TRA encourages Batelco to compensate fairly both wholesale and retail customers for internet disruption

"TRA does not reject proposals from Batelco to compensate internet users for disruptions of service unless they are deemed to be discriminatory or anticompetitive. In principle we agree to Batelco's stated intention to compensate their customers for the temporary disruption of internet service, and we await to see their plans. It is nevertheless important that any such scheme fairly compensates all the users - both retail and wholesale ones".

Undersea optical fiber cable damage in the Gulf and the Mediterranean has been blamed for disruptions experienced by internet users across the Gulf region. Although compensation for respective disruptions are subject to agreements between operators and their users and, in certain cases, may not be a legal obligation, it is encouraging to see such operators considering compensating consumers for the disruption.

TRA also encourages all operators to have in place and effectively implement appropriate measures, including network resilience plans, to minimize the impact of similar and other disruptions in future that affect not only the subscribers but also the economy of the Kingdom.