Bahrain, 31 January 2015: VIVA Bahrain reported the widest 4G network coverage and ranked top on Quality of Service according to official independent reports issued by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) end of last year. Based on the findings, VIVA's 4G network has the widest coverage in the Kingdom reaching 99.7 percent of the population.

Additional key indicators were evaluated under the Quality of Services (QoS) report which presents a performance snapshot of voice, data, short messages services (SMS) and video streaming services. VIVA ranked top in voice quality of service, scoring 97.4 percent success rate in setting up and holding a call, it showcased 100 percent data coverage on its 4G network, and 100 percent of successful transfers at an average speed of 35 Mbps. VIVA's 4G network also recorded a 98 percent success rate of setting up and holding a video stream for two minutes.

Ulaiyan Al Wetaid, VIVA Bahrain CEO, commented: "Based on the tests conducted by the Telecom Regulator, all three operators are performing well which is further proof of the healthy level of competition in Bahrain. We are pleased with VIVA's positive performance positioning our 4G network with the widest coverage in Bahrain. VIVA's technological advancements and investments in infrastructure have ensured that we meet the communication needs of our customers which demand cutting-edge services and the best customer experience."

The assessment was conducted by an independent agency to ensure a reliable, fair and non-discriminatory audit of all 3 networks, Batelco, VIVA and Zain, and hence allow consumers to make informed choice based on quantitative and qualitative data. The detailed audit of mobile service providers on various parameters for mobile telephony and broadband services included network availability, call drop rate and billing. The reports evaluated key quality of service indicators of the operators' mobile networks including network coverage (i.e. how much of the population can access a network) and quality of services available (i.e. the users experience when using each of the 3 networks).

Full reports available at: http://tra.org.bh/en/media/quality-of-service/

© Press Release 2015