Bahrain - Telecoms, Mobile & Broadband

Synopsis

This report provides an overview of the communications market in Bahrain. The market is small but highly developed and competitive. Bahrain was earlier to start liberalising its telecom market than most countries in the region and a significant number of alternative operators have been licensed. A third mobile licence was awarded in early 2009. Bahrain already had very high mobile penetration but Internet and broadband penetration are now showing the benefits of greater competition. Further liberalisation is planned including local loop unbundling and number portability. Incumbent operator Batelco has reacted by expanding elsewhere in the region. Infrastructure is excellent – Batelco completed the rollout of an NGN in January 2009 and 3.5G mobile services are also available across the island. Two operators offer WiMAX services. These developments are outlined, together with appropriate statistics.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Key statistics
  
• 3. Telecommunications market
  
  • 3.1 Overview of Bahrain’s telecom market
    
• 4. Regulatory environment
  
  • 4.1 Background
    
  • 4.2 Regulatory authority
    
  • 4.3 Telecom sector liberalisation in Bahrain
    
    • 4.3.1 First National Telecommunications Plan
      
    • 4.3.2 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) licences
      
    • 4.3.3 Second National Telecommunications Plan and planned measures
      
  • 4.4 Interconnect
    
  • 4.5 Access
    
    • 4.5.1 Reference Access Offer (RAO)
      
  • 4.6 Number portability
    
  • 4.7 Privatisation
    
• 5. Fixed network operators in Bahrain
  
  • 5.1 Bahrain telecommunications company (Batelco)
    
  • 5.2 Alternative operators
    
    • 5.2.1 Mena Telecom
      
    • 5.2.2 Lightspeed Communications
      
    • 5.2.3 Kalaam Telecom
      
    • 5.2.4 2Connect
      
• 6. Telecommunications infrastructure
  
  • 6.1 National telecom network
    
    • 6.1.1 Next Generation Networks (NGNs)
      
  • 6.2 International infrastructure
    
    • 6.2.1 Submarine cable networks
      
    • 6.2.2 Satellite networks
      
• 7. Wholesaling
  
  • 7.1 Overview
    
• 8. Broadband and Internet market
  
  • 8.1 Internet overview
    
    • 8.1.1 Bahrain’s ISP market
      
    • 8.1.2 Internet Exchange
      
  • 8.2 Broadband overview
    
  • 8.3 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
    
  • 8.4 Wireless broadband
    
    • 8.4.1 Mobile broadband
      
    • 8.4.2 WiFi
      
    • 8.4.3 WiMAX
      
    • 8.4.4 Internet via satellite
      
• 9. Convergence
  
  • 9.1 Overview of media convergence
    
  • 9.2 VoIP
    
  • 9.3 Triple play
    
• 10. Digital media
  
  • 10.1 Satellite TV
    
  • 10.2 E-Government
    
  • 10.3 Internet economy
    
• 11. Mobile communications
  
  • 11.1 Overview of Bahrain’s mobile market
    
    • 11.1.1 Mobile statistics
      
  • 11.2 Regulatory issues
    
    • 11.2.1 Second mobile licence
      
    • 11.2.2 Third mobile licence
      
    • 11.2.3 Prepaid subscriber registration
      
  • 11.3 Mobile technologies
    
    • 11.3.1 Analogue
      
    • 11.3.2 Digital
      
    • 11.3.3 Third Generation (3G)
      
  • 11.4 Major mobile operators
    
    • 11.4.1 Batelco
      
    • 11.4.2 Zain Bahrain (formerly MTC Vodafone)
      
  • 11.5 Mobile voice services
    
    • 11.5.1 Prepaid
      
  • 11.6 Mobile data services
    
    • 11.6.1 Enhanced data for GSM evolution (EDGE)
      
    • 11.6.2 High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)
      
    • 11.6.3 BlackBerry
      
  • 11.7 Mobile content
    
    • 11.7.1 Batelco
      
    • 11.7.2 Zain Bahrain
      
• 12. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Country statistics – 2008
• Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – June 2008
• Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2007
• Table 4 – Broadband statistics – 2007
• Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2008
• Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
• Table 7 – Total telecommunications market revenue - 2003 - 2007
• Table 8 – Telecommunications market revenue by sector - 2008
• Table 9 – Batelco revenue and profit – Bahrain and other MENA - 2005 - 2008
• Table 10 – Batelco revenue by division - 2005 - 2008
• Table 11 – Batelco total group mobile subscribers – 2005 - 2008
• Table 12 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity - 1995 - 2008
• Table 13 – Internet users and penetration estimates - 1995 - 2007
• Table 14 – Internet subscribers - 1999 - 2007
• Table 15 – Dial-up Internet subscribers - 2005 - 2007
• Table 16 – Broadband subscribers - 2005 - 2008
• Table 17 – Residential Internet and broadband subscribers – 2004 - 2007
• Table 18 – Residential Internet and broadband access methods: market shares – 2004 - 2007
• Table 19 – Business Internet and broadband subscribers – 2004 - 2007
• Table 20 – Business Internet and broadband access methods: market shares – 2004 - 2007
• Table 21 – Mobile subscribers and penetration - 1995 - 2008
• Table 22 – Mobile operators, subscribers and annual change – September 2008
• Table 23 – Mobile operators – total subscribers, 3G subscribers and market share – September 2008
• Table 24 - Mobile operators’ market share – 2004 - 2008
• Table 25 – Zain Bahrain: Revenue, ARPU - 2005 – 2008
• Table 26 – Prepaid mobile subscribers - 1999 – 2007
• Table 27 – Zain Bahrain prepaid subscribers - 2004 - 2008
• Table 28 – Mobile data subscribers by service - 2007