All of the telecom companies will have to be ready this September, or be in violation of the law.
Minister of Finance Abraham Hirchson and Minister of Communications Ariel Atias today adopted the positions of their ministries and decided not to postpone the introduction of telephone number portability.
The number portability plan states that the telecommunications companies, including the cellular providers, Bezeq (TASE: BZEQ) and HOT, have to be ready for full implementation of the program this September. The Ministry of Finance also proposed a compromise under which the plan will be delayed until December, in exchange for agreement by the telecommunications companies not to oppose it and not to try to delay it further. The telecommunications providers will not be able to comply with the September deadline, which will put them in violation of the law. This could allow the Communications Ministry to confiscate guarantees that the companies posted, and leave the companies open to class-action suits.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 23, 2006
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