2Connect Bahrain W.L.L.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Blue Link?
I am anyone and everyone, I embody a connection between the present and the future and the communication for people. I am the friend you can’t do without, I am your colleague you can count on at work and the family that keeps you company at home. I am an integral part of your community which I entertain, support and service.

It’s all about speed?
Yes. But there’s a catch. Obviously ADSL Internet gives you fast downloads speed. But keep in mind that the speed of your ADSL Internet package does not give you an accurate view of your download rates. It’s a lot about contention.

What is contention?
Contention refers to the system of sharing a single data channel by different data stations. This means that you are provided with access to a data channel (internet connection), but it is being shared by multiple data stations (customers). Residential connections are typically on a 10:1 or higher contention whereas business customers are typically lower than 10:1 contention. For example, if you subscribe to a 2Mbps ADSL residential connection there are probably up to a total of about 20 customers sharing that 2Mbps connection. You might have noticed your home ADSL connection usually works faster when everybody is at work and work slow when people get home from work.

Very interesting. Now please explain the concept of ‘threshold’.
Threshold refers to the limit or amount of data you are allowed to download usually within a single billing cycle (month). If you have a 15GB threshold, then you are only allowed to download up to 15GB worth of data that month without incurring any additional fees or other restrictions being placed on your usage. Threshold overage charges differ from provider to provider.

Why limit users?
To be fair to them! Let me explain. Let’s discuss 10 users who are all subscribed to a 2Mbps ADSL package. For simplicity let us also assume the service is contended at 1/10 (meaning 10 users share one data channel). The service provider must reserve 2Mbps of dedicated Internet bandwidth for them. This way, if all users demand to download at the same time, each user gets 220Kbps of bandwidth. If, on the other hand, only half (five users) require connectivity, each will get 400Kbps. If only one user is online, he will get the full 2Mbps of bandwidth. If we assume unlimited download offers, it is highly probable that most users will want connectivity all the time, bringing the average speed per person down even when one or more of the users are only occasional users. While it is fair for those who want to utilise it all the time, it is unfair for those who don't always want to get fractional speed because of the bandwidth limitation. Introducing bandwidth limitations ensures that users who are only occassional users are grouped together and are, more often than not, going to get a much higher download speed closer to the prescribed 2Mbps and for a lower price.

OK, so I understand contention and threshold. What are my Internet connection options as a business?
If you are a medium to large size business, subscribing to a dedicated internet connection guarantees you full access to the entire data channel. So, if you sign up for a 2Mbps dedicated connection, then you get the full 2Mbps utilisation.