• 27Jul

  TRA forces Batelco to lower their Internet access fees!

  news, tra 19 Comments

  The TRA has once again imposed its power and issued the second Order to Batelco this year. The order forces Batelco to revise their Reference Access Offer (The services and prices offered to other ISPs, allowing them to use Batelco’s network)

  Batelco had 2 weeks to implement these changes, and they have done so just as the deadline passed (July 26th). The new RO is available here on Batelco’s website, as well as the full original here (pdf) on the TRA’s website.

  This is good news for everyone in Bahrain. There are many points in the order but the following are some highlights:

  • Batelco is now forced to offer all of its fixed telephony services to competitors
  • These services more importantly include Wholesale DSL and Bitstream
  • The full RO has now been published on the Batelco website, as well as the PDF version on the TRA’s website
  • As an example, Batelco is current offering 1Mb (15Gb threshold) for BD 40. They now have to offer the same service to other service providers for BD 32. That means if another ISP can keep their overheads below BD 8, they can offer the same service at a cheaper price. Effectively, other ISPs could offer the service at BD 32 if they wish to do so.
  • The imposed Bitstream service is even better, as the price for 1Mb ADSL circuit is BD 23. This means other ISPs just have to add their cost of providing 10:1 Internet on this link, which could be BD 10 to 20 for unlimited usage. A BD 50 unlimited usage 1Mb service is very realistic now.
  • The rollout of Bitstream service includes creating an aggregation point in Seef area, which is planned to be done in October, this is good because BIX is also in the same area so it will be very cheap for ISPs to get Internet uplinks.
  • The second requirement for Bitstream is Batelco Exchanges to be equipped with DSLAMs for the Bitstream service. Unfortuantely Batelco is planning to do this by June 2007, almost one year away.

  However, Batelco as it should be is not happy about this and is currently appealing the Access Order in arbitration proceedings. All these changes are subject to the Arbitration process. It is not clear whether this means that other service providers have to wait for the Arbitration process to end before being able to take advantage of these offer, but the guess is that since the TRA have taken such a firm stance, they will put all their weight behind this order so that it is not subject to and will not be modified by any appeal.

  It is now up to other service providers to take advantage of these offers. Batelco will try to delay this into 2008, but subject to the arbitration, we are looking at a best case scenario of October 2006 and a worst case scenario of June 2007, to have better telecommunications offers.

  ed: this is the news that we were waiting for on the 12th! now all is clear.

