Ericsson to help set up 5G, IoT innovation centre in Oman

Oman’s Ministry of Finance is teaming up with Ericsson to establish a ‘centre of excellence’ to boost the development of 5G and the internet of things (IoT) in Oman.

The Centre of Excellence in Communication Technologies (CoE) project is one of the components of the Oman Tawazun (Offset) Program, an economic tool that aims to diversify the country’s economy.

Ericsson, in support of Tawazun, will provide technical support and oversee training programs that include workshops, trainings, specialised professional courses and mentoring programs targeting participants from telecommunications institutions, commercial and industrial institutions, as well as university students, researchers and innovators. It will also support the development of research projects, including projects on 5G and IoT applications.

Also, digital laboratory programs will be implemented for school students aged 11 to 18 years, as well as access to online learning platforms.

The CoE will be incubated and managed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation at the Innovation Complex in Muscat, with Omantel providing the necessary telecommunications support. The complex is an incubator geared towards turning research ideas into reality as well as seek ways to diversify the economy.

Omantel will engage research and tertiary institutions on potential collaboration opportunities to test 5G radios and possible applications that can benefit from the high speeds and low latency provided by 5G.

Read: Ericsson boosts 5G expertise in Saudi Arabia

Ericsson will on the other hand provide 5G and IoT expertise and conduct workshops, followed by field testing and hands-on experience to equip Omantel engineers with critical competencies in designing and operating a 5G network. The program will also be supported by an online portal with educational materials in the digital field targeting school students in the Sultanate.

“We have launched 16 projects within the Oman Tawazun program, designed to support the military and security sectors, the private sectors, and the development of human resources,” Dr. Dhafir Al-Shanfari from the Ministry of Finance said.

“We’re pleased to partner with Oman’s government agencies, Ericsson and Omantel to enhance our 5G core competencies and create a robust 5G ecosystem that will allow the Omani society to benefit from the anticipated growth opportunities 5G will bring,” he added.