TECHNICAL difficulties have prevented Bahrain from fully implementing a crackdown on illegal satellite TV providers, it emerg-ed yesterday.
All 17 of the country's Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were ordered to prevent access to the pirate subscription service known as Dream-box on Thursday.
Access
The directive, from the Telecommunications Regulat-ory Authority (TRA), was based on a request from the Culture and Information Mini-stry.
However, the GDN reported on Friday that many Dream-box users were still able to access the service as rogue operators found ways to get around the crackdown.
TRA communications and consumer affairs director Basil Al Arrayed admitted problems implementing the order had meant many Dreambox users were still connected.
But he vowed the watchdog would not stop until rouge operators, who offer pornography and other paid television channels to subscribers at cut-price rates, were blocked.
"There have been some technical difficulties in implementing our order," said Mr Al Arrayed.
"We have been talking to the ISPs on ways to resolve the issue and are going to work our way around."
Mr Al Arrayed did not specify what other steps were in the pipeline but said these will be put in operation "as and when needed".
The Dreambox system relies on the user linking the receiver to an Internet connection, which it uses to download codes to unscramble satellite signals.
If the system is prevented from accessing websites that provide the necessary codes, the receiver will not be able to unscramble or display the channel.
Some Dreambox providers earlier claimed a quick tweak of the receiver's software would be enough to make the boxes function and while several operators did face difficulties for a few days they were said to be back up and running by Sunday.
Rules
A TRA statement said the crackdown aimed to stop access to pornography channels that breach public morality and the illegal broadcasting of paid TV channels.
It said licensed operators were obliged to comply with Bahrain's rules and regulations along with the Telecommunic-ations Law.
The satellite channels have not been paid for by the people running the illegal servers or the people using the Dreambo-xes so access to the channels are considered illegal.
The TRA statement said Bahrain was determined to enforce copyright laws to protect the work of artists, film and programme makers.
"Illegal access to TV channels which have paid for rights to copyright material such as broadcast films, football matches and other programmes saps the revenue to artists and content providers as well as the companies who are broadcasting the material," it said.
"Users of Dreamboxes are supporting criminal activities and will be disrupted by this action.
"Authorities are fully aware that due to the amount of money involved the criminals will find ways round the blocking of the current access to the illegal codes and regular updates will be required.
"Techniques are being developed which will more securely block the access to the codes required for the Dreambox."
The statement added if more people transferred to legitimate satellite providers then they would be able to afford to reduce prices and increase the range of channels and programmes available.
One Dreambox provider yesterday said he and many others were not worried about access being blocked.
"We have not had a moment of disruption over the last five days and we will continue to provide the service uninterrupted," he claimed.
Meanwhile, a top official at a major Internet provider said it had still not received instructions from the TRA on what else to do.
"We have carried out instructions that we have got last week. We are awaiting fresh instructions and shall comply as and when we get them," he said.
However, the official admitted it was "no easy task" to block access to Dreambox.
"We can keep blocking IP addresses but operators will continue to come up with new methods (to beat the crackdown)," he said.
mandeep@gdn.com.bh
