Omantel and Ciena Launch Fibre Network for AI Data Needs

Omantel has announced the launch of a new fully managed optical fibre network designed for data centres supporting hyperscale, AI and cloud computing. 

Developed with Ciena, a US-based firm specialising in high-speed connectivity, the Managed Optical Fibre Network (MOFN) offers secure, high-capacity and agile fibre connections aimed at supporting the growing regional demand for scalable infrastructure.

Fibre built for data centre scale and speed

With this launch, Omantel strengthens Oman’s strategic role as a digital bridge linking Europe, Asia and Africa, while meeting the evolving needs of hyperscalers and enterprise cloud providers operating large-scale compute environments.

MOFN is designed as a network-as-a-service (NaaS) offering that enables customers to access dedicated fibre infrastructure without owning or managing the network. 

Omantel oversees the design, deployment and ongoing operation of the service, making it easier for data centre operators to scale up compute and storage without infrastructure overhead.

The fibre network uses Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 platform, delivering up to 1.6 terabits per second (Tbps) per wavelength and operating across both the C and L bands.

These are wavelength ranges commonly used in optical fibre communication, allowing long-distance transmission at high speed. 

The setup is built to support high-throughput AI training workloads, data centre interconnects and other intensive applications that require minimal latency and predictable performance.

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.”

Omantel’s partnership with Zain Group and their joint venture, Zain Omantel International (ZOI), helps extend the MOFN footprint beyond Oman’s borders. 

The arrangement allows for international capacity and cross-border network access to be delivered through a unified managed service, easing regional expansion for data centre operators and cloud providers.

Enabling regional AI infrastructure growth

With MOFN, Omantel connects several of Oman’s critical digital assets, including submarine cable landing stations and carrier-neutral data centres. 

Among them are the MC1 facility in Muscat and Equinix SN1 in Salalah, providing multiple redundant routes across the country and onward to major global data transit corridors.

The network supports features such as bandwidth-on-demand, real-time service level agreement (SLA) tracking and automated provisioning. 

These tools give data centre customers operational transparency while allowing Omantel to handle infrastructure management. This approach suits AI-native environments where workloads fluctuate and performance visibility is essential.

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.”

The infrastructure supports dynamic resource allocation across connected data centres, offering flexibility for AI workloads and other applications requiring distributed processing. The fibre is optimised for low-latency transmission and is engineered to prevent signal degradation across long distances.

Infrastructure built with security in mind

Ciena’s WaveLogic platform includes advanced security features, such as AES-256 encryption and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) interworking. 

AES-256 is a widely adopted encryption standard used to secure sensitive data. QKD adds further protection by using quantum principles to detect and block unauthorised data access.

These security measures help support sectors including finance, government and cloud operations, where secure transmission is a non-negotiable requirement. 

The focus on data protection also aligns with Oman’s Vision 2040 agenda, which promotes the country’s role as a trusted digital hub in the global technology ecosystem.

Omantel’s fibre service integrates analytics and automation to support intelligent workload routing and operational agility. For data centres running AI models or high-volume cloud platforms, this reduces the need to manually reconfigure physical infrastructure, supporting faster growth with lower operational risk.

By combining high-speed connectivity, secure transmission and a fully managed service model, MOFN gives data centre operators and cloud providers the tools to scale across the region. It also reinforces Oman’s position as a high-capacity interconnection point between global digital markets.