I’ve just returned form a press conference by Batelco where they sought public consultation on a new entry-level package they are considering launching. They have not applied to the TRA for approval yet, but will continue with public solicitation of views on the proposed package for another 2 weeks, then apply to the TRA for approval which might take another 4 weeks before the service is finally launched.
L to R: Eyad, Peter K, Adel Dailami
The package:
The new entry-level package is priced at BD 5 per month with a speed of 128kbps and a threshold limit of 2GB, after which its speed will be reduced to 64k and for that period (once speed is reduced) no further charges will be applied.
Eligibility:
Low income families and the unemployed are the targets for this package. This is the demographic for this package at the moment and Batelco might change its mind and make this package available to all if it gets public support, and TRA approval.
Batelco was seeking consultation with the public as to which household would fit into that bracket, and have not finalised the mechanism for doing that so far.
Other discussion and notes:
As you might expect, I raised our main issues with the threshold on the recently announced packages, and Ahmed Al-Hujairi of the Bahrain Internet Society backed me up quite well; his supportive statements indicate that the BIS has now taken a public stance strongly against Batelco’s ADSL residential restrictions.
Peter K has publicly committed that by August 14th, 2006, Batelco will come out with packages “for the 14%” for the high-end users which might contain unrestricted access.
I have recorded most of the press conference on my mobile phone, unfortunately the quality is not that great, but if you wish you can listen to it online here (see link below) or download it and listen to it on your own. Although the quality is not that good, but if you crank the volume you will be able to hear the discussion. The recording begins 5 minutes or so after the start of the session.
Further activities:
The BIS has a meeting with Batelco at 12 mid-day today to discuss the limited packages again, and propose alternative packages for Batelco to consider. I hope to get their suggestions to publish here after their meeting.
Press Conference Audio:
Be warned: the file is 44.6MB in size, and is 44:26 minutes long. It took me more than an hour to upload the file (office, 512Mb/128Mb)
Download (right click and save as)
[audio:batelco_BD5package_consultation.mp3]
Click to listen
June 7th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Logically thinking, if Batelco won’t change their BD40 1Mbps 15GB package then whatever they bring to the 14% won’t be fair. It will HAVE to be either more expensive or slower.
Unlimited? Forget about it it won’t happen again. But a reasonable threshold? Maybe.
My guess is something like a 50GB over a 1Mbps or a 512Kbps even for at least BD50. Which will still be less than the old packages.
June 7th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
thanks for the update and the audio file.
i’m downloading it as we speak and will convert it to low bit rate real audio for the poor 64ker
June 7th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
August 14th, 2006 ?? I’ve heared from some sources that other internet companies will be able to offer their services to residential consumers closer to the end of this year. Their services are going to be MUCH better than Batelco’s. By August 14th, I’d be too frustrated to continue with Batelco. I’d switch immediately to others as I’ve did when I’ve switched to the first alternative mobile operater in the island, MTC!
June 7th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
the promise to have a package by August 14 is interesting, but I would like to know if that includes TRA approval. Will we have a package on the shelf on August 14? Or will they submit it to the TRA and then we have to wait another months at least… Aug is a very long time away, but September 14 is just too long.. I can’t live 3 months with this new package
How come we didn’t hear about the consultation? I would have liked to come… also if there is public consultation on the new package I would like it to be announced here so we all go… maybe we will accept 60GB threshold but not 50GB, etc..
June 7th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Nasser, this was a “press event” by invitation only, but both myself and the BIS guys gate-crashed the event and we are thankful to Batelco for not being thrown out!
Funny thing is that I was greeted by Lulwa Ibrahim (PR) and she asked where I am from, when I told her I was from BoycottBatelco.com she froze! Poor thing. That was much fun.
But I knew all the others from Batelco, from the very affable Shaikh Nasser to Peter K. I’m getting to be on a first name basis with them as well, and I have to say that on a personal level they are all excellent gentlemen and I wouldn’t mind sitting at dinner with them or watch a football game or whatever. It’s their company’s policies in this regard that I have an objection to…
June 7th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
this is a CRISIS MANAGMENT tactic by the guys at Miknas’s FORTUNE PROMO 7.
PROMO 7 keeps a very keen eye on your site. And they paid extensive attention to the “Fashelco” song by A-Unit. I am sure they’ll love this!
Today’s news papers said something about the TRA “refusing” to lower prices. Its a great scape goat becasue if people hate Batelco, they will not buy.
But if people hate TRA, it doesn’t matter, because TRA do not sell to the masses. see.
