PHOTO
Seef District, Kingdom of Bahrain – The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain published a report on the retail price benchmarking study of telecommunications services in Arab countries for 2017. TRA carried out this study on behalf of the Arab Regulators Network (“AREGNET”), and has commissioned Strategy Analytics, an independent consulting firm that specializes in tariff comparisons, to undertake the study. The study compares prices of the telecommunications services in Arab countries with those in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries (OECD).
The results of the study reveal that based on a set of agreed baskets, the prices of fixed and mobile broadband services in Bahrain compare very well regionally, and that the prices of fixed broadband services have dropped by up to 33% between 2016 and 2017.
The study shows that most Arab providers have made changes to portfolios, speeds and data allowance since 2016. The study also shows that all the mobile packages in Bahrain have data service in addition to the voice services. The study also confirms that the mobile operators in Bahrain offer more competitive prices compared with other GCC countries.
Although mobile operators discontinue offering unlimited data allowance (with throttling the download speed after consuming the data threshold) and have decreased the range of mobile packages, however, the data allowance provided with these packages has significantly increased in 2017. The study shows that 46% of plans have data allowances over 10GB in 2017 compared with 9% in 2016. This large increase in the allowance of data provided with mobile packages is a response to the increase in the data usage.
Based on the latest market data, the average monthly outgoing mobile domestic voice minutes per customer dropped by 15%, while the mobile data usage increased by 16% over the period 2016-2017. Average monthly data usage for Bahrain in 2017 reached 9 GB compared to 2 GB in 2013. Moreover, 80% of mobile subscribers have an active data subscription by the end of 2017 compared to 50% in mid of 2013.
TRA’s Acting General Director, Sh. Nasser bin Mohamed Al Khalifa stated “The objective of the study is to monitor the development of the telecommunications market in Bahrain compared to the Arab countries and developed countries. The study is part of TRA’s duties in protecting the interests of consumers and fostering a mature competitive telecommunications environment through taking the necessary actions to achieve this. This study is considered one of the significant initiatives implemented by Bahrain at the regional level.”
For more information, TRA’s Retail Price Benchmarking Report is available on TRA’s website www.tra.org.bh.
About TRA
Since its establishment in 2002, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain has been working with government, consumers, operators and investors to develop the country into the region’s most modern communications hub and to facilitate the growth of the market. As an exemplary Regulator for the region, TRA Bahrain independently carries out its duties in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. More information about TRA can be viewed at www.tra.org.bh.
For Press inquiries and information please contact:
Media and Public Relations Department
© Press Release 2018Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.
The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.
