The major Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank are easily recognisable by their grey army pillboxes. But the Israeli barrier to the development of a telecommunications industry in the Palestinian Authority's territory is less visible.
Last week, at the partially inhabited headquarters of the Wataniya Palestine Mobile Telecommunication Company, public relations manager Maxim Sansour's voice echoed through the empty office of a planned call centre.
'This place is supposed to be buzzing with employees,' Mr Sansour said. 'We've formed a team of 75 employees and we've also been scanning Palestinian cities to locate where we will put our towers. The one obstacle stopping us is that we need the frequencies in order to start.' The frequencies are in Israel's hands.
Despite repeated visits by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who made her latest Arab-Israeli foray last week, progress in peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas remains slow. Meanwhile, the 41-year-old Israeli occupation continues to dictate most aspects of Palestinians' lives, including their phone bills.
There was widespread anticipation in the West Bank of the launch of Wataniya. But according to self-rule agreements reached during the 1990s, control of frequencies was left to Israel and their disbursement was made subject to negotiation. For more than a year, Wataniya has been on hold as Israel delays the transfer of frequencies, citing reasons that many Palestinians find unconvincing.
'There are intensive deliberations dealing with the width of the frequencies, the date they will be relinquished and the time frame,' said Yechiel Shavi, a spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Communications. 'Each side is holding to its position. The ministry intends to finish the negotiations at the earliest possible time.'