Hey Promo 7, Batelco sucks because it does. Everything reeks. Billing system flawed, ignorant help, bad service, and evil bosses. It REEKS! Shame on you. You should know no matter how much you brand crap its still a peice of shit.
Your welcome here:
http://www.piracyunlimited.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=697&PN=1
More angry people are there.
June 7th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
now thats reasonable for those who just use it for checking the email and chatting !!
now lets wait and see when will we get our unlimited connection
June 7th, 2006 at 11:06 pm
Doesnt anyone realize what tactic Batelco is doing here?? They want to show the public they ‘care’ for the society’s poor and give them this cheap (and very stupid) 5BD DSL package so they can get a chance to go online!.. and they want to also show that the TRA isn’t caring for that segment of the market as they are not ‘accepting’ this service being deployed by Batelco… what the hell?!
Anybody on for free dialup for these people because I am!! I will go right now to these poor people and give them *free* internet!! Hear that Batelco?? It’s plain stupid!!! operators are pushing the limit with DSL with 24MB speeds, we’re going to 128K??? How low is that!??!
Batelco is a major employer in Bahrain, with millions every quarter in profit.. can’t they really care about IMPROVING Internet services for ALL??? As if Batelco is going to profit from this package as well.. their main reason to launch this package is one of fixing their image, but they have nooo idea that in fact they are making things even worse!!!
Don’t we have a high GDP per capita in Bahrain?? Doesn’t Bahrain have the greatest concentration of Financial Institutions ?? Aren’t we supposed to have a track record of higher-standard living?? I am sure we can find a group who is willing to provide 20,000 BD for charity where people in poorer locations in Bahrain get free internet access, for example in schools or even providing it in their homes (if they have a fixed line)… this can be fixed.. but missing the boat on higher broadband speeds with unlimited thresholds is simply unacceptable!!
by the way, it’s Peter who is ‘hijacking’ us here and strapping us into a position to accept thresholds without us even having a say or having a choice!!
Peter is just living in another planet I think and I propose putting into question his role as a Chief Excutive of a major national telecoms company and how he has failed not to accept the views of the public and use this 5BD package as an execus that they ‘care’ …what a pile of crap!!
June 7th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
Some people ACTUALLY think that Batelco’s decision is wise. It’s frustrating the way Batelco make it sound beneficial for customers. The last thing Batelco would have in mind is treating customers because they’re just too busy collecting money.
Do people understand that you can get a 1Mbps with 15GB for less than BD40 so how come this will benefit the 86% or whatever percentage they provided, this is extremely ridiculous.
If it’s too late to ask for the unlimited packages back then maybe it’s time to ask for fair prices.
256Kbps + 15GB = BD20 tops
June 8th, 2006 at 12:07 am
i read the interview with peter in today’s newspaper have some comments to share:
- i hated the headline : “internet for poor people”
- threathening to maintain profitability (if they have to) by cutting costs and “firing” not less than 500 employees out of 1600out of which 94% are bahrainis.
- if TRA refuses the new proposal (internet for the poor)then batelco will have to use the 2 millions designated for social,sports and educational purposes to support its plans and lessen the loss.(!!!)
- again talked about the excellent new packages and blaming the TRA for not approving lower prices for packages.
BUT ..
do you think this is a counter campaign to our boycottbatelco ? or have they already felt that if they dont show themselves as angels they will surely lose their customers.
- waiting until august is enough to ease the feelings of the angry masses.
- batelco will negotiate indirectly with the masses but will not give them want they want easily.
-batelco wants “MONEY” to keep the profits high so prices wont change.
June 8th, 2006 at 12:15 am
i agree with the 5bd thing i think its fair…it will reduce the sharing of the internet which batelco r pissed with it
June 8th, 2006 at 12:23 am
128 = slow, unless all you’re going to do is chat, email and forums - plus a 2 gig cap?
nah
Poor, doubt it’l stop sharing.
June 8th, 2006 at 12:48 am
Salam Guys…
CitizenA & Hussain… Fashelco is playing a dirty game of making people hate TRA for not approving the GENEROUS BD5 package and ease the tention of removing the unlimited threshold. Anybosy with a small brain can and will understand what Fashelco is doing, stop and think about it a little, why now? why now after the huge tention of removing the unlimited threshold that people started shifting to MTC for their mobiles and other services?
