Communications and Information Technology Commission Issues Telecom Facilities Leasing License to the GCC Interconnection Authority

The Communications and Information Technology Commission announced the issuance of a Communications Site Provider (CSP) facilities leasing license to the GCC Interconnection Authority, which links the GCC states through an electrical grid that includes fiber-optic lines running along the interconnection network. This license enables it to lease fiber-optic capacity to facilities-based telecom companies licensed in the Kingdom.

The Commission stated that, in issuing this license, it aims to achieve optimal utilization of available resources, save the high costs of building telecom facilities required to roll out and provide telecommunications services across the Kingdom's various regions, and contribute to strengthening and supporting facilities-based licensed telecom companies in providing broadband services and meeting the growing demand for such services, in addition to improving the quality of service provided to users.

It is worth noting that the telecom facilities leasing license enables entities owning telecom facilities (fiber-optic cables and towers) in the Kingdom to lease the surplus capacity of those facilities to facilities-based telecom companies licensed by the Communications and Information Technology Commission.