*** ----> TRA says mobile voice minutes dropped by 15 per cent while data increased by 16 per cent over 2016-2017 | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

TRA says mobile voice minutes dropped by 15 per cent while data increased by 16 per cent over 2016-2017

Manama : It seems like Bahrainis are more interested in texting their friends rather than using their mobile to call and say ‘Hello’.

If year’s ago the ability to carry a cell phone and making a call from anywhere was astounding, more recently that has changed. 

Millennials are actually shying away from making phone calls. In Bahrain also that trend is catching up, says the latest Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) study. However, this doesn’t mean that voice calls are going extinct anytime soon. 

The latest TRA report, which compares prices of broadband prices across GCC, found that the average monthly outgoing mobile domestic voice minutes per customer dropped by 15pc in the Kingdom, while the mobile data usage increased by 16pc over the period 2016-2017.

The operators here were also quick to capitalize and to adapt marketing strategies to respond to the general popularity to texting and browsing. They are now offering attractive plans for fixed and mobile broadband services with more competitive prices compared to their peers in the GCC countries, says TRA. So, no wonder, the prices of fixed broadband services have dropped by up to 33pc between 2016 and 2017, as the report points out. 

In response, the study shows, most Arab providers have made changes to portfolios, speeds and data allowances since 2016. 

“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,” said TRA’s Acting General Director, Sh. Nasser bin Mohamed Al Khalifa. 

TRA study compares prices of the telecommunications services in Arab countries with those in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries (OECD) for 2017.

In Bahrain, all mobile packages are now offered with data services with competitive prices compared with other GCC countries.  

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