Again, they are playing a dirty game of bargaining either to pay money to charity or withdraw it (by the way, under Bahrain’s law THEY MUST pay charity a percentage of their profit annualy!!!) and on the other hand, bargaining people just to let them forget the tention of removing the unlimited packages by giving THE POOR BAHRAINIS a lousy BD5 internet!!
As a matter of fact, ordinary people started criticizing TRA for not approving the GENEROUS Fashelo-for-the-poor packages, this is what Fashelo is hitting on right now, and, again, ordinary people started demanding TRA to approve such packages. No comments…
Be aware people of Bahrain…..
Take care
June 8th, 2006 at 3:33 am
isnt there any program to filter the limited thing so it doesnt get counted in the batelco site?
June 8th, 2006 at 7:21 am
leave batelco aside, what about when the 128Kb package was at 15 BD and the cap was 500MB? now they’re making it 5BD and the cap is 2GB. Gomal is right, and it IS good for those with low income, but I think maybe they should have targeted everyone, even ones with low usage would opt for this option.
The rest of you, if you want your unlimited bandwidth, ask for it, don’t criticize the rest of the packages. Plus I know you’re all more than 14% cuz MOST of you are on illegal networks, I used to use a lot more than 15 GB bandwidth/month, now that I have stopped illegal downloads, the bandwidth is fitting me fine with 1 GB to spare, and that’s doing all the stuff I usually do with the net including online play except for the movie downloads.
June 8th, 2006 at 11:08 am
In reply to anon’s comments to stop the so called “illegal” downloads in order to “just fit in” into Fashelco’s “GENEROUS PACKAGES”; I would say that you are ignoring those people who download “legally”. How can the new “GENEROUS PACKAGES” cater for those people??
I have to say that there’s a “mad cow” diseas inside Fashelco at the time being. All what Fashelco’s management see is $ so they really don’t care what you think or what you’ll do. Remember that after all Fashelco is a business and they have to make profits. Fashelco’s CEO came here with the aim of “maximizing Fashelco’s profit” and that’s what every CEO in major corperation should do, and since Fashelco is out of ideas and is “full of idiots” he found no other way to but to do introduce these internet packages.
I’ll put is in this way… according to Fashelco the cost of internet is high in the region and as per “them” their current bandwidth cannot cater for the high usage of internet in Bahrain. So instead of upgrading their bandwidth they forced limits to stop the high usage as you all know. They want “customer” to pay so that they can then invest in upgrading their bandwidth sometime in the future (god knows when this could happen as it will depend on market conditions). By doing so, they don’t have to invest anything on internet right now and they will get the money “they were losing” from those high users.
In other words… to Fashelco, a person who consumed 50GB per month with a 512k connection and paid a fixed rate of BD40, will have to pay them BD390 for the same usage (BD40 for ADSL rental plus the charge of 35GB).
And yes Fashelco knows that there are a lot of you who consume more than 30GB of bandwidth a month. Even if you are talking about 14% of internet users, were here taking about 4200 usesr of the 30000 ASDL users in Bahrain.
A simple calculation assuming that all those users exceed their allocated threshold by 10GB on average; those users will end up paying Fashelco (BD420,000) a month, (BD5,040,000) a year!!
Now tell me that’s not good money
Of course Peter K., Adel and the rest are aware of all that and they know that the masses can’t do anything to stop them. They know that applying the new packages was much “safer” to generate at least the same amount of profit even of some poor people like you boycotted them.
They don’t have to imply real “economies of scale” which means reducing prices to increase internet penetration. instead they’re applying it on a limited version if you know what I mean ;).
So good luck to us all.
June 8th, 2006 at 11:36 am
You’re making it sound like a generous offer, while the rest of the world are paying half of what we are for packages that are 100%-200% faster. Cutting a price of an OUTDATED service is nothing to be grateful for…
I use an average of 300 MB aday just surfing sites like IGN, DeviantArt and VWvortex
June 8th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
it would be great if they introduced the 5BD package back in Jan and gave it 6 months to kill all illegal networks.
and by june they could switch the 40 BD 256 package to 1 MB unlimited, 512K 50BD package to 2 MB unlimted.
June 8th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
In response to anon who said stop illegal downloading I would say: Downloading illegal movies is my own business, as it is in the rest of the world. The issue is simply this: EVERYTHING country in the developed world offers unlimited download without restriction (none of the fair use crap batelco wants you to believe everyone implements)
I will also continue to create ‘illegal’ networks and share my wireless connection with my neighbours. IF they are really illegal please send the police to my house (hint, hint, the police don’t care).
