Bahrain - Download speeds on 5G networks in Bahrain have hit a peak of 3.2 Gbps, enabling consumers to connect faster, shows the latest research from the telecom regulator.

This is more than double the peak speed of 1.5 Gbps offered by operators when 5G was launched in the kingdom in 2019.

Typical download speeds for the most common type of 5G network (Sub-6 GHz networks) range from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps, say experts explaining that 5G networks allow users to download a full HD movie in seconds, stream multiple 4K videos at the same time, play online games without lag, use virtual reality and augmented reality applications and connect to the Internet from anywhere.

The latest data has come to light in the newly released Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) 2022 report on the Quality of Service (QoS) offered by mobile networks in the kingdom, with the report emphasising mobile network progress seen in 5G technology from all three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) providing coverage across the whole population.

Another key finding was that 4G network average download speeds have more than doubled since 2020, going up from 85 Mbps in 2020 to 266 Mbps in 2022.

The TRA’s QoS audit explored different areas of user experience, such as download and upload speeds, latency, social networking app performance, and webpage browsing.

The report emphasises mobile network progress, with 5G technology from all three MNOs providing coverage across the whole population.

Aimed at providing an accurate assessment of Bahrain’s mobile network performance and user experience based on three main areas – mobile coverage, quality of service and billing – the comprehensive assessment was carried out by international consulting firm Directique using a test method designed to gather a faithful qualitative record from an end users’ point of view.

The report emphasises mobile network progress, with 5G technology from all three MNOs providing coverage across the whole population. Each operator provided a list of cell sites (which are newly deployed technologies) where network settings should allow higher data performance, in comparison with other locations that were tested randomly.

The results show that the operators have deployed Enhanced Technologies (ET) at certain areas in Bahrain to reach much higher speeds, the average throughput on Enhanced Technologies cell sites was more than twice higher than in random locations. The report found that all three networks offered the same ‘excellent’ level of voice service as 2018, with an average setup and held calls rate of 100 per cent with improved quality of 0.4 point.

As for messaging, all networks offered ‘very good’ SMS service within two minutes with 100pc of messages received within 15 seconds, 100pc within 10s and 99.9pc within 5s.

The last indicator was introduced two years ago and has only improved since then.

The average observed SMS reception delay was 0.4 seconds, which is the best performance since 2010.

TRA general director Philip Marnick said: “Almost all of us use mobile services every day. Good mobile quality of service is essential. Our mobile audit shows that the quality of all three of our mobile networks and the services they support is good and continues to improve.”

He added, “The TRA’s mobile audit is a comprehensive review of network performance. In order to ensure that the results reflect the real performance of the networks and services, certain unreliable data had to be removed. The increasing availability and use of 5G and improved network performance have led to the increase in the quality of service we see. These achievements come as a result of the collaborative efforts between the TRA, mobile network operators, and other stakeholders right across Bahrain’s telecommunications industry.”

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