Oman Telecommunications Report Q3 2014 - New Market Report

BMI View: Oman's telecoms markets are developing rapidly , with demand for data and value added services the fastest area of growth. Wireless data services have seen the strongest growth in terms of dedicated and voice and data subscriptions. Demand for smartphones has boosted subscription growth, while improved international connectivity is at the same time driving down the cost of se r vices and deepening the market t otal subscriptions are also continuing to increase, with opportunities existing due to continued population growth. However, saturation will ultimately be reached over the medium term and we therefore expect operators to shift their strategy towards upselling higher value services to existing customers to sustain revenue growth.

Key Data

* Mobile subscriptions increased to 5.622mn in Q413, equal to a penetration rate of 154.8%.
* Fixed-line subscriptions continued to grow in 2013, up 15.4% in 2013 to 351,000.
* Operators are under pressure from IP substitution of SMS services in favour of Whatsapp, Viber and other services. SMS volumes were down 46.7% y-o-y to 566mn in Q213.

Full Report Details at
- http://www.fastmr.com/prod/817925_oman_telecommunications_report_q3_2014.aspx?afid=301

Key Trends And Developments

In March 2014 the two-part sale of 19% of the Omani government's stake in incumbent operator Omantel raised nearly OMR204mn (USD528mn), considerably less than the government's target of around OMR221mn. The first part of the privatisation programme was a private placement open to institutions and wealthy individuals was completed in mid-March 2014. The process was 1.99x subscribed and attracted bids ranging from OMR1.5 to OMR1.9. The second part, which was open to retail investors, was 1.05x subscribed at closing on April 13. Reuters calculates that the shares in the second part were sold for approximately OMR1.35 per share, below the stock's market price of OMR1.48. The two parts sold a total of 71.25mn shares, reducing the government's stake in the company to 51%.

Meanwhile, in the mobile market, operators are facing up to the downside...

The Oman Telecommunications Report features Business Monitor International (BMI)'s independent industry forecasts on the future strength of Oman's ICT market, covering the fixed-line, mobile and internet segments and analyses latest regulatory developments and corporate news, including investment activity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships. Leading operators and manufacturers are fully profiled, highlighting their quarterly financial performance, capital expenditure plans and latest contracts.

BMI's Oman Telecommunications Report provides industry professionals and researchers, operators, equipment suppliers and vendors, corporate and financial services analysts and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on the telecoms industry in Oman.

Key Benefits

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