CITC plans to enhance regulations for mobile cell towers ownership

The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) plans to enhance the regulatory environment for cell-on-wheels (COW) or what is known as mobile cellular sites and towers.

The plan includes increasing the participation rate of service providers through mergers to consolidate the ownership of the towers, or acquisitions by interested investors.

The step aims to cut operating expenses (OPEX) and capital expenditure (CAPEX), maximize efficiency, as well as cutting maintenance costs.

It also targets scaling up the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, ensuring fair competition among mobile operators, and enhancing the deployment of 5G networks, in order to improve the quality of services and introduce new IoT-related services.

It is worth noting that this tactic is adopted in many developed countries, where investors acquire, manage and operate the mobile towers and lease them to mobile operators.