Communications Ministry to fine cell companies for poor reception

The Communications Ministry announced today (Sunday) in a letter from the director general of the ministry, of its intention to impose sanctions on the cellular companies Pelephone, Partner, Cellcom, Hot Mobile and Wicom for a total amount of NIS 8.7 million due to the violation of their license provisions requiring 95% 4G cellular coverage Settlement area or road route.

This is the first enforcement procedure of its kind. The ministry's intention to impose financial sanctions on the companies is based on reports that the cellular companies themselves submitted to the Communications Ministry last year, from which it emerged that they do not meet the license obligations in various areas.

Among the localities where the violations were discovered in the different companies are Yatbata, Zufar, Majdal-Shams, Darijat, Dorot, Ahitov, Hatzers, Kaukb Abu al-Hijah and Shushant al-Aamkim.

Also, violations were found with some of the companies on roads 10, 227, 171, and 999.

The Minister of Communications Dr. Shlomo Karai defined the year 2024 as the year of cellular coverage, in which the activity around the issue will be intensified by deploying infrastructure and opening the cellular market to competition. The Communications Ministry continues to act in a variety of ways and supervise cellular companies in order to increase cellular reception all over the country.

"The Communications Ministry has never (!) imposed sanctions on the cellular companies due to non-compliance with the license conditions," said the Minister of Communications Karai, "I received the Communications Ministry from my predecessor when the State of Israel was ranked 73rd in the world alongside third world countries. No more. I am committed to improving the cellular infrastructure in a way Significant in the coming years, starting in 2024 - a year I defined as "the year of the cell phone".

Along with the increased supervision, we will continue to prepare and further promote the energy concentration for emergency situations, and speed up the conclusions of the inter-ministerial team that I established for advanced cellular communication infrastructures throughout the country, including the removal of barriers and assistance as much as possible to the communication companies in the deployment of the infrastructures."

The Director General of the Communications Ministry, Attorney Einbal Meshash stated: "Breaching the coverage obligation is a serious violation and is a direct violation of services to the public.

The Ministry will continue to monitor the compliance of companies with the provisions applicable to them regarding coverage and reception throughout the country, and as the need arises, concerns about further violations will be examined and procedures will be taken enforcement".