Annual Report 2008 - TRA - Telecommunication Regulatory Authority

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TRA Annual Report 2008
Forging Links
talked about international services ranging from leased lines to high-speed internet connections. He also discussed
how incumbent operators can hold back development, and how the role of the regulator can be seen as a catalyst
in stimulating innovative services and economic growth.
In June the General Director addressed the Strategic Telecoms Summit in Abu Dhabi. An audience of over 100
delegates from telecommunications operators and industries, as well as representatives of the financial sector, heard
about the challenges for the regulator arising from converging technologies, the future regulatory landscape and the
realisation of real benefits for consumers.
His Excellency Dr. Hubert Lang, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, visited TRA in September. His
meeting with TRA’s General Director focused on attracting inward investment to the Kingdom and making the most
of investment opportunities in both countries.
In September 2008 TRA finalised the agreement with the International Telecommunications Society (ITS) to host
its 20th European Conference in Bahrain as the first European-Middle East-North African regional conference of
the Society. This event will continue the long-standing series of ITS European Regional Conferences, which started
in 1987. The conference will be held in October 2009. TRA will partner with the ITS, the University of Strathclyde
(UK) and the University of Bahrain in organising this Conference. The ITS is an association of professionals in the
information technology and communications sectors.
In October TRA Director of Technical and Operations Mr. Mohammed Tayeb Mahmood represented the Kingdom
of Bahrain at the Global Standards Symposium and the World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly 2008
held by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In early November, TRA’s Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Al Amer, and General Director, Mr. Alan Horne, met
the Director General of Hong Kong’s telecommunications regulatory authority (OFTA), Mrs. Marion Lai Chan Chi-
Kuen, at the International Institute of Communications (IIC) annual conference. Hong Kong has a very competitive
telecommunications environment with well-developed high speed fixed and mobile services. At the end of the year
talks were underway for TRA Bahrain to host the IIC’s Telecommunications and Media Forum in 2009, which will
focus on regulating convergent technologies.
In December 2008 TRA, as coordinator of the Arab Regulators’ Working Group on Roaming, in cooperation with
the GSM Association, organised a workshop on the transparency of roaming prices. This workshop was attended by
operators and regulators from the Arab region.
Local
TRA continued to work closely with telecommunications operators in the Kingdom as well as with other key
stakeholders within the industry and in related sectors. In November TRA hosted an end-of-year review meeting
with the operators.
On 23 April the General Director discussed the issue of signal levels from mobile phones and mobile base stations
with two students - Mariam Mansouri and Sara Al Rashed - from Muharraq Secondary Girls School, accompanied by
teacher Mrs. Najah Hassan.