Bahraini wireless broadband and VoIP provider Mena Telecom (Menatelecom), a subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), has reportedly upgraded its network with LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) technology. While no official confirmation has been forthcoming, an article that originated with Gulf Daily News Online asserts that the WiMAX-turned-LTE operator has become the first company in Bahrain to offer LTE-A connectivity, ahead of the country’s incumbent mobile operators, despite government-backed Batelco stating in June that its ‘4G+’ LTE-A cellular rollout had begun.
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Menatelecom switched on its original 3500MHz TD-LTE network in November 2013, with the service given a full commercial ‘nationwide’ launch in February 2014. Under a central government policy, Menatelecom is restricted to ‘nomadic’ or ‘portable’ fixed-wireless services, rather than ‘official’ mobile services, despite an amendment to its licence removing mobility restrictions in February 2012.