Palestinians to get 3G in West Bank, after Israel lifts ban

West Bank – Palestinians in the West Bank are finally getting high-speed mobile data services, after a yearslong Israeli ban that cost their fragile economy hundreds of millions of dollars, impeded tech start-ups and denied them simple conveniences enjoyed by the rest of the world.

Palestinian officials say cell phone providers Wataniya and Jawwal are expected to launch 3G broadband services in the West Bank by the end of this month, after Israel assigned frequencies and allowed the import of equipment.

Wataniya CEO Durgham Maraee says that the anticipated launch “has taken a very, very long time.”

The belated move to 3G comes a decade after Palestinian operators first sought Israeli permits and at a time when faster 4G is increasingly available in the Middle East.