Batelco, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s leading communications company has signed an agreement with Gulf Bridge International (GBI), the Middle East’s first privately owned fiber optic cable operator, to connect Bahrain through International Capacity on GBI’s new cable system.

Batelco is the landing partner in Bahrain for the new cable system as part of an agreement signed between the two major companies.

The GBI Cable System, which utilizes the latest fiber optic cable technology, connects all the countries of the Arabian Gulf region via a core ring and provides onward connectivity to Europe and Asia. With a design capacity of up to 10 terabits per second, the GBI Cable System has the capability to meet the rapid growth in demand for traffic originating and terminating in the Arabian Gulf. The launch of the GBI Cable System ensures telecom operators and other communications companies, both in the region and globally, benefit from greater choice, value, diversity and resilience.

Batelco Bahrain Chief Executive Officer Rashid Abdulla said that Batelco was entering into the multi-million dollar deal to provide Bahrain with better connectivity to the rest of the world and to ensure that sufficient capacity is available to cater to the future growth in data connectivity, in line with the Kingdom of Bahrain’s 2030 vision. “The international capacity will provide world-class connectivity for residents of Bahrain, in addition to ensuring continuity of service and quality,” he said.

Ahmed Mekky, Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of GBI who signed the agreement on behalf of GBI, stated that the agreement will not only benefit the Kingdom of Bahrain but all the countries in the region. “We believe that increased choice, capacity and competition for international bandwidth are essential for sustained growth in the region. I am confident that the GBI cable system will change the telecoms landscape in the Middle East and play a positive role in enabling finance, education, health, and many other industries to build knowledge based societies and facilitate future economic growth,” he said.

The launch of the new GBI cable system enhances Batelco’s networks and capabilities. Batelco has previously invested in several  international cable systems as well as terrestrial connectivity in addition to a satellite earth station to provide international voice, data and internet services across the Kingdom.

Such network resilience and diversity is considered best practice in the telecommunications industry globally and has served Batelco well in the past minimising disruption to telecommunications services when faced with damage to one of the cable systems.

“Batelco’s ongoing strategy is to continue investing in new and enhanced infrastructure and innovative technology for Bahrain to ensure the Kingdom remains the most desirable IT and Communications hub across the region,” Rashid  Abdulla, Batelco Bahrain’s CEO concluded.