Omantel, the largest integrated telecom company in Oman and majority government-owned, has reported a significant rise in malicious telecom and cyber activities targeting its large subscriber base during 2024.
In its 2024 Annual Report, Omantel highlighted that its “resilient security infrastructure” successfully thwarted millions of signaling attacks and thousands of potential threats, ensuring smooth network operations. The operator noted that the rise in malicious telecom and cyber threats followed the expanding digital footprint of individuals, corporations, and institutions across Oman.
In 2024 alone, Omantel’s Security Operations Centre blocked around 34 terabytes (TB) of “malicious bad traffic,” protecting customers from large-scale cyber threats. The centre also addressed over 8,000 “true security incidents” by leveraging artificial intelligence.
Omantel reported a surge in spoofing and voice call impersonation, blocking an average of 600,000 “bad calls” through the implementation of advanced controls. Additionally, the company has ramped up efforts to protect digital identities.
The telecom operator made significant advancements in enhancing its cybersecurity capabilities in 2024, expanding its DDoS threat detection and mitigation capacity, securing cloud infrastructure, and establishing one of the world’s most secure signaling networks. With the rapid expansion of its 5G coverage, Omantel implemented new security measures to protect subscribers from evolving cyber threats.
Omantel’s global recognition for its cybersecurity efforts includes active contributions to global cybersecurity advancements through organizations such as GSMA and ITU, helping shape best practices and regulations in network security.
As of the end of 2024, Omantel’s domestic mobile subscriber base reached 3.96 million customers, up from 3.62 million in 2023, with growth driven by a rise in postpaid mobile connections, particularly M2M SIMs. The company’s mobile market share (excluding Mobile Resellers) stood at 40.2%, while its fixed broadband market share reached 54.4% in December 2024.
Omantel’s domestic revenue for 2024 totaled RO 622.6 million, up from RO 606.5 million in 2023. This growth was attributed to a 6% increase in Mobile Postpaid revenue and a 7% rise in Fixed Broadband revenues. Net profit for 2024 stood at RO 69.7 million, compared to RO 68.3 million the previous year.
