Mobile prices fell by up to 55 percent and fixed broadband prices fell by up to 85 percent between 2010 and 2015 in Bahrain, according to the latest retails price benchmark study performed by Strategy Analytics for the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and the Arab Regulators Group (AREGNET). The price of residential ADSL broadband with speeds up to 10 Mbps went lower to BHD 20 in 2015 from BHD 80 in 2010, and the data allowance increased to 150 GB from 50 GB. The study showed that residential customers in Bahrain are starting to enjoy the benefits of ultra-fast broadband, or broadband with download speeds above 100 Mbps.
In general, the prices of telecom services in Bahrain continued 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.
The findings are supported by a separate report published recently, at the end of November, by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) titled Measuring the Information Society Report . The report found 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 percent of GNI.
Source: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/bahrain-mobile-prices-fall-by-55-in-2010-2015-study--1120936