“A sensible wholesale offer to OLOs is a key regulatory instrument supporting competition and choice in the telecommunications sector. The charges set in this draft Order are evidence-based, fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory and allow Batelco to earn a fair and reasonable return on its investment,” Mohamed Bubashait, TRA’s General Director, said.
Following the review of Batelco’s Reference Offer submission, TRA was not satisfied that the proposed charges were in line with the Telecommunications Law. Consequently, TRA issued a draft Order setting revised charges and the basis for the adjustments made. In previous annual reviews, the Reference Offer draft Order was only submitted for consultation with Batelco. However, as the RO affects the whole industry and in order to promote greater transparency, TRA has issued the draft Order for public consultation which closes on Wednesday 28 December 2011.
“The work TRA does at the wholesale level is critical as it underpins competition between operators, which in turn provides benefits to consumers in terms of lower prices and better services. The proposed substantial reductions of key wholesale services will ultimately translate into better propositions at the retail level for retail customers and businesses,” he said.