Menatelecom announced the new LTE-A technology upgrade on its website Friday. The announcement says that the WiMAX-turned-LTE operator has become the first company in Bahrain to offer LTE-A connectivity, ahead of the country’s incumbent mobile operators. However, this contradicts government-backed Batelco’s statement in June that its ‘4G+’ LTE-A cellular rollout had started.
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Menatelecom switched on its original 3500MHz TD-LTE network in November 2013, with the service given a full launch in February 2014.
The statement on its website said: “ Menatelecom has acquired the LTE-Advanced service to grant its customers an unparalleled internet experience with high speeds and exceptional quality.”
Under a central government policy, Menatelecom is restricted to ‘nomadic’ or ‘portable’ fixed-wireless services, and not ‘official’ mobile services, despite an amendment to its licence removing mobility restrictions in February 2012.
