A sudden boom has been witnessed in the telecom sector of Bahrain over the past couple of years, which has not only generated revenue but also employment for the people.
Bahrain’s telecom sector has undergone a 30% growth in employment and an increase of 74% in the market since liberalization in 2004. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) General Manager, Alan Horne, announced this at the Bahrain British Business Forum (BBBF), as published by Gulf-Daily-News.
As per TRA statistics, from just under £194 Million in 2003, the telecom industry made a whopping over £342 Million in 2006. Employment figures also increased from 1,808 in 2003 to 2,322 in the first quarter of 2007.
In addition to this, more than half of Bahraini homes now have access to the Internet with nearly two-third having fixed telephone lines. This stupendous increase shows how successful are Bahrain's competitive market conditions. Introducing a unique blend of benefits from both traditional and cutting-edge telecommunications into Bahraini homes and growing businesses has been a significant factor for continuous development.
Other factors leading to the growth of telecom industry are the increasing economical conditions and education in Bahrain. The usage of mobile is increasing significantly. As per a report “Middle East ICT Market Analysis” by RNCOS, the necessity to stay connected all the time and everywhere has contributed to the growth in the mobile market in Bahrain. The number of mobile users increased at a CAGR of 23% during 2002 to 2006. Prepaid services’ being available has acted as a catalyst in the mobile market in Bahrain. The number of prepaid users have accounted for 84% of the total mobile subscribers in 2006.
The new technology-fanatic generation is attracted towards fancy gadgets which are loaded with new features, technology, and applications. The amount spent on luxurious phones is also rising strongly.
The accessibility of a number of telecommunication services and operators promoted the business to selective services that best take care of their needs. In addition, Bahrain’s competitive market and the government’s efforts have allowed the entry of investments that result in two significant developments this year. One was the decision by Zain to shift their international headquarters to Bahrain; the other was the partnership of Orange Telecom with Lightspeed.
Another significant development was Zain's introduction of their new services over the iMax wireless network. This is an innovative concept, a first of its kind in Asia and the Arab World.
Related Market Research Reports:
Srilankan ICT Market Analysis
China Telecom Analysis (2008-2012)
European Mobile Market Scenario to 2012
