The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said that all the licenses granted by the authority to companies providing public mobile communication networks services and operating using the technology of the second generation of communications networks, have been renewed and given the advantage of neutral use of the technology.

The authority indicated in a statement today, Sunday, that the licenses currently granted by the authority to companies operating using third generation network technology will end the use of the technology on most of them, within a period of time not exceeding the next 6 years.

The authority called on all users of mobile telecommunication services and importers of telecommunication devices in the Kingdom not to purchase any telecommunication devices or systems that support work only on the aforementioned two generations, as the period of use will be limited due to their inability to support work using modern communication network technology such as the fourth generation and beyond. This will make it difficult to obtain service through these devices in the future. It clarified that it does not have any legal justification that would allow it to impose the use of a certain type of technology, as the companies that renew the licenses granted to them now have the advantage of technology neutrality that enables them to invest in operating the latest radio communication technology services within the Kingdom and a better investment in frequencies.

She added that many telecommunications companies in the countries of the world began several years ago to stop working with the technology of the second and third generation networks for mobile communications, and to replace it with the technology of other modern communications networks due to its antiquity and inefficiency in using the frequency spectrum resources and its failure to meet the requirements of operating some modern communications and information technology applications.

(Petra)