Manama - Post Report Question and Answers
Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Well yes, but it's not very good. Some of the apartment buildings had it included, but don't expect exceptional speeds. Having said that, even if you pay for it, it's expensive and not very fast. Most of the internet is not true cable or DSL, it's a re-broadcast 4G/LTE signal. So you're basically just using an amplified cellular signal, which is OK for streaming, but slow for downloading large volumes of data, and snails pace for uploads. I know some people had actual DSL lines in their houses, but you had to go through the state telephone company "BATELCO," which meant it could take weeks to setup, and even then the speeds were crappy. All this coupled with major internet censors/filters meant endless frustration. You'll probably end up paying $70-$100 a month for bad internet. - Apr 2017
Installation took us about 3 weeks but it can be quicker. Very happy with it. We use a VPN to bypass local blocks. - Sep 2016
Yes but it has its moments of dropping frequently. Expect dial up speeds, but you can definitely use Netflix and all of those,, you just need a VPN. Sometimes it is great- other times its horrible. - Nov 2015
Yes, and expensive. Try MenaTelecom. About US$100 per month. - Aug 2014
Internet comes in 3 speeds (slow/decent/pretty good) ranging from $50-150/month. Even the fastest is not as fast as in the States, but with some patience you are able to stream videos and use Skype. - Sep 2012
It's available, though spotty and expensive. There's a new provider in town, so that may improve. The Kingdom of Bahrain blocks a number of naughty websites, so if you want to cruise porn or read seditious political materials you're out of luck. - Apr 2010
Yes and expensive. We pay over $100 a month for the fastest connection with the most downloads. If you download a lot, watch out! They will charge you a huge fee if you go over the limit. - Jun 2009
Yes, 256k for US$27 monthly, higher you go the more expensive it gets. They need to improve this, the reason for such low speeds and high costs is lack of competition. - Dec 2008
What high speed internet? There is crappy internet at a very high price. You can pay US$27 for 256kor US$160 for 2 mg. - Aug 2008
