Bahrain License Exempt Spectrum: TRA Position Paper

Bahrain: TRA Sets Out Regulatory Framework for License Exempt Spectrum

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain has published a Position Paper setting out its regulatory treatment of license exempt frequency bands. Issued under reference LAD/0726/023 and dated 1 July 2026, the paper draws on the amended Article 43 of the Telecommunications Law, which empowers the TRA to exempt certain frequency bands from the requirement to hold a frequency license, provided their use complies with the conditions the Authority sets.

The Paper is expressly not a binding regulation. Instead, it states the Authority's current position, is intended to give clarity to device manufacturers, importers, service providers and the general public, and may form the basis for future regulatory updates. It applies to any user of radio equipment operating in Bahrain's designated license exempt bands, as listed in the TRA's Technical Specifications (Requirements for Type Approval).

Regulatory context

The proliferation of short range wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and LoRaWAN has made license exempt spectrum central to Internet of Things (IoT) deployments, smart city infrastructure and next generation consumer electronics. The TRA notes that the ITU has identified spectrum bands suited to license exempt use and that national regulators worldwide have built frameworks around them. Bahrain's Position Paper reflects that direction, with stated policy objectives to promote efficient, shared spectrum use, lower barriers to market entry, safeguard licensed frequencies from harmful interference, encourage adoption of international standards, and provide clear technical and compliance requirements.

Under the framework, license exempt devices operate on a non interference, non protection basis. Users must not cause harmful interference to licensed services, are not entitled to protection from interference caused by others, and must cease operation upon notification by the Authority if interference occurs. No individual spectrum license or usage fee applies, provided all technical conditions in the TRA's Technical Specifications are met.

What the Bahrain license exempt spectrum framework covers

The Paper lists representative categories of approved license-exempt use:

• Wi-Fi devices in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz ISM bands;

• Zigbee, Bluetooth and other low power short range devices;

• Wireless terminal equipment operating within licensed networks including mobile handsets, satellite terminals, tablets and customer premises equipment;

• Private Mobile Radio in the 446 MHz band (446.0063–446.20625 MHz), at a maximum power of 5 watts, on a no interference / no protection basis; and

• Receive-only public services such as GPS, satellite TV and radio receivers.

  
  

Power levels and emission limits must not exceed those in the latest version of the Authority's Technical Specifications. Devices operating outside those limits may face enforcement.

What this means for manufacturers

The most commercially significant point for manufacturers, importers and test labs is one the headline framing can obscure: license exempt does not mean approval exempt. All radio equipment intended for use in Bahrain's license exempt bands must be type approved by the TRA unless specifically exempted under applicable regulations. The exemption removes the spectrum license and usage fee for the end user it does not remove the device certification obligation for the party placing the product on the market.

Key practical takeaways:

• Type approval remains mandatory for products intended for the Bahraini market, keyed to the current Technical Specifications (Requirements for Type Approval) and the Type Approval Regulation.

• Permitted bands and limits are defined by reference, not fixed in the Paper. Compliance is measured against the latest version of the Technical Specifications, so manufacturers should track that document rather than the Position Paper alone.

• A narrow carve out exists for personal imports. Individuals importing devices for private use are exempt from formal type approval but this does not extend to commercial import, distribution or sale.

• Offering public wireless services on these bands still requires the appropriate service license from the TRA, separate from device type approval.

• Enforcement is real. The TRA can issue warnings, confiscate equipment and impose fines for devices that exceed limits or cause harmful interference.

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Because the Paper is non binding guidance, it signals regulatory intent rather than creating new obligations on its own but it consolidates the TRA's position and flags the likely shape of future rulemaking. Manufacturers already selling into Bahrain should read it as confirmation that the existing type approval regime governs license exempt devices, not as a relaxation of it.

Certification impact summary

Area	Impact under the Position Paper
Instrument type	Non-binding Position Paper (Ref LAD/0726/023); may inform future binding rulemaking
Legal basis	Amended Article 43, Telecommunications Law
Device type approval	Mandatory (TRA) for license exempt band equipment, unless specifically exempted
Governing technical document	TRA Technical Specifications (Requirements for Type Approval), latest version; Type Approval Regulation
Spectrum license / usage fee	Not required for end users operating within designated license-exempt bands
Operating basis	Non-interference, non protection; must cease on TRA notice
Personal imports	Exempt from formal type approval (private use only)
Public service provision	Separate TRA service license required
Enforcement	Warnings, equipment confiscation, fines
Representative bands	Wi-Fi 2.4/5/6 GHz ISM; Bluetooth/Zigbee SRDs; PMR446 (446.0063–446.20625 MHz, ≤5 W); receive only (GPS, satellite TV, radio)

Timeline and required actions

Date / trigger	Event	Required action
1 July 2026	Position Paper dated (Ref LAD/0726/023)	Note as the TRA's operative position on license-exempt spectrum
~21 July 2026	Paper published on the TRA website	Confirm current version before citing
Ongoing	Type approval governed by latest Technical Specifications	Verify each product against the current specification version, not the Paper
Before market entry	Placing devices on the Bahraini market	Obtain TRA type approval unless a specific exemption applies
If offering services	Public wireless service provision	Secure the appropriate TRA service license
Continuous	Non-interference obligation	Maintain compliance; be prepared to cease operation on TRA notice
Future	Possible rulemaking building on the Paper	Monitor the TRA Position Papers & Guidelines page for binding updates