TRA RELEASES STRATEGIC MARKET REVIEW REPORT
DT News Network
Manama
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority yesterday issued the final report on its strategic market review (SMR) of the telecommunications sector in Bahrain.
The final SMR report presents the results of a strategic review of the telecommunications market in Bahrain and proposed changes to market regulations that are expected to stimulate a more dynamic and efficient sector and ensure that the completion continue to deliver benefits to consumers and business.
The strategic review provides TRA with a roadmap of projects and activities to be completed within the coming eighteen months. These projects and activities include for example the deregulation of several retail markets where competition has emerged. This includes the deregulation of retail markets for fixed originated domestic calls for residential customers, and for fixed originated international calls for the remaining regulated destinations.
The SMR also proposes to conduct market reviews of the remaining retail markets to ensure that the regulation in Bahrain remains targeted only in those areas where there is insufficient competition.
The final report also presents recommendations that address the technological issues such as infrastructure sharing, spectrum licensing and the National Broadband Network. These issues will be subject to policy directions set out in the forthcoming fourth National Telecommunications Plan.
TRA’s General Director Mohamed Bubashait commented: “Through the outcomes of the SMR, Bahrain will be taking significant steps towards ensuring that regulation is in-sync with the recent market and technological developments.”
The report points out that Bahrain enjoys mobile and broadband penetration of 177 per cent and 142pc respectively, is one of the highest in the region. Price trends have been generally very positive for consumers, with up to 50pc reduction in the level of prices for mobile services, and up to 70pc reduction for fixed broadband services.
Overall prices are amongst the lowest in the region for most services and customer groups. In addition, satisfaction for mobile and broadband services reached 90pc in 2014 compared with 60pc in 2007.
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