Israel Approves Long-Delayed 4G Upgrade for Palestinians in West Bank

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Israel has officially approved the upgrade to fourth-generation (4G) mobile services for Palestinian cellular networks in the West Bank, according to an announcement by the Israeli Communications Ministry. The move follows the signing of management agreements between Palestinian operators Jawwal and Ooredoo and the Swedish infrastructure firm Ericsson, which received final Israeli clearance this past Sunday. This development stems from a 2022 framework agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that originally aimed to introduce both 4G and 5G technologies, though the rollout was significantly delayed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The upgrade is a major milestone for the Palestinian telecommunications sector, which has struggled with a significant technological gap compared to Israeli providers. While Israel is currently transitioning toward 5G and phasing out older 2G and 3G networks, Palestinian providers in the West Bank only gained access to 3G in 2018. Industry experts anticipate the transition to 4G will take approximately six months to implement. However, the advancement remains regional; while West Bank residents prepare for high-speed data, mobile users in Gaza remain restricted to 2G networks.

Picture courtesy AFP