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Bahrain Telecommunications Report Q3 2009Product Type: Market Research ReportPublished by: Business Monitor International Published: July 2009 Product Code: R302-7274 Description Our latest update on Bahrain’s telecommunications market includes expanded market data sectionscovering the country’s fixed-line and internet sectors. In recent years, Bahrain’s internet access markethas benefited from increased competition, lower prices and a wider range of services. The country has atleast 10 operators providing fixed internet services: in addition to incumbent operator Batelco, major ISPsinclude Light Speed Communications, Nuetel Communications and Kalaam Telecom. In recent years,these companies have been joined by wireless broadband service providers such as Zain Bahrain andMena Telecom. Although mobile operator Zain was the first to market with the launch of WiMAX-basedbroadband services in late 2007, Mena Telecom launched its own WiMAX network in November 2008.In May 2009, Mena, which is owned by Kuwait Finance House, announced that its WiMAX subscribertake-up was ‘exceeding expectations’. The recent deployment of WiMAX-based broadband networks is also helping to drive growth in theBahraini broadband market, creating a viable alternative to fixed ADSL services, the bulk of which areprovided by Batelco. Batelco claimed to have 82,000 broadband customers at the end of 2008. We believethat this represented around 87% of the total broadband market, which comprised 94,000 subscribers anda penetration rate of 8.9% by the end of 2008. We predict that Bahrain’s fixed broadband sector willexpand by a further 24% in 2009; by the end of the year, we anticipate that broadband penetration willrise to above 12%. Our newly revised broadband forecast for Bahrain predicts that the number ofbroadband connections will rise to around 189,000 by the end of 2013; this is equivalent to a penetrationrate of over 20%. Recent developments in Bahrain’s telecoms market include the April 2009 ruling by Bahrain'sTelecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) requiring Batelco to reduce the charges to otherlicensed operators for wholesale broadband services below 2 Mbps and to launch higher speed wholesaleservices. This draft order paves the way for Batelco to reduce its retail prices and introduce new higherspeed services. These objectives directly support Bahrain's 2030 Vision, the National Economic Strategyand the 2nd National Telecommunications Plan. In the current update, Bahrain’s Business Environment Rating has seen a further rise, with the overallscore being supported by a higher Country Risk rating. This is in spite of our concerns about Bahrain’sslowing economy, and the potential ramifications of this development for Bahrain’s politicalenvironment. Although we now see negative real growth for Bahrain in 2009, relatively stable oil and gasproduction and ongoing government spending and investment will keep the degree of contractionrelatively contained, at 0.6% overall. Table of Contents
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