About the universal service

Comprehensive service definition:

• The Telecommunications and Post Regulatory Authority believes that the provision of telecommunication and post services are a right for every citizen in all parts of the country, in pursuit of national cohesion and to achieve social, cultural and economic growth.
• The Authority adopts the implementation of mechanisms aiming to improve the sector through competition and increase investment opportunities in the telecommunications sector in the less fortunate regions of telecommunications services. The Comprehensive Service Fund represents an essential support for the deployment of the service. Through the comprehensive service project, it aims to provide a basic public service suitable for all members of society, especially in remote areas that are not economically viable, to enter other public telecommunication networks, whether local, direct or international. Including fax services and data transfer with affordable rates to enable people to use the internet, within a context of technological neutrality, and a competitive environment, aiming at:
• Expand telecommunications services and networks in remote, economically unviable areas and provide them with voice and data services.
• To achieve maximum equality and social justice.
• Contributing to economic and social development and national culture.
• The authority conducts the annual surveys of the comprehensive service project. The survey for the first phase targeted 55 areas not covered by telecommunications networks, in order to collect the correct data and then classify it in terms of economic feasibility (17 feasible areas and 38 non-viable areas) • Where economically unfeasible areas are covered by the Comprehensive Service Project, and economically viable areas for operators are covered by operators included in their annual coverage plans and regions are classified according to the following criteria:

1. Population (age group over 16).
2. how far away is the area of the network.
3. Economic status of the region.
4. Access to the area.
5. Availability of basic services and utilities (schools, hospitals, police station, electricity, etc).