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Palestinians to get 3G mobile services in West Bank: official
Thomson Reuters
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian cellular providers Jawwal and Wataniya Mobile will launch 3G mobile networks for customers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank by the end of January, an official said on Monday.
Suleiman al-Zuhairi, Deputy Minister of Telecommunication in the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, told Reuters the two companies will be launching the service simultaneously having recently received a green light from Israel.
In 2015, Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement to allow 3G networks to operate in the West Bank, but the implementation was delayed by Israel, al-Zuhairi said.
Officials from the Israeli defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Under interim peace deals Israel has final say in allocating radio frequencies in the West Bank and Gaza. 3G is mobile phone technology that allows users to make calls, texts and access the internet. 2G allows calls and limited data transmission.
The 3G service will not be extended into the Gaza Strip at this stage, said Suleiman al-Zuhairi.
Wataniya Mobile and Jawwal presently offer only 2G services in Gaza. Entry of third-generation mobile network equipment is dependent on Israel, which regards Hamas, the dominant armed power in the enclave, as a terrorist group.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Ari Rabinovitch, editing by David Evans)
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