A TELEX service offered by Batelco is being phased out after more than 30 years, it was announced yesterday.

The company said it had faced problems including a lack of support from Telex system providers and "extreme difficulty" in getting spare parts.

However, it finally decided to phase out the service by the end of the year after the existing switching system for the service became totally obsolete.

"We have explored many options including purchasing a new system to provide the service," said Batelco group general manager for media and government relations Ahmed Al Janahi.

"Unfortunately, the cost of a new system combined with the small number of customers has made this option not commercially viable.

"As in all communications technologies, older products and services are continually being replaced with innovative and advanced newer ones to meet the demand for the latest means of communication."

Those willing to use Telex should contact service providers outside Bahrain.

Batelco has advised financial institutions using Telex for SWIFT transactions to use the SWIFTNet Mail service provided by SWIFT.

For more details, contact the Batelco business centre on 17881144 from 7am to 3pm, from Sunday to Thursday.