Letters to the Editor

Affordable telecom services needed

With the privatisation of the telecom industry, and in line with the times we live in, there is more than one service provider not just for GSM, but also landlines in Oman.

Residents certainly deserve better tariffs than the ones currently prevailing, if we are to believe that the presence of multiple telecom service providers should ultimately be in the interests of the consumer. However, this is not the case.

In these times of advanced technology and the Internet world, which runs on telecom support, better services and tariffs are the need of the hour. With widespread globalisation, people are constantly on the move not just for work, but also for education and health services.

All of us need telecom services to be more affordable, it being the only mode of getting in touch with family and friends. Technology offers many economical services, but unfortunately these are not being extended in Oman. Perhaps the authorities fear loss of revenue for the telecom sector if they are provided, as in most of the developed and developing world.

In today's world, people do a lot of their business without travelling, and services like teleconferencing, Skype and Google Talk are something so commonly found in the developed countries that you expect similar services to be accessible here as well. The fact that many residents need these support services, which are far more affordable for not just contacting people for personal purposes, but also commercial ones, should be taken into consideration.

Not having such services is making those outside Oman pay a far bigger price for communicating with their family and friends here. This is because they cannot use the far more affordable services available on the Internet, which are blocked here.

On one hand, the telecom sector is competing with each other in providing services. Many resellers have joined the ever increasing list of service providers, but it is not helping consumers to access cheaper services.

We hope that service providers and the authorities get more realistic and understand that they can target better long term revenue with affordable tariffs. Lower tariffs will bring in not just additional users for services, but also encourage more and more people to use legal means of communication.

Name withheld
Posted online

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Be kind to elderly parents

The social reality of our country is changing day after day, year after year. How we treat our parents is turning into one of the most serious issues of the nation. In recent times, there have been many incidents where children do not show gratitude to their fathers and mothers.

The religion of Islam urges us to treat parents with love and not disobey them. But we find that some people throw their parents into homes for the elderly when they become old and infirm. Many who ill-treat their parents often receive the same ingratitude from their own children when they grow old.

I advise young people to review themselves and change their behaviour before it's too late.

Sami bin Amer bin Salim al Batashi
Via e-mail

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Remove contaminated meat from shelves

Muscat Daily, page 3, October 10. The article on meat contamination with melamine beyond the accepted limits was very disturbing. Half the poultry samples had melamine levels much in excess of the accepted food safety regulations.

To ensure food safety, the concerned authorities should immediately put a stop to the sale of these products until their consumption is considered to be safe.

Babu,
Posted online.