Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications launched an online platform for small vessel registration and licensing. The platform streamlines services such as registration, renewals, and ownership transfers, serving over 25,000 users and 8,000 vessels. It reduces processing times by 50% and integrates with relevant authorities, enhancing government service efficiency.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in Oman has launched extensive field visits to monitor telecom indicators, including signal strength, data speed, and voice service. The visits will cover multiple governorates and tourist areas, with a focus on improving 4G and 5G coverage, data speed, and voice service quality.
India has introduced stricter regulations for telecom service providers, imposing fines up to Rs 10 lakh for failing to curb unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) and SMS spam. The new rules simplify the complaint process and enforce faster actions against spammers, aiming to enhance consumer protection and digital communication security.
The Jordan Maritime Commission (JMC) signed 16 agreements in 2024 to issue IMO-compliant safety certificates, enhancing maritime operations. The JMC also introduced digital services, reducing ship entry permit processing time, and signed an MoU with the UAE on mutual recognition of maritime certificates. The maritime sector continues to evolve with digital initiatives.
TRAI has introduced stricter rules to curb spam calls and messages, imposing fines ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh on telecom operators for misreporting spam counts. The new regulations require operators to monitor call patterns and flag potential spammers in real time to ensure compliance.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in Oman plans extensive field visits in 2025 to assess key performance indicators in telecommunications. These visits will cover various locations, including tourist destinations, highways, and airports. Results will be published online to ensure transparency and improve telecom services in the country.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Pakistan’s Minister of IT and Telecom, emphasized the need for ethical AI, data privacy, and global cooperation at Leap 2025 in Riyadh. She discussed Pakistan’s commitment to ethical AI governance, highlighted the importance of bridging the digital divide, and presented the “Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024.”
The PTA has proposed the installation of express feeders to resolve Karachi’s telecom network issues caused by power outages. Despite backup power systems, network downtime persists in key districts. The PTA’s survey reveals improvements in call completion rates and 4G data speeds, with ongoing efforts to stabilize network infrastructure.
Bahrain’s revamped eKey 2.0 app, developed with Beyon Connect, achieved 13,000 registrations on its first day. The app provides secure digital ID authentication for government and private sector services, with features like password-less login, facial recognition, and user-controlled data sharing, supporting Bahrain’s digital transformation initiatives.
In 2024, Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) conducted 148 inspections and reviewed over 11,400 telecom device import applications. Violations related to imports decreased significantly, reflecting improved compliance. TRA emphasized the importance of licensing and adhering to technical regulations to prevent interference and ensure optimal use of the frequency spectrum.