• 20Jul

  أي مستخـــدم للـ «Bluetooth» سيحتــاج إلى ترخيـــص

  news, tra 2 Comments
  واشنطن العاصمة - محمد العبيدلي:
  توشك هيئة تنظيم الاتصالات البحرينية على إصدار قانون مثير للجدل. فحسب بعض الانتقادات الموجهة من دوائر معنية مثل “The Open Spectrum Foundation” فإن القانون سيثقل كاهل المواطنين بأمور ليست ضرورية وسيعرض الثقة القائمة عن المملكة كقائدة في العلوم والتكنولوجيا للخطر.
  وحسب التنظيمات الجديدة فإن أي مستخدم للبلوتوث “Bluetooth” سيحتاج إلى ترخيص. وسيعنى هذا أن أي مواطن يستخدم سماعة الرأس مع الهاتف النقال سيحتاج إلى ترخيص. ويطبق القانون أيضا على استخدامات الـواي في (WiFi). وسيؤدي هذا أيضاً إلى اضطرار أي مستخدم ‘’للواي في’’ لتوصيل حاسوبه في المنزل للحصول على ترخيص بدوره. وسيسحب الأمر نفسه على كل المقاهي التي تقدم خدمات الإنترنت عبر الواي في، حيث سيتوجب عليها إن تحصل على ترخيص من الدولة أيضاً.
  وتأتي الإشارة الأولى على عدم ضرورة القانون من بيان إخباري أصدرته هيئة الاتصالات نفسها التي ذكرت أن ‘’غالبية الدول بالعالم أجمع لا تطلب من مستخدمي هذا الطيف أن يسجلوا أنفسهم ليتمكنوا من استعماله’’. وتشتمل هذه الدول على الولايات المتحدة، وكندا، واليابان، وكوريا الجنوبية، وأغلب دول أوروبا. بينما تقتصر الدول الأوروبية الوحيدة التي تتطلب ترخيصاً مثل هيئة تنظيم الاتصالات على: روسيا وروسيا البيضاء وبلغاريا ومقدونيا واليونان والجبل الأسود وإيطاليا وسويسرا، وهي دول حققت أقل قدر من البنية التحتية لتكنولوجيا المعلومات والصناعة بها. وحينما أقرت إيطاليا القانون عام 2003 انتقدها الكثيرون لما رأوا أنه إشارة لعدم مقدرة المنظم على فهم الطريقة الفضلى لنشر التكنولوجيا ولا تزال الشركات هناك تعمل من أجل رفع تلك التقيدات.
  وسيقع التأثير الأكبر عبر تشويه سمعة البحرين الإقليمية عن تنظيماتها الكفؤة وبيئتها المشجعة للأعمال. ولقد تفادت سنغافورة وإسرائيل تبني هذه القوانين، بينما تبنتها كل من الإمارات والسعودية. وستخسر هيئة تنظيم الاتصالات البحرينية الفرصة لتمييز نفسها عن جيرانها في وقت تتقدم فيه الحكومات المجاورة والثرية بالأموال لتشكل تهديدات تنافسية متزايدة لاجتذاب الاستثمارات الأجنبية وشركات التكنولوجيا.
  ولكي نتبين كيف تخلو تلك القوانين من الحكمة ينبغي لنا أن نفهم السبب الأساسي الذي أدى لتنظيم الاتصالات اللاسلكية. فلقد سن الكونجرس قانون الراديو الأول العام 1912 استجابة للغضب العام الذي قوبلت به التقارير التي ذكرت أن تدخل الراديو والرسائل الخاطئة قد أعاقت محاولات إنقاذ الناجين من غرق الباخرة ‘’التيتانك’’. وأخذ بالاعتبار التكنولوجيا القائمة حينها تقرر أن تمنح كل حكومة تراخيص مانعة لنقل كل تردد بحيث تتقلص إمكانات التشويش. وهذا ما يفسر لماذا تخصص الحكومات تراخيص لمحطات الراديو والتلفزيون ولشركات الهواتف النقالة.
  على أن تقنيتي ‘’الواي في’’ و’’البلوتوث’’ مختلفتان عن تلك التقنيات القديمة. فهما مصممتان للانتقال على مدى قصير: مائة متر ‘’للواي في’’ وعشرة أمتار ‘’للبلوتوث’’، وهما لا تتداخلان مع الأدوات المعتادة التي تذيع على التردد نفسه. ولذلك فالتنظيم يضحي ضرورياً فقط لضمان أن الترددات تتماشى وشروط الأدوات المعتادة. حينها ستضمن الدول أن تدخل الحكومات الأقل سيؤدي إلى أوسع انتشار للاستخدام وسط المواطنين والقطاع الخاص. وحيث أن الموعد النهائي لصدور تشريع هيئة تنظيم الاتصالات هو يوم 20 يوليو الجاري تتزايد المعارضة على الإنترنت ضد تطبيقه. ولقد قدمت مؤسسة الأوبن سبكترم “The Open Spectrum Foundation” التماساً أؤيده أنا لإيصال هذا القلق إلى المسؤولين. والمؤسسة هي مؤسسة هولندية لا تتوخى الربح تقارن بين تشريعات المواصلات اللاسلكية بين مختلف الدول لتشجيع انتشار سياسات منفتحة. وأنا أدعو البحرينيين لتوقيع الالتماس على الموقع أدناه وآمل أن تصحح هيئة تنظيم المواصلات القانون قبل إقراره

  Al-Waqt :: Dr. Mohammed Al-Ubaydli :: 20 July, ‘06

• 18Jul

  Petition against WiFi/Bluetooth licensing in Bahrain

  news, tra 30 Comments

  This is not really concerned with the site’s main objective of getting Batelco to understand that we fully oppose their imposing limits on our internet access, but I felt that this is important enough to highlight here as it might affect the wireless communication progress in the Kingdom, hence I shall represent the email as I received it this morning for your information and appropriate action:

  Last week, TRA (the telecom regulatory authority) launched a public consultation on making the licensing of WiFi and Bluetooth permanent in Bahrain. We drafted a response opposing this. The text is online at

  http://www.petitiononline.com/BHWIFI/petition.html

  The deadline for sending TRA this petition is 5 pm (Bahrain time) on Thursday, 20 July. That’s less than two days from now. TRA’s announcement/description of the consultation is online in English and Arabic (pdf files).

