Submitted by Gatewayadmin on Thu, 08/20/2009 - 15:11
Introduction and Background
The current access to international connectivity in Bahrain is very limited; the only means to obtain it is through the incumbent company and this place a challenge in terms of pricing, reliability and redundancy.
The Government of Bahrain has strategically opened up the Telecommunications corridor to other Operators who wish to extend fiber, with the vision of breaking monopolies and allowing for a vibrant and diverse Telecommunications sector. This forward movement allows for fiber to be extended from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Kingdom of Bahrain, bypassing the legacy monopoly of the incumbent operator.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Bahrain is encouraging Joint Projects amongst Operators that have similar strategic projects; and achieving International connectivity is definitely a top priority for most of Bahraini Operators.
Gateway Gulf was the first entity to win the permit from the Government of Bahrain to lay new, neutral fiber from the King Fahd Causeway to its neutral facility in Bahrain; but now Zain Bahrain and STC Bahrain have join efforts with Gateway Gulf in its initiative to lay new fiber.
Never before in Bahrain a group of Operators have come together to achieve a common goal, and we are hoping to set the precedent for future collaboration amongst Operators.
Multiple are the benefits that this project will bring: promote diversity, increase competition, allow redundant connectivity and provide better quality of service. These benefits will be directly reflected to the consumers that will enjoy a better, faster, affordable and more reliable connectivity.
Alan Horne (seated, far right), General Director of TRA, with representatives of Gateway Gulf, STC, and Zain at the signing of the "Joint Dig Agreement."
About the Project
The Consortium of Operators from Bahrain is establishing a telecommunications network that includes, but is not limited to, a transmission network comprised of the Infrastructure, Ducts and Cables, each running from Gateway Gulf’s Business Centre in Salmaniya to the King Fahad Causeway toll Plaza (with intentions to later reach the Middle of the Causeway).
The project consists on laying six (4) main ducts with three (3) sub-ducts each. Each Operator will own a duct with its sub-ducts and will be able to pull fiber optic cables that will serve as a communication backbone to Bahrain.
The total length of the project from Salmaniya to the Toll Plaza is 18 kilometers. Joint boxes will be allocated every 300 meters and each box has a provision for branching out, giving the Operators the opportunity to expand their network all over Bahrain.