Write to the editor

With reference to the Whisperer’s comments last week, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has recently released some tips to consumers on how to avoid excessive roaming charges while travelling.

Consumer’s empowerment can be achieved by raising awareness and education, and the tips that we are publishing are important for consumers to avoid shocking bills at the end of the month.

The use of telecommunications services abroad should be planned in the same way we plan our travel, so we make sure that we take the best option.

Roaming is the service that allows consumers to use mobile services outside their country. This is possible because the mobile service provider in the country consumers are visiting (host service provider) carries your calls and data use on its network. The host service provider then bills the local service provider who in turn bills the consumer.

Usually, roaming charges are higher than those for local mobile services. Before consumers use international roaming he/she should think about:

• Do you need to use your mobile phone while abroad?
• Is roaming available in the country you are visiting? You can find this out by asking your service provider before you travel.
• Do you know the roaming charges of the different service providers in the country you are visiting, or at least the approximate charges? You can ask your service provider about these charges before you travel.
• Are you better off using a prepaid mobile service in the country you are visiting?
• How can consumers minimise roaming charges?
• Choose the service provider who charges the least in the country you will be travelling to. You can find out the rates by asking your service provider in Bahrain about the rates operators charge in the country you are planning to travel to.
• Try to make your calls during off-peak times.
• Remember that you will be charged for all calls (incoming and outgoing) while roaming, so choose the calls you answer carefully.
• Data roaming charges are very expensive, make sure that data roaming function is switched off in your mobile phone (see picture left).

If you intend to make a lot of calls, use data services, travel frequently or cannot afford roaming charges, you can find out the cost of a prepaid mobile phone card in the country you are visiting.

For more information on how to reduce your roaming spending, call TRA’s free consumer line on 81188 and contact your service provider to know how much it will cost you to use the roaming services.

Ms Ghada Ebrahim Al Qassab,
TRA’s consumer affairs and media director

Editor’s note: Since its establishment in 2002 the TRA has been working with government, consumers, operators and investors to develop the kingdom into the region’s most modern communications hub and to facilitate the growth of the market. The Whisperer’s friend who was stung by a BD475 roaming charge bill only wishes she had seen this advice before going on holiday to Thailand!

We hope all GulfWeekly readers had a fabulous summer vacation. Now that you are back in Bahrain you will no doubt be admiring all the wonderful purchases you made overseas. Well, you know what they say, out with the old and in with the new!

So when clearing out those closets, please consider donating any items you no longer wish to keep to our Thrift Shop. Being our main source of income, the Thrift Shop is the financial lifeline of the Shelter and we rely on public donations to keep the shop fully stocked. Any items, big or small, old or new are gratefully accepted.

Absolutely everything we receive finds a new home, if we don’t sell it we donate it to the local villages and labour camps. 

Donations can be made every morning between 9am and midday at the shop or left in the boxes outside the door at any other time. We are located at 6 Busheiri Gardens, Budaiya Road.

When dropping off those donations, stop for a browse, you never know you may find something else to pop in the closet. Recycling is good!

Joyce Hughes,
Fundraising Co-ordinator,
BSPCA

Thank you for publicising our soon-to-open mall in Segaya, the new Al Hayat Shopping Centre in GulfWeekly, issue 34. However, we would like to point out that the photo of the construction site was incorrectly identified on Page 3. Below is the latest photo of the Mall’s façade.

Marriz Valenzuela,
PA to the chairman and CEO, Remza
Investment Group.

The editor of this newspaper would like to say a big thank you to the kind-hearted Egyptian driver who pulled over to offer him a cool sanctuary whilst he waited for the motoring crew to rescue his stricken car which broke down suddenly on the highway close to the Grand Mosque.

In boiling temperatures the luckless hack was wilting in the midday sun for more than an hour and was just about to pass out when the gentleman arrived.

A big-hearted gesture and much appreciated.