  Our petition’s strategy is to demonstrate the need to change the telecom law, which requires not just licensing of all WiFI and Bluetooth links, but all cordless phones, GSM handsets, wireless sensor nets, baby monitors, wireless hearing aids, RFID tags, etc. In other words, it goes way beyond what is necessary to prevent interference. We also offer suggestions for rule changes that would limit the impact of the law even without amendment.

  Please spread the word fast about this petition, and about the consultation. If you don’t agree with our petition, fine - send TRA your own comments. But tell your friends to act, and act fast.

  We are a nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic which works to increase public access to license exempt radio spectrum. We have made similar policy interventions in Russia, England, the European Union, the Eastern Caribbean, Nicaragua, and Central Asia. See our website for more background.

  Thanks for reading this far - please visit the petition now.

  Robert Horvitz
  Open Spectrum Foundation
  email:bob@openspectrum.info
  skype: robert_horvitz
  mob:+420 775024705
  tel:+420 222726807
  http://www.openspectrum.info

  This story was covered by the GDN on 20 July, ‘06, thanks guys!

• 13Jul

  TRA urges reduction in access fees…

  news, tra 10 Comments

  The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) yesterday ordered Batelco to reduce its prices and expand its services to allow other operators to access its network.

  The TRA is required by law to examine and approve Batelco’s first Reference Access Offer (RAO) - the firm’s basic fee to other operators to access its network.

  A specialised team was assigned to review and analyse the firm’s offer, given the importance of the RAO to the market, the TRA said in a statement.

  Batelco was also asked to provide additional information to justify the basis of the tariffs it proposed to charge.

  Having reviewed the RAO, the TRA said it was not satisfied that Batelco set fair and reasonable tariffs, terms and conditions in accordance with the provisions of the Telecommunications Law and the Access Regulation.
  Read more…

• 03Jul

  TRA Press release: Internet Exchange Licenses Available in Bahrain

  news, tra 6 Comments

  No limits on number of licenses to be granted

  Manama, 2 July 2006 – The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced today that it is now accepting applications for Internet Exchange licenses. In accordance with the licensing regime in the Kingdom, there will be no restriction on the number of licenses granted.

  The Internet Exchange license allows the license holder to establish, operate, manage and maintain an internet exchange. In other words, this license allows interested companies to establish these exchanges on a commercial basis whereby Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can connect to them for a fee. Under the Telecommunications Law there is no longer the obligation on ISPs in Bahrain to connect to any Internet Exchange. It will be left to each ISP to decide whether or not to connect to an Internet Exchange.

  It should be noted that this license does not cover the provision of voice calls – a different type of license is required for providing voice services. Currently, there is only one internet exchange in the Kingdom - the Bahrain Internet Exchange (BIX), which was established in 2003 by Decree No. 47 of 2003. BIX was established as per the requirement in the Telecommunications Law and had an exclusivity period until April 2006, up to which time no other licenses could be granted.

  The initial fees for the Internet Exchange license will be BD 1,000, and 1% of the annual turnover thereafter. The TRA will be following the same process as outlined in the Telecommunications Law for assessing licensing applications and deciding on whether to grant the license or reject the application.

  The TRA has also issued a guidance note together with the relevant application form on the new license which is available through its website (www.tra.org.bh). The generic form of the license itself is also available through the TRA’s website.

  About the TRA
  The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) was established by Legislative Decree No. 48 of 2002 promulgating the Telecommunications Law. The TRA is an independent body and its duties and powers include, among other things, protecting the interests of subscribers and users and promoting effective and fair competition among existing and new licensed operators. More information regarding the TRA can be viewed at www.tra.org.bh

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