KOM seminar to discuss Internet usage

The topic for the evening session is Ramping up Internet Usage and panelists include: Jeremy Foster, Ericsson; Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi, ITA; Dr. Mohammed Al Wohaibi, Omantel; Tareq Khorshid, Omania e-Commerce; Ross Cormack, Nawras; Dr. Graham Smith, Sohar Aluminium; and Dr. Irfan Ahmad, Yahoo!

"It's a marvellous line-up of influential ICT figures," says Mohammed Al Maskari, Director General, KOM. "Indeed, these are folk that are leading Oman's ICT revolution and we fully expect a full house next Monday night."

"Everything you hear today is either dot.com this or dot.com that and to many people it's utterly meaningless. But what a lot of people don't realize is the power of the Internet and what it can offer whether you're studying, in business or simply reearching flight options for your summer break," says Al Maskari. But getting Oman-based citizens to use the Internet is a challenge. If you want to find out how much difference the Internet makes to home or business life, then ask someone who has it to give it up and therein lies the problem for any government trying to convince people to sign up to the Net. Until you have it, the benefits are hard to appreciate. But once you use it the advantages are immediately and constantly apparent. But the hard part, as with any novel technology, is getting people to sign up.

"People need to have everyday work, family and leisure reasons for taking advantage of the Internet," said Ibtisam Al Faruji, KOM's Head of Marketing and Digital Nation Co-ordinator. Al Faruji added that the Internet had a lot to offer those in rural locations, even if they aren't going online as part of their job.

"Given ITA's recent initiatives, and in particular its roadshow campaign, towns across Oman are abuzz with conversations about the Internet. However, the challenge is to create the online as a vital social space," said Al Faruji, suggesting that education projects and details of local services and events would be very popular.

"We need to understand how other countries have increased domestic Internet usage, the type of marketing campaigns they rolled out, how their services are priced and the type of local content that has been developed," argues Al Faruji.

For example, in South Korea access to the Internet has become essential for every schoolchild because teachers demand that pupils send in homework via the Net and carry out assignments online. As a result Internet penetration now tops 70%.

"We need to demonstrate to parents the importance of the Internet and its relevance to the learning environment. Once shown the advantages, I doubt whether any parent would want to see their child disadvantaged for the sake of a few Rials per month and this fear could prove a significant catalyst to Internet take up. Indeed, Internet access could soon be seen in the same light as a packed lunch or PE kit, essential for every Oman-based child."