Kuwait tells subscribers in 5 areas to switch to fiber-optic

If you live in one of five named areas, your home phone line could stop working in 30 days.

The Ministry of Communications has called on subscribers in Salwa, Rumaithiya, Bneid Al Gar, Hadiya Square, and blocks 10 and 11 in Salmiya to move their phone and internet services from the old copper network to the newer fiber-optic network. The ministry says copper network services in these areas will be discontinued 30 days after the announcement.

That’s a tight window. If you haven’t switched yet, this is worth reading before your line goes quiet.

Why is this happening?

Kuwait, like many countries, has been moving away from old copper telephone cables towards fiber-optic cables for years. Fiber-optic lines carry data using light instead of electrical signals through copper wire. They support faster, more reliable internet and phone connections, and they need less maintenance over time.

The ministry hasn’t given a detailed technical explanation in this announcement. But the message is simple: copper lines in these specific areas are being phased out, and residents need to move to fiber before the copper service is switched off.

Who exactly does this affect?

This notice applies only to subscribers whose phone or internet line is registered in one of the five listed areas: Salwa, Rumaithiya, Bneid Al Gar, Hadiya Square, and blocks 10 and 11 in Salmiya. If you live outside these areas, this particular deadline doesn’t apply to you yet, though similar notices for other areas could follow later.

Both citizens and expats in these neighbourhoods are affected equally. If your household, shop or office runs its phone line or internet through the copper network in one of these blocks, you need to check your service before the 30 days are up.

Renters should also check with their landlord or building management, since some buildings handle the phone line account on behalf of several units.

What you need to do before the deadline

1. Check whether your address falls within Salwa, Rumaithiya, Bneid Al Gar, Hadiya Square, or blocks 10 and 11 in Salmiya.
2. If it does, visit the Salmiya telephone exchange to apply for the switch to the fiber network.
3. Bring your civil ID and any existing account documents for your phone or internet line, in case the staff ask for them. (This detail isn’t specified in the ministry’s notice, so it’s worth asking at the exchange what paperwork you need.)
4. Ask the staff about the expected timeline for your home or office to be connected to fiber, since the 30-day countdown applies to when copper is cut off, not necessarily to how quickly fiber gets installed.
5. If you use the copper line for home security systems, elevators or other equipment, mention this at the exchange so staff can advise on compatibility with fiber.

The ministry’s announcement doesn’t give an exact calendar date for the cut-off. It says 30 days after the announcement, so the real deadline depends on when the notice was issued in each area. If you’re unsure, it’s safer to visit the Salmiya exchange as soon as possible rather than wait and risk losing service.

What this means for people living in these areas

For most households, switching to fiber is simply an upgrade, and many subscribers across Kuwait have already moved over in past years. But for anyone who hasn’t switched yet, losing a copper line suddenly can mean a gap with no landline or internet at home until the fiber connection is active.

This matters for small businesses too. If you run a shop, clinic or office in one of these areas and still rely on a copper-based phone or internet connection for payments, bookings or deliveries, a sudden cut-off could disrupt daily work. Getting the switch done early avoids that kind of gap.

You can find more local news updates in Kuwait as more details come out about which other areas may get similar notices later.

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