Second Palestinian Operator Grated Radio Spectrum

Kuwait's Wataniya has been formally granted the necessary radio spectrum to start operating the second GSM network in the Palestinian Territories. The Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MTIT) awarded a GSM/3G license to Wataniya last year, after it agreed to pay JD251 million ($354 million).

The Palestinian telecommunications and economy minister, Kamal Hassouneh said that the spectrum allocation is actually controlled by Israel and that he had been pushing the Israeli government to award the radio frequencies.

"We have been demanding that Israel grant the frequencies needed for Wataniya for a long time. Israel gave its verbal consent," Hassouneh said, adding that Israel must grant frequencies under the Oslo peace accords.

Hassouneh said Wataniya was ready to start operating immediately after getting the frequencies.

Wataniya International has established a new company in Palestine which is 40% owned by Wataniya International, 30% will be offered to the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) and 30% owned by the general population through an IPO.

The incumbent operator is Jawwal. The Mobile World subscriber database notes that Jawwal is estimated to have some 920,000 subscribers. Within the Palestinian Territories though, some 1.7 million mobile phones are in use. This is due to the Israeli networks "leaking" over the borders and providing service to Palestinians.

Posted to the site on 25th October 2007