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Palestinians Gain 4G Access After Years of Waiting
6 Jan
Summary
- Israel approved 4G mobile services for Palestinians in the West Bank.
- Palestinian operators Jawwal and Ooredoo signed management agreements.
- The upgrade process is expected to take up to six months to complete.
Palestinians in the West Bank will soon benefit from upgraded fourth-generation (4G) mobile services, following an approval from the Israeli Communications Ministry. This development came after the signing of management agreements between Palestinian mobile operators Jawwal and Ooredoo, and Swedish infrastructure firm Ericsson, which received Israeli approval on Sunday.
The approval is part of a broader 2022 framework deal designed to introduce 4G and 5G cellular technologies to Palestinian networks. While the initial launch of 3G services occurred in 2018, this latest advancement aims to further bridge the technological divide with Israel, although Israeli media suggests the upgrade could take up to six months.
This upgrade contrasts with the limited 2G networks available in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel itself is phasing out older 2G and 3G technologies, encouraging users to adopt 4G and 5G compatible devices. Palestinian providers will now compete more directly with Israeli firms, which already utilize faster 5G frequencies.
