This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.). CIA. (Archived 2009 edition)
Telecommunications in Asia | |
|---|---|
| Sovereign states |
|
| States with limited recognition |
|
| Dependencies and other territories |
|
Telecommunications in Bahrain are provided by the Bahrain Telecommunications Company, trading as Batelco, as well as other companies such as Zain and Stc Bahrain.[1]
Prior to 1981 telecommunications services were provided by two separate departments: national services were provided by the Bahrain Telephone Company and international services by Cable & Wireless of the United Kingdom. These were combined in 1981 to form Batelco. Since then, other telecommunications companies have entered the market.[1]
When Batelco was founded in 1981, Bahrain had 45,627 telephone lines in use. By 1982, the number reached 50,000. In 1985, the country's first fibre optic cable was installed. Batelco was a monopoly in the telecommunications sector until 2003. By 1999, the company had around 100,000 mobile contracts.[1]
In 2002, under pressure from international bodies, Bahrain implemented its telecommunications law which included the establishment of an independent Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).[1] In 2003, Batelco's monopoly over the sector ended when the TRA awarded a licence to MTC Vodafone, which later re-branded itself as Zain.[1] In January 2010, Viva Bahrain, which later re-branded into Stc Bahrain (a subsidiary of STC) started operations in Bahrain.
In 2006, there were 194,200 telephones main lines in Bahrain.
In 2007, there were 1,116,000 mobile cellular contracts in Bahrain.
Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997)
|
Main article: Internet in Bahrain |
Internet hosts: 2,621 (2008)
Internet users: 250,000 (2007)
