The Communications Ministry is today (Sept.10) embarking on a significant regulatory move aimed at improving the pace and quality of cellular network deployment throughout the country – amending the licenses of the cellular companies (MPR – Mobile Phone Radio) and issuing new licenses for the wider establishment and operation of cellular radio infrastructures.
Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi: “As part of a large-scale move to improve the quality of life of all residents of Israel, with an emphasis on areas in the periphery – in the north, the Negev, Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley – we are freeing the business model and enabling entrepreneurs in the market to set up cellular antennas as of today. The amendment we are passing will introduce competition to the cellular market in terms of quality and price. Communication infrastructures are the basis for a normal life routine and personal security. God willing, we will continue to lead Israel’s communications to the forefront of the global technological stage.”
Communications Ministry Director General Elad Mekdasi: “Opening up the cellular infrastructure market to new entrepreneurs is a structural change designed to introduce competition, innovation and engineering flexibility into the mobile market. The move allows private entrepreneurs to integrate into the deployment of 5G in a way that will increase the scope of investments, enable the implementation of business models that are accepted in the world, and promote the quality of the networks in Israel.”
The move’s objective is to quickly bolster the existing cellular networks and add additional entrepreneurs and contractors to the field of communications infrastructure, while enabling the implementation of new business models – all this in order to improve the reception and user experience on the mobile network.
If until now only mobile companies were allowed to operate radio equipment for cellular networks, within the framework of the new regulation, additional entrepreneurs will be able to operate radio equipment for a public network of one or more mobile companies and supply up to 40% of the capacity of every network via the frequencies allocated to the mobile companies, without significant regulatory restrictions being imposed on them. These entrepreneurs will soon be able to offer private network services to large businesses and public institutions.
The announcement of the opening of the cellular infrastructure market to competition was made during the “Leading in Communications” conference held last Thursday (Sept. 4) in Sderot at the initiative of Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi and with the participation of senior executives in the Israeli communications market, executives from Israeli and international technology companies, representatives of local authorities and ambassadors.