Bahrain now has full nation-wide 5G coverage, according to its Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications. All of its 1.5 million population can now access the super-fast service, with the quickest take up likely to by businesses first.
Two of Bahrain's three mobile operators have touched full coverage, which could spark a "new wave of opportunities for streaming, gaming and supply chain technologies", according to the Ministry. The Gulf state expects to attract more tech firms focussed on data-driven services in the region. Amazon Web Services launching the region’s first hyper-scale data centre in the Kingdom last year.
Bahrain’s telecom sector attracted more than $2 billion between 2009 and 2019. The ICT sector now accounts for nearly 3 per cent of GDP.
Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, said in a statement: “We are continually striving to ensure that the Kingdom maintains its position among global leaders in this crucial sector. This includes ensuring availability and deployment of commercial 5G services and enhancing readiness for next generation ICT services such as the Internet of Things and machine-to-machine communications."