Batelco compensates customers affected by international cable damage

Even though Batelco is not contractually obliged to do so, a decision was taken by the Company's senior management, to compensate Batelco's internet customers for the inconvenience during the brief disruption, which was caused by damaged undersea international cables.

"As a gesture of goodwill in line with our brand values and customer centric focus, we are delighted to announce that our internet customers have received a 50% discount on the rental changes in their March bill," said Batelco Consumer Customer Unit General Manager Nick Di Marzo.

"The disruption to services, which was beyond Batelco's control, caused inconvenience for internet users not only in Bahrain but throughout many countries from Egypt across the Middle East to India".

Di Marzo explained that Batelco's network has been strategically designed to provide resilience and diversity.

The Company has invested tens of millions of dollars in 3 international cable systems and a satellite earth station to provide an infrastructure that is more advanced than that provided by any other operator in the Kingdom.

"Thanks to this advanced network and efficient planning, our engineers managed to minimize the impact of the cable damage and ensured continuation of basic services while repair work was being completed," said Di Marzo.

Batelco Manager Consumer Internet Service Hesham Al Hashimi noted that Batelco is committed to providing the best internet services, with professional support and continuous value added features for residents of Bahrain.

"We have packages designed to suit all customers, with a variety of speeds and unlimited usage based on a fair usage policy," he said.

"Additionally, as part of Batelco's value added services; the Company continues to be the only internet provider on the island that facilitates the acquisition of laptops & desktops for its customers, through a very manageable and easy installment".

Batelco's products and services have been recognised for their quality and value and the Company was proud to have been named as the winner of the prestigious CommsMEA Award for the Best Internet Service Provider of the year 2007 in the Middle East and Africa region

"We are very proud to have been selected as the 'ISP of the Year' last year. We will continue to invest in technical innovation while keeping our focus on our customers' needs. This is one of our contributions towards enhancing and enabling the e-lifestyle for all residents of Bahrain," said Mr. Di Marzo.

Batelco is currently in the final implementation phase of a $57m (BD21.8m) investment to complete their state-of-the-art Next Generation Network (NGN) project which will deliver, among other things, automated broadband access to all residences in the Kingdom and make Bahrain the first country in the world with complete countrywide broadband.

"We are committed to providing new and innovative internet services backed with first class helpdesk support that puts our customers' needs first," said Al Hashimi.

"We have many exciting new services in the pipeline, some of which are awaiting TRA approval. Customers can expect to see services with excellent value added features, enhanced speeds and much more," he added.