At last a systemic solution, as total cellular coverage is being promised for all areas of Yehuda and Shomron from the beginning of 2019.

It was agreed at the meeting that the chairman of the Knesset subcommittee on Yehuda and Shomron, MK (Bayit Yehudi) Moti Yogev, met with senior officials in the Ministry of Communications, and in coordination with the Ministries of Finance and Defense.

Five years of pressure in the sub-committee have borne fruit, and by the beginning of next Gregorian year the problem of cellular reception in Yehuda and Shomron is expected to be completely resolved. This was the result of a tripartite meeting between Minister of Communications Ayoub Kara, Director-General of the Ministry Nati Cohen and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Yehuda and Shomron in the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, MK Moti Yogev.

In the first stage, PHI (a joint company of Partner and Hot Mobile) will operate 35 communications sites throughout Yehuda & Shomron to benefit the defense establishment by the end of this year. It is estimated that at the beginning of 2019 the company will also raise its civil network on these sites. At the last stage of the program, all cellular companies will be able to participate, thereby providing mobile coverage throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

MK Yogev said at the end of the meeting: “Finally, a systemic solution for cellular coverage in Yehuda and Shomron. After five years of pressure by the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee on the lapses in cellular coverage in many areas of Yehuda and Shomron, the joint approach was found between the Ministries of Defense, the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Finance to implement a work plan to cover cellular phones in those areas.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)