Telecom towers installed legally in residential areas

Manama : The issue of telecommunication towers installed in residential areas violating official procedure has surfaced once again, three years after it had drew widespread public outcry.

This came as Transportation and Telecommunication Minister Kamal Ahmed stated that “all telecommunication companies in Bahrain continued installing towers despite that the Municipalities Affairs stopped issuing permits in this regard.”

The Minister explained that the permits were stopped as the specifications of the towers did not match the approved standards and that several lawsuits were filed against the violating telecom companies.

Minister Ahmed’s statements came in reply to queries of Parliament’s Second Deputy Speaker Abdulhalim Murad.

Murad had asked the Minister about the specifications and conditions of installing telecommunication towers on residential buildings and other areas.

In his reply, the Minister admitted that many of the installed towers are violating the official procedures, as they are not permitted by the Municipalities Affairs, adding that the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) has opened the doors to the violating companies to rectify their situations.

The MP’s questions came after the issue of the increasing telecommunication towers installed on residential buildings was causing concerns among citizens and residents.

More details by the Minister would be revealed during the coming Parliament weekly session on Tuesday.