Finally, about the 5 BD package… it is a very good move, but should only be acknowledge and praised if 1) it becomes a reality and 2) it is available to everyone in Bahrain regardless of income.
June 8th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
This has nothing to do with legal or not, but everything with how you want to use the internet. If you limit yourself to the occasional download and email, fine. But other people like to listen to the radio, like I do, eating up about 15GB per month. In the rest of the world they move to internet TV. We will never be able to do that as 1) the speed is not high enough and 2) the cap will hit you after a couple of days. So the issue is not about how we were using the internet yesterday, but what do we want to do tomorrow.
June 8th, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Dont get mislead by Batelco’s new campaign, they are promising all these things such as 5 BD package, august 14th promise for the unlimited etc..these are tactics to cool the public down and accept the new limited packages..by then and yes they have to get TRA’s approval which I doubt that they will get..we will all be waiting and not taking any action against Batelco and hence accepting the reality of the limited packages..guys wake up you will not be satisfied with Batelco’s new offering..they are greedy, they will never give up their bottom line for the public and certainly not peter as he cares about his short term contract with Batlelco and his bonus not bloody bahraini people..so keep the boycott campaign on ..just tell Batelco its late to play the game..sink Batelco and its board. They are using this tactic to get pressure on TRA from all of us…watch out, TRA is standing by people, yes they may have done a mistake or an oversight with approving forced limited packages but if they let the BD 10 or BD 5 get approved, this will hender new services provider to come in and compete with Batelco..TRA should allow new service providers to offer the BD 10 and BD 5 and not Batelco. therefore have many service providers in country which altimetly gives us more choices than just the one Batleco..We should pressure TRA not to approve the new BD 5 and 10 and let the new providers introduce such new packages..let Batelco pay for its stupid limited packages.
June 8th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
According to Batelco, people of Bahrain should not use internet radio. They shpuld not watch tv through the net. Childeren of Bahrain are not allowed to play online games!! Students of Bahrain should not use E-learning. Bahrainis are not allowed to do video conferencing. We should never think about VoIP calls. Life is LIMITED in Bahrain.
It’s a huge failure to the government and society of Bahrain if we keep calm about such situation!
June 8th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Those objections which have been highlighted above are the very reason we should NEVER waver or give up putting more pressure on Batelco and the TRA as well as the government to convince them that what we are saying is for the better of the whole country. It is not just a selfish thing that we 14-percenters are pushing just to please ourselves.
And we should never anticipate any support from of the local so called press, as they are all bought and paid for by Batelco. Did you see any single report that raised question marks against Batelco’s stance? Not a single one! Yellow journalism anyone?
June 8th, 2006 at 8:03 pm
I think this package is a good move. It addresses the other end of the spectrum that has been neglected. How can they means test this though?
June 8th, 2006 at 8:52 pm
http://img283.imageshack.us/img283/9788/batelcoforthepoor1pm.jpg
June 8th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
Fashelco - wow, thanks for that tasteless contribution
June 8th, 2006 at 11:01 pm
My 2 cents,
Poor people can’t use the 5bd package because they can’t afford a PC…
June 9th, 2006 at 12:04 am
http://72.36.167.70/Feshelco%20(BatecloP2).mp3
June 9th, 2006 at 2:15 am
Feshelco, i think batelco blocked ur site
June 9th, 2006 at 10:10 am
seems like some heavy stuff went down there mate…
June 9th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Hi All,
What I do not understand is what has happend to the Government, they control the price of rice, bread, vegetables, electricity, water, etc in order to make sure that citizens do not suffer inflated prices, my question to the government why not telecom? I am not talking about the TRA but the head of gevernment to intervene.
June 9th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Karim, I know that the BIS and others are writing letters of objection to the King, PM and CP and asking them to step to the plate and do something about this situation.
June 9th, 2006 at 9:12 pm
You know you’re right Karim.
The government does have the obvious capability to intervene when matters(such as this one) get out of hand.
But the only reason i think that they aren’t, is that they might have a say in all of this. You have to keep in mind that their final decision is what counts. Its the only logical reason why nothing is being done about this chaos among us “14 percent”.
Something to thing about…
June 9th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
Hi
I think batelco is realising that a mistake has been made, they cannot change it straight away. If you note that Batelco already started promoting prizes for mobile users, I think we hit them right where it hurts.
Lets keep this up and chnage the mobiles to MTC.
June 10th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Change to MTC?
We’ve all done that ages ago..Haven’t you?
