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Good practice Imported

Universal Service Obligation Satellite Connectivity for Remote Villages

Oman · Muscat · See the Oman profile · See the Muscat profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 85% 48/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Oman's telecom regulator contracted a state satellite operator and Oman Broadband to bring Ka-band satellite internet to about 598 remote villages and 100+ rural schools and health centres, under the national Universal Service Obligation.

598 villages
Remote villages targeted for satellite connectivity
over 100 institutions
Rural schools and health centres targeted
50 schools
Government schools connected via Starlink pilot (2025)
Universal Service Obligation Satellite Connectivity for Remote Villages

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) / Oman Broadband / Space Communication Technologies (SCT)
Period
2020-09 – ongoing
Keywords
broadband, rural connectivity, satellite internet, universal service, e-government

Context

Oman's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) sought to extend connectivity to remote villages, rural schools and health centres where fibre installation is not economically viable.

Objectives

The Universal Service Obligation (USO) programme aims to enable e-government access, education and health services, and entertainment streaming for previously unconnected rural populations via satellite.

Activities

A contract was signed in September 2020 between Space Communication Technologies (SCT) and Oman Broadband Company to deploy Ka-band High Throughput Satellites targeting approximately 598 remote villages and over 100 rural schools and health centres; as of 2025 the TRA has also begun separately piloting Starlink low-earth-orbit satellite service, connecting around 50 government schools.

Results

The programme reports village- and institution-level coverage targets and an emerging Starlink pilot, but no independently verified figures exist for households actually connected, adoption rates, or user satisfaction.

Conclusions

This represents a targeted national infrastructure commitment complemented by newer satellite technology piloting, but without published outcome evaluation to confirm real-world connectivity or usage.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M) — National satellite infrastructure deployment (Ka-band HTS) plus a separate LEO/Starlink pilot for about 50 schools; no public budget figures found.
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years) — Contract signed September 2020; Starlink pilot reported active as of 2025.
Staffing & skills
Delivered by Space Communication Technologies (SCT) and Oman Broadband Company (OB) under TRA oversight

Conditions for success

  • Contractual partnership between satellite technology provider and national broadband operator
  • Use of Ka-band High Throughput Satellites for areas where fibre is uneconomical
  • Complementary piloting of newer LEO satellite technology (Starlink) to extend coverage

Common failure modes

  • No independent or published outcome evaluation confirming households actually connected, adoption rates, or user satisfaction

Where it fits

Governance type
national regulator-led public-private contract
Scale
national (598 villages, 100+ institutions)
Income level
high-income

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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