This blog offers background and follow-up information concerning an article I wrote for Ha'aretz in July of 2009 titled “Palestinians still waiting for better cell phone service, but is it Israel's fault?" Here's the link.

My article investigated the politics behind the delayed launch of a new Palestinian mobile phone operator called Wataniya Palestine, a subsidiary of a multi-national telecommunications company. Wataniya had constructed hundreds of towers and invested millions, but was unlawfully denied airwave frequency spectrum to launch its operation. The company was unwittingly embroiled in a dispute between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government, which controls the airwaves in the Palestinian Territories.

Last November, Wataniya received 3.8 MHz of frequency spectrum and finally launched its operation. I've therefore discontinued posting on the blog. Please contact me by email with any questions or comments: ashleybates@comcast.net.