1. MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM: Ben Stock
DATE:
RE: West Bank 3G Accessibility
Accessibility to 3G-phone services in the West Bank faces an uphill political battle
against the Israeli government. While mobile phone coverage is not among the most
pressing of concerns for Israel, access to 3G networks may have positive economic,
social and political consequences for Palestinians and Israelis alike.
Currently, access to 3G telephone networks owned by Palestinian companies does
not exist in the West Bank; instead, there are only 2G services whose technology is
more antiquated. Research shows that Israel has continuously denied 3G
frequencies to the Palestinian Authority (PA), an action that is illegal under the 1995
Oslo Accords.1 Thus, if Palestinian citizens in the West Bank wish to utilize the full
potential of their smartphones, they must turn to Israeli phone companies to do so.
Simultaneously, the use of smartphones and the technological sector in Palestine is
surging, meaning that as Palestinians increasingly rely upon the Internet in their
lives, the more urgent the need for 3G services becomes.
However, various technological solutions exist to counteract this lack of 3G services.
Mobile applications such as WhatsApp and Viber allow for free calls and texts over
WiFi, which through Palestinian startups such as Coolnet is becoming increasingly
common in streets and homes throughout the West Bank.
One solution to this lack of 3G-access is an expansion of WiFi in the West Bank.
According to the World Bank, Internet and data services were previously very
expensive due to a monopoly on telecommunication services by the Palestinian
company PalTel.2 However, investment organizations such as the International
Finance Corporation have provided money to telecommunication startups so that
there is more competition in the private sector. Increased competition in the rapidly
expanding Palestinian market for mobile devices may directly lead to economic
growth in the local economy, which could mean an increased standard of living for
citizens of the West Bank.
However, there has yet to be any Israeli policy that grants Palestinian companies 3G
frequencies. The Palestinian Authority, as well as companies operating in the West
1 Charlotte Alfred, “Palestinians Hope US Will Break 3G Impasse”, Al-Monitor, April
4, 2013.
2 World Bank, “Introducing Competition in the Palestinian Telecommunications
Sector “, January 2008.

2. Bank, have estimated that this costs the Palestinian economy around $100 to $150
million every year.
Recommendation:
In the West Bank, 3G services as well as a general increase in modern technology
could bring more than just economic prosperity. By utilizing devices such as
smartphones to their fullest potential, Palestinians would be able to connect with
each other and the outside world, exposing themselves to different ideas and values
than those that are familiar to them at home. This may lead to social and political
change that could impact Israel in a positive way. However, increased access to 3G
bandwidths could also undermine Israel’s security concerns, as communication
among threats to Israel would become easier in Palestine.
While technology’s potential could be realized in a beneficial or lethal way,
depending on the user, what is for certain is that Israel and the Palestinian Authority
must collaborate effectively on this issue so that both parties can benefit in the long
term.
J Street recognizes the right of Israel and the Palestinian people to take appropriate
actions in interest of its own security. Although Israel’s withholding of 3G
frequencies is in the name of its security, it may also prove to be an obstacle to a
peaceful resolution of the conflict. As the Palestinian economy loses money from
not having access to 3G frequencies, the standard of life among people in the
occupied territories will worsen, resulting in an increase in power of Hamas.
Furthermore, J Street’s consistent recognition of a necessary equality of rights
between an Israeli and a Palestinian state dictates that Palestinians be given ample
economic opportunity independent from Israel, as the 1996 Oslo Accords dictate.
I recommend that J Street support Israel issuing 3G frequencies to Palestinian
companies.