The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on improving the quality of communication on roads and in villages

There are still areas in Ukraine where mobile communications are unstable or completely absent — this is especially noticeable along highways and in remote villages. Because of this, residents are unable to contact emergency services or maintain contact with loved ones. To change this situation, the Verkhovna Rada passed Law No. 9549, informs Ministry of Digital Press Office.

The document aims to accelerate the deployment of 4G coverage along national and international highways, as well as in rural areas. It provides for simplification for mobile operators in the process of obtaining land plots for rent, necessary for the installation of base stations. The Ministry of Digital Transformation plans to provide quality mobile communication to 98% of the country’s population by 2030, and the implementation of this law is an important step towards achieving this goal.

The new rules will allow operators to obtain plots of land more quickly, reducing the average period of land allocation from six to three months. They will also be able to use a land easement — a limited right to use other people’s land for the construction of communication towers — and place temporary technical equipment without the risk of their forced dismantling. Previously, this process was hampered due to the lack of regulated procedures.

The implementation of the law will provide residents of rural areas with access to the mobile Internet, which will open up opportunities for them to use state online services. Expanding coverage along highways will improve road safety and promote domestic tourism. It will also help to restore communication in the liberated territories more quickly, as operators will receive land more quickly and will be able to install the necessary structures.

In order to prevent corruption abuses, the law limits the simplified procedure only to operators who are included in the register of suppliers of electronic communication networks or services. The creation and supervision of this register is monitored by NKEK, the regulator in the field of electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum and postal services. The law is currently awaiting signature by the President of Ukraine.