Mobile prices in Bahrain fell by up to 55 per cent, while fixed broadband prices saw a decline of up to 85 per cent between 2010 and 2015, according to a study released by the kingdom’s telecom watchdog.

The latest retail price benchmark study of telecommunications services in Arab countries from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Bahrain also shows that the prices of telecommunications services in Bahrain continue to compare well with other GCC and Arab countries.

Bahrain also improved during 2015 against developed countries that are members of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), comparing well particularly for fixed broadband and mobile broadband prices, which are lower in Bahrain than the OECD average.

Customers in Bahrain have benefited from a wide range of retail telecom services and more data at lower prices, the report said.

The price of residential ADSL broadband with speeds up to 10 Mbps reduced from BD80 ($212) in 2010 to BD20 ($53) in 2015, and the data allowance increased from 50GB to 150GB. Furthermore, the study shows that residential customers in Bahrain are starting to enjoy the benefits of ultra-fast broadband (i.e. broadband with download speeds above 100 Mbps).

These findings are supported by a separate report published recently, at the end of November, by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) entitled ‘Measuring the Information Society Report’.

This report finds that Bahrain made the most progress in the ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI) value between 2010 and 2015 among the 167 economies covered.

The ITU also found that the fixed broadband services have become very affordable in Bahrain, where the fixed-broadband basket represents less than 2 per cent of GNI p.c. (gross national income per capita) which is much less than the affordability target set by the internationally recognized Broadband Commission of 5 per cent of average monthly income per capita.

TRA’s director of Market and Competition Mohamed AlBinali said: “The results of the latest retail price benchmark study provides further evidence that competition in the telecommunications markets in Bahrain, which we actively promote as the telecommunications regulator, continues to deliver significant benefits to consumers. It is encouraging to see the fruits of this work emerging in the form of improved consumer broadband offerings, as well as in the form of increased in the consumer welfare.”

“TRA is proud that outcomes of the competition in Bahrain were recognized by the international organizations such as the ITU, particularly in the increase of the level of the affordability of the broadband as well as the progress in the value of the IDI and we are delighted that Bahrain leads the Arab countries in the IDI and has achieved advanced ranking globally and comparing well with developed countries,” AlBinali added.

The study was commissioned by TRA on behalf of the Arab Regulators Group (AREGNET), and it was undertaken by Strategy Analytics, an independent consulting firm that specializes in tariff comparisons.