Nawras announces 3.5G

Nawras, the Middle East Mobile Operator of the Year, today unveiled the exciting news of its imminent soft launch of third generation services based on its 3.5G next generation network, another ‘first’ from this trendsetting mobile operator.

Nawras Chief Operating Officer, Khalid Al-Mahmoud, explained, “Following the commercial launch of 3.5G, customers will enjoy the benefit of a very fast internet connection from their computers, as well as video calls, video surveillance and convenient fast information browsing from their third generation enabled phones. We know that both consumers and business customers will be very interested in the introduction of these creative and innovative services developed through our collection of customer needs and market feedback.”

Nawras Internet connections are expected to experience a big surge in demand, after Nawras introduces 3.5G to the market, not least due to the limited availability and long delivery times of ADSL offered by the alternative internet supplier.

Khalid Al-Mahmoud continued, “The 3.5G based offering will result in people being able to purchase a very fast internet connection, which will be instantly available through a plug-and-play installation. For either a stand-alone or shared connection, irrespective of whether the internet connection will be used at home, on the move or in the office, Nawras will provide different hardware and price plans to match different customer needs.”

A new age of communication will also dawn with the introduction of Video Calling, making it possible for customers to share images in real-time with those they call, as both caller and recipient can see each other and the surrounding environment on their respective mobile handset’s screen and will be able to exchange visuals of their choice. There are limitless occasions that will benefit from this technology allowing customers to cover an event ‘live’ by communicating the sound and pictures in real time.

From personal moments like sharing images of a birthday celebration with a family member unable to attend in person, to capturing business opportunities by relaying products being demonstrated at a trade show to a colleague back at the office enabling an on-the-spot decision to be taken, the exciting possibilities with Video Calling are endless.

Another brand new service for Nawras customers will be Video Surveillance, an extremely useful tool which is expected to be particularly popular with businesses as it offers endless possibilities for monitoring selected locations. For example, it can be used by managers who wish to check how busy their store is when they are not there or perhaps for security purposes when premises are left unattended overnight. However, the service is also expected to prove popular among consumers, as it will allow parents to see how their children are doing at home, while they themselves are out of the house or even to keep an eye on an empty house when theyare away travelling for a while.

Video Surveillance is easy to operate. The Nawras customer simply dials the number of the SIM-card installed in the video device and pictures are relayed back to the customer’s phone. The camera direction can be moved around using keys on the phone so images can be surveyed from different angles.

Customers browsing the internet or checking emails from their handsets will find the new 3.5G speed extremely useful when using Nawras Mobile Email or browsing content on the web in general. The added speed will make content appear almost instantly on the mobile handset screen making the wireless surfing experience a much faster experience than today. The same will apply to Nawras Mobile Email, in which email, calendar and contact synchronisation will be completed within seconds.

Nawras CEO Ross Cormack expressed his delight with the new services, saying, “Nawras is continuing to change the telecommunications landscape in Oman and will be the first mobile operator in the Sultanate to offer customers services based on the 3.5G technology. The new services will be supported by the reliable Nawras network and we are looking forward to offering both consumers and business customers the most innovative services and the latest technology offered anywhere in the world.”

The 3.5G launch is expected to take place within the next couple of months. It will be preceded very shortly by a soft launch, in which a selected number of Nawras employees and customers from Qurum to Azaiba will be able to enjoy testing the innovative capabilities for free. This is to follow the Nawras corporate principle that all Nawras products and services shall be based on customer needs and market feedback, and fully tested before being launched commercially to paying customers. The commercial launch will initially take place in Muscat and Sohar, gradually expanding to other major cities across the Sultanate.

Once again, Nawras is leading the way in the Sultanate by providing exciting, innovative services to cater for the business and leisure mobile communication requirements of the fastest growing family in Oman. The company was first to introduce mobile internet with EDGE technology and now just two and a half years later is proud to give customers these innovative next generation services.

Nawras currently covers 96% of the population with its reliable world-class network, using national roaming where necessary and always with Nawras great value.

05 Nov 2007