It will be easier for Ukrainian operators to obtain land for mobile communication base stations

In Ukraine, the revised bill No. 9549 was supported, which will simplify the lease of land plots for the construction of mobile communication base stations. The document was re-voted in parliament and received the support of 271 deputies.

According to the Ministry of Digital Affairs, this will allow to accelerate the expansion of 4G coverage along international and national routes, as well as in rural areas. One of the goals of the ministry is to provide 98% of the country’s population with high-quality mobile communications by 2030. The agency notes that bureaucratic procedures are currently slowing down the process of allocating land plots, but the new bill should change the situation.

Initially, the document concerned the simplification of the transfer of land to communication operators, but by the second reading, norms unrelated to the development of telecommunications networks were added to it. In particular, it concerns the transfer of land under water bodies and hydraulic structures into private ownership, as well as a special regime for the alienation of plots and real estate in the Uzhhorod district of the Transcarpathian region. Because of this, the president vetoed and returned the law to parliament. The updated version retains the provision on the forced alienation of land in this area under martial law, and the final decision on such issues will be made by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The adopted changes will allow operators to reduce the terms of land allocation from six to three months, use easements to place base stations, and install temporary technical communication structures without the risk of their dismantling. The Ministry of Digital Affairs believes that this will help ensure communication in remote areas, accelerate the restoration of networks in deoccupied territories, and improve coverage along highways.

Earlier, Ukraine approved the introduction of small cells technology, which will allow the deployment of private 4G and 5G networks. These compact, low-power antennas can be placed close together, providing a stable signal in any terrain.