Bahrain’s telecom operators could be forced to share telephone masts as part of new government regulations, Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed told a press conference after the weekly Cabinet session yesterday (February 23).

He also accused telecom companies of putting up masts illegally, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

"There are still problems with illegal masts that are being set up without required approvals and in wrong locations," said Ahmed.

"The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) is working with the Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry and Civil Aviation to resolve all pending issues related to violations, but there has to be commitment from operators to abide by regulations.

"The government thinks organisational, environmental and technical - and it is illogical to set up masts without those factors being taken into consideration.

"We are planning to force operators to share masts as we enforce regulatory regulations in a bid to tackle location shortages and accessibility." - TradeArabia News Service