Three quarters of Bahrain's 1,777 telecom masts are not licensed, said Minister of State for Telecommunications Affairs Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

"We have 1,777 masts and 75 per cent of them have been erected without any licence," Shaikh Fawaz was quoted as saying in the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

"The issue is of huge significance to us and we are giving it our utmost attention, especially knowing that masts are set to increase by 20 per cent to 30 per cent to accommodate the 700,000 mobile lines we have in Bahrain.

"A national committee has been set up to follow up the masts issue and we are awaiting the names to be announced through a Royal Decree."

Parliament public utilities and environment affairs committee chairman MP Hassan Al Dossary described the erection of masts in Bahrain as "hectic".

"The government contradicts itself as it says in written replies that masts are being set up based on approval from concerned ministries and government bodies, but we see most being erected in a hectic manner without any licensing," he said.

Committee vice-chairman MP Adnan Al Malki claimed telecom masts were a main source of illness and sickness among children, when they are erected near schools and kindergartens - despite studies claiming there was no evidence to support this.

"However, studies never clearly stated that masts were harmless," he said. "We may accept that licensed masts have passed inspections from the concerned ministries and government bodies, but what about those set up illegally near kindergartens and schools?" – TradeArabia News Service