Cutting-edge technology to offer wireless Internet in rural areas

BARCELONA: Oman Broadband Company and Madrid-based Spanish company INSTER Tecnologia y Comunicaciones signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Wednesday to launch a wireless broadband service pilot using INSTER’S cutting edge technology in rural and remote localities of Oman.

The intention is to pilot a high speed broadband service in the rural areas, matching the services available in the metro areas, to help close the digital divide.

Deploying the infrastructure in the rural and remote areas of Oman presents big challenges, both in terms of its technical and economic feasibility that OBC has to overcome with better technologies and partners providing the right solution and support.

OBC and INSTER will explore the potential of high speed wireless where fibre network is not feasible. OBC has identified a number of rural and remote locations with poor broadband service the feasibility of the broadband Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) developed by INSTER.

The planned pilot should be able to gather information and intelligence on key aspects of the programme, such as the viability of the solution in mountainous areas; the available service characteristics; the interest of end users in rural areas; its affordability and the cost structures to ensure break-even. At the end of the pilot project, a joint report would be drafted and submitted to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Oman.

One of the key aspects of the pilot is that OBC will offer to the service providers a wholesale bitstream service, similar to the ones defined to unbundle FTTP access networks. This rural broadband service will not only include the access segment, but also transport, thanks to the nationwide network that it is being deployed.

OBC is already in conversation with the retail service providers that will be responsible for the end users service.

INSTER will supply its New Generation Access Network, FWA, point-to-multipoint system that provides triple-play services (voice, data and OTT — Over The Top contents), corporate and governmental services (VPN — Virtual Private Networks). The system operates in different bands assigned for fixed services; i.e. 10 GHZ and 28 GHZ and establishes wireless links between a single base station location (BSTS) and multiple remote customer locations (RTUS) with Line of Sight (LOS) that can range between 2 km and 10 km.

INSTER’S solution is based in open, robust and widely adopted standards DOCSIS 3.x and provides ultra-broadband throughput. INSTER would partner with a local Omani agent to provide a turn-key supply and installation service for OBC.

OBC and INSTER will explore the potential of high speed wireless where fibre network is not feasible. OBC has identified rural and remote locations with poor broadband service the feasibility of the broadband Fixed Wireless Access developed by INSTER