Advanced Television

Abu Dhabi limits satellite dishes

July 9, 2012

By Chris Forrester

It isn’t yet an official decree, but Abu Dhabi’s city council is calling on landlords and occupiers to limit, and tidy up, satellite dishes on the capital city’s rooftops, balconies and terraces.

In a statement, Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM) said that satellite dishes and their related cable connexions have been ‘mushrooming in a haphazard manner’ on both private and commercial building exteriors, creating a dishevelled look and threatening the community’s health and safety.

“The disorderly installation of satellite dishes and cables triggers the accumulation of dirt and turns them into hotbeds for the breeding of insects and rodents, besides damaging the waterproofing of the roofs … which impacts building structures and hinders rescue operations in emergency cases,” the statement added.

As a preventive measure, ADM is instructing property owners to install no more than four satellite dishes on a single flat rooftop and none at all on the balconies of residential apartments and villas. Satellite dishes must also be “positioned at a distance from the edges of walls in a way that will not disfigure the general appearance,” stipulated the council’s ruling.

Abu Dhabi’s residents are being urged to comply, and to report any violations, stated local reports.

Categories: Articles, DTH/Satellite