Why are Omantel & Ciena launching an AI-ready Fibre Network?

Omantel has introduced a new managed optical fibre service aimed at hyperscalers, cloud providers and enterprise customers handling large-scale digital infrastructure. 

Built with technology from US-based high-speed connectivity firm Ciena, the service delivers secure, scalable and flexible connectivity and reinforces Oman’s digital role between Europe, Africa and Asia.

Network-as-a-service across the Middle East

The Managed Optical Fibre Network (MOFN) is developed to support cloud-native and AI infrastructure. Omantel offers it as a network-as-a-service (NaaS) package, handling the end-to-end fibre build, deployment and operations. 

The new service responds to growing demand for infrastructure that can handle elastic, high-volume workloads such as AI training and hyperscale computing.

Samy Ahmed Al Ghassany, Chief Tech and Digital Officer at Omantel, says: “Hyperscalers need connectivity that is as flexible and intelligent as their cloud infrastructure.

“Our collaboration with Ciena empowers Omantel to deliver network-as-a-service capabilities that redefine fibre connectivity in Oman. 

“We are enabling our customers to scale instantly, monitor performance transparently and focus on innovation, without having to worry about infrastructure complexity.”

The partnership ties into Omantel’s work with Zain Group and their joint venture Zain Omantel International (ZOI), which broadens reach across several countries. 

Through MOFN, Omantel, Zain and ZOI offer unified international capacity with a single managed service experience. 

Consequently, it supports seamless expansion for cloud providers needing consistent regional infrastructure.

High-capacity optical fibre for hyperscale demands

Omantel builds MOFN using Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 technology. The platform provides up to 1.6 terabits per second (Tbps) of throughput per wavelength. It operates across both C and L optical bands, which are frequency ranges used in fibre-optic communication. These enable greater data rates and improved signal reach, supporting data centre interconnects, AI workloads and other high-demand use cases.

The service includes dynamic provisioning, bandwidth-on-demand and service level agreement (SLA) monitoring. Customers have real-time access to performance metrics while Omantel manages the underlying infrastructure. The model allows hyperscalers and enterprises to move data flexibly, reduce latency and increase operational resilience.

The MOFN links together multiple key assets in Oman’s digital network. Including international submarine cable landing stations and data centres such as MC1 in Muscat and Equinix SN1 in Salalah, creating a redundant and reliable architecture designed to support mission-critical services and fast international data routes.

Thomas Soerensen, Vice President of Global Subsea and International MOFN at Ciena, says: “Oman is rapidly emerging as a regional hyperscale hub.

“With MOFN, Omantel can deliver dynamic, high-capacity fibre services that combine the simplicity of the cloud with the performance of our WaveLogic technology.”

Securing Oman’s digital gateway role

Security features are central to MOFN. Ciena’s WaveLogic platform supports AES-256 encryption and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) interworking. 

AES-256 is a standard used globally for encrypting sensitive data, while QKD offers an extra layer of protection using principles of quantum physics to prevent interception.

These capabilities meet the requirements of government, finance and corporate sectors where secure data handling is critical. 

The fibre network’s security measures are part of Omantel’s wider role in supporting Vision 2040, Oman’s national strategy to boost the digital economy and position itself as a key digital hub.

By integrating automation and analytics with its fibre offering, Omantel provides customers with more intelligent, agile connectivity. As a result, organisations can scale operations without building or managing their own physical networks.

The combination of high-capacity infrastructure, international reach and built-in security supports Oman’s ambition to serve as the digital backbone for AI and cloud markets across the region.