Damages were caused by the vandals led to the disruption to telecommunications operations in these villages over the weekend. Telecom operators immediately took action to review the damage and establish a plan to swiftly amend the damages caused to the affected areas.
“A total of 15 cell towers were damaged out of the 1200 cell towers which are currently utilized by all telecom operators to provide services to the Kingdom. The average cost currently stands at BD 200,000 per cell tower,” according to an official estimate.
The Minister of State for Communications, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa visited the vandalized towers to assess the damage. He urged telecom operators in the Kingdom to take immediate action to ensure that all necessary security measures were taken.
“I would like to thank the telecom operators for taking immediate action in ensuring that telecom services would not be affected. It is essential that all citizens have access to these services without threats to availability or delays. The swift response reflects the efficiency, high standards and levels of cooperation between telecom operators in the Kingdom as they strive to ensure that operations run smoothly and professionally.”
The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Interior Lt-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa and the Bahraini security forces for taking the necessary security measures to ensure safety and stability in Bahrain, and specifically the telecom sector.
“Bahrain is considered to have one of the most liberal telecom markets in Gulf. According to our 2011-2012 Market Indicators Report, the estimated annual gross turnover of the telecommunications sector was BD 400 million. Approximately 3,000 employees worked in the sector and approximately 180 companies are licensed by the TRA as telecom operators.”