Bahrain : TRA Announces the Release of Radio Frequencies for Advanced Post 3G Mobile Services

Mobilk - In welcoming participants to the third Middle East Spectrum Conference, which opened today 20 March at the Gulf Hotel in Manama, Dr. Mohammed Al Amer, Chairman of the Board of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), announced a number of important strategic public telecommunications developments in the Kingdom.

 

In his keynote speech Dr. Al Amer announced that “later this year or early next year, it is planned to conduct a licence award process for paired spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band and in other frequency bands used for mobile telecommunications which could be used for post 3G mobile services to deliver ultra high speed broadband communications over mobile networks."

 

Commenting on this announcement, TRA’s General Director Mohamed Hamad Bubashait said “The 2.6 GHz frequency band is the preferred evolutionary path for most public mobile operators in the MENA, African and European regions and would become available in the Kingdom in two tranches. The first tranche would be two paired sub-bands of 40 MHz which would be freed by the end of 2012. A further 30 MHz of paired 2.6 GHz spectrum would become available by the end of 2014. Securing this spectrum will place public mobile telecommunications operators in the Kingdom in a good position to provide the latest LTE (Long Term Evolution) and LTE-Advanced technologies to their customers.”

 

TRA will shortly be developing a technology neutral licence award process for the entire 70 MHz of 2.6 GHz paired spectrum, together with another 40 MHz of paired spectrum at 2.1 GHz, 15 MHz of paired spectrum at 1.8 GHz and 5.6 MHz of paired spectrum at 900 MHz. In addition, 15 MHz of unpaired spectrum will be on offer at 1.9 GHz. 

 

Comparative selection or market-based techniques are usually involved in determining licensees. It is envisaged that the licensing award process would take place between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013. The next step in the process will take place next month (April 2012) when an RFP will be published in which TRA will outline its preliminary views and will announce that it is seeking expert help in the design of a suitable award mechanism.

 

Dr. Al Amer also announced that “A thorough assessment of public mobile spectrum requirements will be commissioned shortly, with a view to determine and plan  the longer term radio spectrum requirements of the Kingdom’s public mobile telecommunications sector  and ensure the future provision of advanced communications services to consumers in Bahrain.”

 

This review of spectrum will seek to determine the Kingdom’s public mobile spectrum requirements for 2020 and beyond. It is anticipated that the review’s findings will be announced during 2015. Existing public telecommunications frequency usage will be considered, as well as current frequencies identified by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) and any additional frequencies agreed at an ITU World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015.