Entrepreneurship Technology

Bahrain leads Arab world in broadband penetration

By on Monday, June 4, 2007

Depends on how you interpret “penetration” when it comes to Batelco!

But hold on to your horses, don’t get too excited yet:

TCCM for the Arab World
click for larger image

The TCCM shows the extent of connectivity of individuals in a certain country whether via fixed lines, cellular lines and/or Internet.

What about broadband I hear you ask?

The Arab World still lags behind developed countries in the penetration and use of broadband Internet and Internet access at large. For example, Bahrain leads the Arab World with a 5.79% Internet broadband penetration (total broadband accounts by total population). Still this is much lower than Denmark’s 32%, South Korea’s 29% or the United States’ 20%.”

5.79%, that’s it? For a country that is supposedly “wired”, this is what we have? What pittance. Of course, Batelco’s game is margin over revenue, not stopping for a second to consider that should they open up this market and uncap the stupidity they call “broadband” will most possibly unleash the creative juices and we might, just might, start using the Internet for commerce and entertainment as it should be used, rather than having to count the bytes as if this is still the telex age.

Let’s see how the “traditional” press spins this one out tomorrow; I predict a big bold headline in the GDN… hold on, it’s coming it’s coming; ahhhh:

BAHRAINI PENETRATION BEST IN ARAB WORLD

Dickheads.

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Comments

  2. Pingback: Global Voices Online » Bahrain: Broadband Penetration

  3. I

    Has anyone tried the MTC wireless ‘broadband’ using the USB device they sell? I’ve been told that it covers the whole island and is faster than Batelco.
    What I’m really waiting for is Wi-Max. Again, I’ve been told by reliable sources that licenses have been issued, so technically, it should not be so long before it happens. I’m not holding my breath though.

    I

  6. Loki

    I recall in the UK at one point Broadband was defined as anything faster than 128kbps. Just one of those generic terms that means different things to different people.

    I’m not sure about releasing creative juices though! I think the internet has been helping people release thier juices since the dial-up days ….

  7. mahmood

    I disagree Loki, the wave that has already been happening in the Internet is rich media delivery like podcasts, vlogs and full broadcast. This requires broadband connections, the faster the better and most certainly without the caps imposed by current telcos. These limits only serve to restrict the freedom of the individual here and in Internet-speak, leaves us several generations behind the rest of the world.

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