Muscat: Omanis have launched a campaign on Twitter to boycott the two main telecom firms, protesting high prices and bad services provided by the companies.
The campaign will start next Monday and will continue for two hours every day from 4pm to 6pm.
All SIM cards users are requested to switch off their phones or putting their phone on flight mode.
Many SIM users complain about poor internet package offers provided by the telecom companies, high call prices and blocking of free-calls applications.
The hashtag launched by the campaigners, titled “Boycott of Omantel and Ooredoo”, was the top trending hashtag in the country on Twitter on Thursday.
Oman world network, a Twitter user, said that the boycott is due to “our disappointment and frustration of the telecom firms, as they only care about how to collect money and empty the pockets of their clients”.
Abu Safwan, another user, said that “to make the boycott succeed, don’t call, don’t text and sit with your families for two hours”.
Salah Al Abri said the silence of the telecom firms indicates that they are not capable of confrontation.
Hamad Al Busaidi said the main cause of the boycott is to cause greater financial losses for both telecom companies.
“Omanis deserve better internet services, the same like in those neighbouring countries,” said Rarub Al Manthari.
Thousands of users have also “unfollowed” Twitter accounts of the two companies to put more pressure on them to reduce high prices and improve the services.
Campaigners also used other social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, which have gone abuzz with the boycott messages, calling on everyone to boycott the telecom firms.
Ahmad Al Beloushi, economic expert, told Gulf News on Thursday that the telecom companies would lose millions of riyals if the boycott continues for a week. “I think the boycott will force telecom firms to review their services and unjustified prices,” said Al Beloushi.
Telecom firms have maintained silence, without issuing any statement regarding the boycott.
As state-owned Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) is the primary service provider in the country, Ooredoo Oman, which is majority owned by Qatar Ooredoo, is the second main telecommunications provider.
Omantel’s net profit for the first six months of 2016 was 66.8 million riyals, 9 per cent higher than the 61.3 million riyals it made in the corresponding period last year, while Ooredoo Oman net profit increased to 24.9 million riyals in the first six months, compared to 22.2 million riyals during the same period last year.
