Bahrain Plans 3rd Mobile License Tender
At a press conference last week, Bahrain's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced plans for a widespread liberalisation of the local telecoms market - and plans for a third GSM phone license tender.
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Proposed timeline for changes
TRA's General Director, Mr. Horne commented on the announcement of the results of the Strategic and Retail Market Review saying: "The Strategic and Retail Market Review results will move the telecommunications market in the Kingdom of Bahrain to a next major stage in the development of the telecommunications industry, through implementing a package of balanced regulatory measures that will further promote competition and benefit the consumers. Continuous improvements to the services offered to residential and business users in terms of availability, range and prices will be a priority in the next phase of the market's development. The package of regulatory measures proposed is consistent with the Telecommunications Law and supports the Government's objectives outlined in the Second National Telecommunications Plan".
The nine main measures developed out of the strategic and retail market review include;
- Removal of tariff approval process for all mobile services
- Review of the retail tariff regime
- Introduction of local loop unbundling
- Introduction of carrier selection (call-by-call selection of telephony service providers)
- The award of a third mobile network operator licence
- Removal of mobility restrictions for New Fixed Wireless services licences
- Introduction of number portability for fixed and mobile
- Development of competition guidelines
- Data collection and reports of operators' performance.
The details and timing of these measures will be worked out in consultation with the industry once the implementation phase begins.
The Mobile World database notes however that the county's two operators already have 923,000 subscribers - representing a population penetration level of 130% - so any third mobile entrant into the market is going to start a price war.
On the web: Mobile World - Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
Posted to the site on 2nd March 2008
