Bahrain’s growth and development in the telecoms sector

The growing telecoms sector in Bahrain accounts for 4% of the Kingdom’s annual GDP. Mobile penetration is high, and the government have put necessary measures in place to ensure that infrastructure can facilitate 5G deployment. In 2017, the first 5G trial for Bahrain was conducted. As such, Bahrain is driving growth in the telecom sector this year, by adapting to the changes in the ever-evolving market.

The government claims that investment in next-generation connectivity has been advantageous. In the recent days, the government of Bahrain announced that 140,000 students are now benefiting from remote learning in the kingdom. In response to the current Coronavirus pandemic, Bahrain’s public and private educational institutes are offering lessons online – accessible through specified broadcast channels – to facilitate working from home.

The telecoms operators in Bahrain include Batelco, STC Bahrain and Zain Bahrain. The industry is regulated by Telecommunications Regulator (TRA) which has been actively trying to resolve spectrum or regulatory challenges for the full deployment 5G. Bahrain’s cohesive government support, along with proactive measures taken by operators, resulted in Batelco launching the first commercial 5G network in Bahrain in mid-2019.

Batelco also undertook a significant operational revamp in 2019 and launched Bahrain’s National Broadband Network operated by BNET. Bahrain’s telecommunications industry is driven by its Fourth National Telecommunications Plan which focuses on fibre-optic infrastructure implementation and establishing better connection; higher bandwidth is essential to increase data-transfer speeds across a network.

In general, Bahrain’s mobile broadband sector is showing high levels of telecoms maturity and growth with 4G networks in place and increasing mobile subscriber penetration. Bahrain offers a well regulated, competitive environment and significant LTE infrastructure as well as a National Broadband Network which paves the way for the advancements necessary to facilitate the demands of a hyper-connected society.

The Latest report by Budde.com provides statistics and analysis on the key sectors of Bahrain’s telecom market. The report presents an overview of:

• The regulatory environment
• The fixed network operators and services
• Telecom infrastructure
• Mobile operators and mobile infrastructure, supported by statistics
• A range of subscriber forecasts through to 2024

To read the report in full, click on this link. https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Bahrain-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses