Telecom company 2Connect has announced the launch of 'smart residential' telephony into people's homes in Bahrain.

'Residential lines, offered through dedicated fibre optic cables for the first time in the country, mean a telephone line, high-speed Internet with a minimum of 10 mbps speed, and satellite television services on a single connection,' said 2Connect founder and managing director Fahad Al Shirawi.

'This is just the beginning,' he told our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN).

'We are working on several other services that can be provided on these fibre optic cables.

'These services will be rolled out in the very near future.'

Al Shirawi said the company is targeting 10,000 customers a year for the first two years - in 2011 and 2012.

'We are rapidly expanding our infrastructure and adding new areas virtually every day.'

He said while many Bahrain areas would be able to get access to the new services immediately, many others would have to apply and wait.

'At the rate we are expanding, they will also not have to wait long. In four years, we promise every home in Bahrain would have access to these services.'

Al Shirawi said he is convinced Bahrain's Vision 2030 for the telecom sector would be achieved well before that year. 'The sector is expanding rapidly and we believe we are a major component of that expansion. We believe that by offering state-of-the-art services, we are ahead of the rest already and we will keep it that way.'

He said the company's ability to offer unique products to the market is what distinguished them.

The company offers an innovative portfolio of voice and data services that include advanced Internet and IP-based solutions guaranteed by an independent state-of-the-art network.

Over the years, it has invested in building its own fibre optic infrastructure throughout the country.

'Bahrain has long been a central hub of activity for the region, from the early days of pearl diving to today's large banking industry,' said Al Shirawi.

'In order to cement its position as a leading member of the international community, Bahrain must continue to evolve with the times to usher in a new dawn of advancement and development.'

He said staying in touch was not a luxury any more.

'This company was created with the aim of providing the best available services, not only by local standards but at international levels. This is the approach adopted by our team to bring our telecom industry up to the global standards of today.'-TradeArabia News Service