Bahrain TRA launch consumer "Keep Asking" campaign

The campaign aims to raise awareness of telecoms consumers in the Kingdom by guiding them to ask questions in order to get the information they need.

The idea of the campaign came as the telecoms market changes into a liberalized one where consumers now have a choice when it comes to services, as more companies start offering services. This change entails that consumers need to be aware of how to choose the right package, in terms of subscribing to a service that matches their needs and offers them the best value for their money. Through this campaign the TRA seeks to help consumers with the kind of things they need to ask about before making their choice. It also encourages consumers to take a proactive approach by "asking" for what they want.

As part of the campaign, the TRA has printed several guides, including a Consumer Guide, an International Roaming leaflet, a Carrier Pre-Selection leaflet and a leaflet on complaints. These guides provide a wide range of information on what consumers need to consider, such as how calls are charged, what consumers should look for in contracts, and what they should do in case of complaints. Given that different consumers have different needs, these guides highlight the questions and leave it to the consumer to get the answers from their service provider and then make the final decision.

The Consumer Guide will be distributed to homes in Bahrain, in order to ensure that it reaches the maximum number of consumers in the Kingdom. In addition, the leaflets will be distributed through the customer service centres of the licensed operators in the Kingdom. The TRA would like to take this opportunity to thank the licensed operators for participating in distributing these, as it is an encouraging sign that they recognize the importance of consumers' rights, and in particular their right to information.

The campaign guides and leaflets, which will be available in English and Arabic, as well as in Braille and large fonts upon request, will also be available on the TRA's website for downloading.

The General Director of the TRA, Mr. A. Andreas Avgousti, commented on the launch of the campaign as follows:

"We have been and are still working quietly outside the limelight to ensure that the framework is in place for companies to be able to offer services. However, the work put in over the past three years has already yielded tangible results. There are now choices available for telecoms services in parts of the telecoms market and more will follow soon. But for people to make the best choice for them they need to be informed. With this campaign, we want to encourage consumers to proactively seek more information that enables them to make the right choice - by asking the service provider. Choice is an individual decision, and through this campaign and the guides we produced, we want to make sure that we help people ask the right questions. We hope that consumers will find our approach beneficial and we are waiting to hear their feedback on how we can further increase their awareness of other aspects related to telecoms. It is your right to ask. "