Hangzhou, China – Around the world, telecom towers are typically static, practical structures that exist only to support mobile transmission equipment. Until recently, this was the case at Oman Tower Company, which provides infrastructure to wireless telecommunication service operators and government entities in Oman on an ‘open access’ basis.
To add value to its telecom tower near the Clock Tower, a landmark of Salalah, the country’s second largest city, Oman Tower Company decided to equip it with a huge LED display, which would broadcast community messages and adverts. As well as creating a new revenue stream for the company, the goal was to convert the tower into a local attraction, and a revenue-generating asset for the company.
The timing of the project was also critical, with a requirement to install the new screens in advance of the 52nd National Day of the Renaissance of Sultanate of Oman. Mohammed Nadeem, business development manager for Hikvision in Oman, says, “With close collaboration between the Hikvision MENA team and our LED manufacturing operations team, we knew we could deliver the screens on time, and Oman Tower put all of their trust in us to make it happen.”
Solution: two custom-built LED displays
The Hikvision team wasted no time, planning and designing a visually striking LED solution comprising two high-resolution LED screens. These were made to measure based on the physical shape, characteristics, and measurements of the Salalah telecom tower.
The larger of the two screens mounted on the tower (which measures 41.47 square metres) shows video and still adverts and community messages in vivid color, 24 hours a day. The smaller screen (which is 5.5 square metres) displays time and weather information for city residents.
The Hikvision LED screens are both equipped with dual power supplies, ensuring that they continue to function in the event of a technology fault. They also have dual network cards for continuous broadcasting of community messages and adverts.
In line with Oman Tower Company’s requirements, the LED screens were installed in time. “Hikvision was able to plan, design, build and deliver the solution within an extraordinary tight project timeframe,” says Majid Al-Kharoosi, managing director at Oman Tower. “It really was an impressive effort and we greatly appreciate the effort and collaboration involved.”
The LED screens are now regarded as a feature in Salalah’s cityscape, converting the telecom tower into a much-commented local attraction. “The screens are unique and grab the attention of anyone nearby the telecom tower,” says Al-Kharoosi. “As a local talking point, they add vitality to the local area, but also demonstrate our technology innovation and leadership – and bring new value to our brand.”
The screens also promise to deliver reliable service, thanks to Hikvision’s LED technology. “In Salalah, we experience heavy rain for three months of the year, mixed with brackish water from the nearby Gulf of Oman – a weather phenomenon known locally as ‘Khareef’. The Hikvision screens are built to withstand these harsh weather conditions, and are also shock-resistant, which means they will continue to perform at their best long into the future.”
Oman Tower has converted its Salalah site from a static structure into a revenue-generating asset for the company. “Advertising revenues are now contributing to our bottom line, and it’s thanks to the Hikvision LED screens,” says Al-Kharoosi. “In the future, we hope to deploy screens on additional towers in cities across the country to replicate this business model and to further increase the value of telecom towers to our revenues and business.”
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