Arabian Business, Thursday, May 16, 2019 | Ramadan 11, 1440
Bahrain's Batelco completes split into two entities
Bahrain:
Bahrain-based telecoms firm Batelco has announced the completion of its
legal separation into two entities to cover broadband infrastructure and retail
operations.
Batelco has recently announced the appointment of Mohamed Bubashait as the CEO
of the new infrastructure company for national broadband and Mikkel Vinter as
the new CEO of Batelco Bahrain, which will be the entity responsible for the
retail and enterprise operations.
The two separate entities will remain under the ownership of Batelco.
The completion of the separation was announced by Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed,
Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications which is part of the country's
4th National Telecommunication Plan (NTP4).
He said: “We have worked closely with Batelco to coordinate with all
governmental entities and stakeholders in order to create comprehensive plans
for the facilitation of the legal separation and restructuring of the two
companies.
“The new infrastructure company will work with the government to create a fibre
optic network providing residents in all areas of the kingdom with high-speed
internet access."
Batelco chairman, Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, said the move also
included the restructuring of the executive management teams, plus the
separation of operations systems and human resources.
“It is a priority for the board of directors to achieve the highest possible
returns as well as enriching future returns, and ensuring the continuous and
sustainable success of the company in the long run,” he said.
“We also want to confirm that the restructuring of the company... is going to
create new horizons for Batelco and opportunities to invest in digital
technology and furthermore, create new and diverse revenue streams which is in
line with the kingdom’s vision for the growth of the digital economy.”