink, the largest mobile operator in Pakistan,” he added.
