Batelco to stop dial-up internet service early in 2010

Bahrain telco Batelco has announced that it will stop its dial-up internet service early in 2010.

The company, which has recently completed the migration of its entire fixed network to a Next Generation Network (NGN) combining both data and voice services in one platform, said dial-up services would end on January 24.

Less than five percent of customers are still using dial-up services as opposed to broadband and the figures is reducing each month, Batelco Group general manager Ahmed Al Janahi said.

Last month, Business Monitor International said the Gulf state's fixed broadband sector saw growth of over 37 percent in 2008 and had a penetration rate of 8.8 percent at the end of the year.

Within Bahrain’s broadband market, BMI is predicting an average annual growth rate of over 7 percent over the next five years.

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