The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Bahrain said it will encourage shared usage of telecommunication towers by the kingdom’s network operators under a new regulatory framework.

 

This will limit the replication of towers without operational need and it is anticipated that this will reduce the number of towers in the kingdom, TRA said in a statement.

 

The TRA said it has commenced approvals of applications submitted by telecommunications network operators for the deployment of new public radiocommunications stations (telecommunication towers) in various areas in Bahrain. 

 

The approval took place in coordination with the government entities represented by municipalities, Supreme Council of Environment, Civil Aviation Affairs and other relevant bodies. 

 

TRA, in cooperation with a specialised international consultancy office, has recently developed a new framework to regulate the deployment of new telecommunications towers and rectify the existing ones in accordance with international best practices in order to ensure the optimal implementation of the provisions of the Prime Ministerial Decision No. 45 of 2015.

 

TRA aims, through the new regulatory framework, at enabling the operators concerned to effectively deploy new telecommunications towers and develop existing ones according to new permit procedures and engineering specifications agreed upon with the relevant government entities, it said. 

 

TRA is currently working on developing an automated system through which all applications for deploying telecommunications towers can be submitted and approved. TRA also aims at ensuring that telecommunications towers blend with and compliment the environment around them, the authority said. 

 

The new regulatory framework will also ensure that all existing towers are gradually rectified within an appropriate period of time to comply with applicable laws and regulations. 

 

Engineer Mohammed Alnoaimi, TRA director of technical and operations, said: “The new tower regulatory initiative is a real example of TRA’s effort and commitment to further enable the telecoms industry for deploying state of the art infrastructure and networks capable of delivering next-generation services. At the same time, it considers the visual impact of towers, addressing an environmental public concern.”

 

Alnoaimi further stated: “We will seek the views of the general public about any new tower which will be built in their neighbourhoods. TRA will take all valid views and concerns into consideration moving forward in this regard. Through this framework, we also aim to have a time efficient process and ensure fast-tracked delivery of telecoms services to the public.” - TradeArabia News Service