“Batelco was delighted for the second time to be an official sponsor for the prestigious international event. To meet the specific requirements of this year’s show, we have worked alongside the Bahrain Defense Force for the expansion of the Airbase and we thank them for selecting Batelco to facilitate the communications requirements on the Sakhir Airbase, which played host to the three day event,” he added.
In 2010, Batelco laid an estimated 140km of cable around the airfield site to accommodate the first Bahrain International Airshow. To adapt to all requests for the 2012 event, an additional 8km of cables were installed. The services provided for included regular telephone service, data, ISDN basic and primary rate and broadband internet access.
Abdulla said that in order to facilitate the expanded requirement for the 2012 show, Batelco selected a state of the art IP solution which was easily expandable to accommodate the additional users.
“The IP network also provided the backbone for the provisioning of free-of-charge secure wireless internet access which served trade visitors, the media, VIP guests and the general public.”
“Additionally, in order to ensure that internet customers experienced the best possible service, Batelco provisioned a 100Mb link between the Sakhir Airfield and their Internet Platform,” the Batelco Bahrain, CEO said.
Batelco also showcased High Definition (HD) Video on Demand (VoD) over 4G/LTE at the Batelco Chalet. Batelco’s customers enjoyed experiencing 4G/LTE and for the first time in Bahrain VoD over 4G/LTE.
Visitors to the Public Area of the show also experienced the latest technology in the Food Court Marquee where Batelco showcased their new innovative products including IPTV and 100Mbps high speed Broadband over Fiber. Also for the first time, Batelco showcased High Definition (HD) Video on Demand (VoD) and 3D VoD using a Batelco customised application which runs on mobile smart phones. Visitor to the Public Area Food Court had the opportunity to enjoy the VoD experience using iPads provided by Batelco.
Batelco’s IPTV has the capability to deliver free-to-air channels and all subscription based bouquets. In addition, a free Video on Demand (VoD) library features up to 200 movies, series, documentaries etc. Furthermore, Batelco IPTV also offers special features such as TV on Demand, Time Shift, Personal Video Recording and Advanced Interactive Electronic Programme Guide. Such features allow viewers to watch programmes that are up to one week old and have the full control to rewind, forward or stop any channel at any time and come back to watch it later.
Batelco’s team of skilled technical staff were on hand at the airshow site to tend to any requests for telecommunications services during the show. In addition to on-site support, Batelco’s NOC (Network Operations Centre) monitored the network infrastructure and services to ensure reliability around the clock.