The UAE's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) has ordered the country's second mobile operator, du, not to use the rooftops of residential premises to put up antennae towers.
Mohammed Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), said: "We have officially ordered du not to put up antennae towers over homes and residential buildings.
"However, we have allowed them to build their towers over commercial buildings, which are away from residential areas.
Al Ghanim also said etisalat will have the right to use prefix '056' after it has finished the exploitation of 80 per cent of the numbers that are in its possession.
He added that a mobile phone operator does not have the right to offer subscriber numbers except after getting an approval from the TRA.
Etisalat has not yet been given the approval to use the prefix '056'.
On the antennae issue, he clarified that TRA will organise field campaigns in the areas that were brought to its atten tion by several publications, to examine whether antennae towers have been constructed over the rooftops of residential houses in these areas.
The rent to a house owner for putting up a tower on the roof ranges from Dh10,000 to Dh20,000 annually.
"Etisalat currently has 5,000 towers, while du has just 600. Besides, there have been just 11 joint cell sites since the negotiations between the two operators began in May 2006.
"Negotiations are ongoing currently for another 61 joint sites by the end of September 11, with an average of 10 sites monthly." Al Ghanim said.
By Ahmed Hashim
© Emirates Today 2007
