Bahrain Watch said that Diraz Internet shutdown has cost residents more than 100,000 Bahraini Dinars (about 265,000 USD).
Bahraini authorities have been deliberately shutting off internet service in the village of Diraz from 7:00 pm-1:00 am on a daily basis since June 20, over the open sit-in outside Sheikh Isa Qassim's house.
The organization says that dropping packets on fixed-line connections reached 90%, stressing that it continued to track the internet disruption, which continues as of 5 November 2016.
Bahrain Watch added in a report on Thursday (November 10, 2016) "Despite the deliberate disruption, telecom companies have been requiring residents to pay their monthly subscription cost in full. The companies impose a fine if payments are delayed. Residents typically cannot cancel their service without penalty because they entered into fixed-term contracts with telecom providers."
"Several residents who have complained to their telecom companies about this have been told to instead complain to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). A coalition of NGOs including Bahrain Watch sent a letter to the TRA in August about the shutdown, but has not yet received a response," it further stated.
Diraz's population has been estimated about twenty thousand. Bahrain's mobile data penetration has been estimated at 115%, and its fixed-line penetration rate estimated at 13% of the population.
The organization explained that the internet in Diraz has been unusable for six hours per day for 135 days (since 23 June 2016), or about 810 hours, which adds up to a little more than a month. Diraz's population has been estimated about twenty thousand. Bahrain's mobile data penetration has been estimated at 115%, and its fixed-line penetration rate estimated at 13% of the population. We assume that each mobile subscription costs at least 4 BD per month, and each fixed-line subscription costs at least 5 BD per month, in line with the most basic plan offered by each company. This calculation leads us to a figure of 105,000 BD, assuming one month of disruption.
This is, of course, a conservative estimate of economic damages, as it does not take into account further losses stemming from the shutdown, such as students unable to complete assignments, and businesses unable to process credit card payment, the Bahrain Watch went on to say, reiterating to demand the restoration of internet services in Diraz, and compensation for affected customers.
