INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY (ITA) ANNOUNCES THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ROYAL GRANT IN SUPPORT OF e.oman & Omantel to Provide Free Internet to the Social Insurance Beneficiaries-UNPAN - United Nations Public Administration Network

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY (ITA) ANNOUNCES THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ROYAL GRANT IN SUPPORT OF e.oman & Omantel to Provide Free Internet to the Social Insurance Beneficiaries

Source:	http://www.ita.gov.om/ITAPortal/MediaCenter/NewsDetail.aspx?NID=341
Source Date:	Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Focus:	Electronic and Mobile Government, Citizen Engagement, Internet Governance
Country:	Oman (Sultanate of)
Created:	Jan 19, 2011

The Information Technology Authority (ITA) has announced the distribution of the Royal Grant in Support of e.oman that will help move forward the transformation of Oman into a truly connected digital society. As per the Royal Grant in Support of e.oman, one free laptop will be provided for each beneficiary family of the social insurance that has at least one child or more registered in the K-12 school system, as well as granting one free personal computer per student in these families who are presently enrolled in higher education studies. The grant also includes a subsidization of the cost of a personal computer for students of higher education enrolled in the first year of study in the Sultanate, in addition to teachers who are graduates of the Government IT Training & Certification (GITTC) project. This pioneering initiative to take Oman into a new digital era was jointly announced by ITA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi and Omantel’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Amer Al Rawas at a press conference. Omantel will provide free internet access to the beneficiary families of the social insurance for a one year period. Omantel will also be offering special offers for the other target segments. They can benefit from free broadband access for three months – a service usually charged at a flat rate of RO 12 per month by the company. Since the announcement of the Royal Grant, the ITA has been working to ensure smooth implementation. The ITA has set forth a complete timeline with regard to the distribution of the grant beginning with one target segment at a time. For example, distribution for the social insurance beneficiaries will start in the Muscat region first and then spread to other wilayats across the Sultanate, where specific outlets have been located in every region. As well, the ITA is offering free ICT training for the social insurance beneficiaries segment and has placed internet and all PC applications in regional training centers. Speaking at the press conference, the CEO of ITA, Dr. Salem Al Ruzaiqi said: “We are delighted to have Omantel as our telecom partner as we move forward to ensure that the broadest number of people across our nation can truly embrace the digital age and benefit from internet access. This will be a significant step in ensuring our nation moves ahead in spreading the electronic culture and closing the digital gap for students and families as well in every corner of the Sultanate. “ITA has completed all the necessary processes to begin distribution of the laptops packages. We have coordinated with the various government organizations who are concerned with this initiative. ITA has also signed an agreement with Bahwan IT to provide laptops bundles for the social insurance beneficiaries under the Royal Grant. All the procedures have been done precisely such that the customer will receive their laptop bundle at the first visit.” He added that the ITA and Omantel created a joint team that would be visiting regions across the Sultanate to explain the details of the initiative and ensure the effective distribution of laptops and the relevant internet modems and connection provided by Omantel. Omantel’s CEO, Dr. Amer Al Rawas added: “As the leading telecoms provider and pioneer of internet innovation in the Sultanate we are very proud to be playing an important role in partnership with the ITA in bringing His Majesty’s visionary initiative to reality. “Omantel has always been committed to supporting national initiatives of this nature that can benefit the broadest number of people. Helping the largest number of young students and their families to benefit from internet access will be an important part in helping to truly create a digital society in Oman and dramatically increase levels of internet access and penetration in the Sultanate.” Social insurance individuals benefitting from the one year free internet access will receive the free activation of their internet access line and a free wireless modem as part of the RO 12 equivalent flat rate rental that will be provided with a free 1GB of usage every month. At the press conference of the announcement of the partnership between ITA and Omantel it was explained that this was an extension of the close relationship between the two organizations and the latest Public Private Partnership (PPP) that the two technology powerhouses have engaged in to benefit Omani society. At the conclusion of the press event, a round of thanks was directed to all parties involved: ITA, Omantel, Bahwan IT, and especially the Ministry of Social Development, as it is with their contribution and dedication that this project is a success.

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