June 10th, 2006 at 11:48 am
dont forget about mentatelecom… they have an office right next to batelco in GOSI
June 10th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
there isnt gona be unlimited internet in bahrain guys even if 1000000 new companies open because batelco is stopping them.
take for example orbit werent they unlimited? how come they are limited now also?
first thing a new company does before opening is sighn a contract with batelco then it can open so forget something called unlimit.
the only way batelco wil stop this is if 60~70% of the internet users stop there internet completly or else batelco wil just see there profit is increasing so they wont even bother jumping back.
June 11th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
FYI: batelco seems to have obtained some sort of approval from the TRA for their 10bd/2gb/256kbps package as activation for it starts in july 6th.
here’s the ad i saw in the gdn today:
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9900/dsc012679hd.jpg
and to encourage folks to register early they’re giving away laptops as prices… how sad
June 11th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
FYI:
The TRA requests comments on its draft procedure for dealing with consumer complaints regarding the new Batelco Broadband packages
On June 10, 2006, the TRA issued a request for comments on its draft procedure for dealing with consumer complaints regarding the new Batelco Broadband packages. Deadline for responses is 15 June 2006 at 5:00 p.m.
http://www.tra.org.bh/en/pdf/Draft_guidlines_consumer_complaints_English.pdf
since the deadline is 15th june at 5pm.. i believe we have like 4 days….
… let’s not miss this chance now to voice ourselves WRT batelco’s broadband packages…..
June 11th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
[...] BD5 ADSL package public consultation press conference 39 Concerned, Concerned, ~~ [...] [...]
June 11th, 2006 at 6:28 pm
I just heard from someone that the TRA in fact DID NOT approve the 10BD package! Batelco simply went and launched it, as the TRA were shocked about it as well…as if the TRA didnt exist. From what I understand, the TRA will use all its might now to pursue this legally.. fines, penalties (i.e. upto 10% of their gross annual revenue, breach of their license, and they could all the way go to prison sentences if they wanted to, as mentioned in the Law.
Anyway, can’t wait on will happen over the coming days ahead
June 11th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Whether TRA approved or not, Batelco will do what it wants to do and will succeeded in it as Batelco & TRA are same.
June 11th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
batelco and tra are the same…. I don’t know… but let’s just lets have a look on who’s who at each other’s board…
June 13th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
i hear there are many people who are using unlimited internet in bahrain but how? anybody heard of it? isnt there a filter or a hacking program to stop sending your bandwidth status to batelco servers? iam sure someone knows
June 30th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
my friend in sweden is paying 12 euro for unlimited 10/100 mbit connection
I got another friend living in Russia “which is considered poor country” 100 mbit connection for just 15 euro montly
I don’t have anything to say for batelco , but my reposne is going to be switching to any new company eneter the market “same as what I have done with my mobile going for mtc”
if they eant to stop internet sharining give people 2 mbit connection at lest with 10 bd with unlimited band , if you can’t offer this then check with your profit leak for ===> ….
July 1st, 2006 at 10:18 am
Can we sue the Batelco? If a criminal cheats someone,if they make wrong statement,if they claims high and show little,if they make promises and then break,then why we can not sue the Batelco? In my opinion Batelco is fully liable to be sued!! Hello TRA,what u say about it?
July 14th, 2006 at 2:04 am
Read the about us section of the site, its right above in the red bar below the banner
October 11th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
Good work. Interesting posts, besides those spam…
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:47 am
Another interesting read! I wish time allowed me to come to this site sooner so that I’d be on track with the overall feelings in the country. Not that they are different from my own feelings.
Here’s an offer for all of you guys. We all know that Batelco is killing us in pricing, but we don’t really know how pricing is done and what direct and indirect costs they have and how much they are inflated by. I am suggesting that you pick five people from this site to sit in a short 40mins seminar to explain how the internet works, and what are an ISP’s costs of doing business.
This way, your blogs will have more facts and your complaints to Batelco will be more solid. Any takers?
Fahad.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:02 pm
HELLO??
I FOUND FREE HI-SPEED INTERNET ALL OVER JUFFAIR, BBEN ON SINCE THIS WEEK!!! IT\’s By Kalaam Telecom or 2Connect And Its Powered By Ai2AirUK.co.uk / Speed is 256kbps
Fahad - 2Connect Fahad or Kalaam Telecom Fahad?
Eitherway, thanks to you, whoever you are!
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Welcome.
November 7th, 2006 at 12:12 am
Why is it so impossible to make everything?
November 8th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Ummmmm what does this question refer to? Impossible to make everything?
Fahad.