IEC CEO: Let us bring fiber optics to everyone

"We can bring fiber optic cables to every home in Israel - if only they let us," Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) (TASE: ELEC.B22) CEO Amos Lasker told Minister of Communications Moshe Kahlon today. Lasker was updating Kahlon on the economic benefits of combining their infrastructure with IEC's in order to encourage competition in the telecom market and assist operators. On the topic of fiber optic cables to the home (FTTH), IEC offers an additional infrastructure for increasing competition and promoting the capabilities of the communications sector.

The main idea is fiber optic cables to the homes of subscribers. Transforming stations would be connected to the fiber cables, with access junctions in the electricity grid. Each junction serves hundreds of households.

Lasker asked the Ministry of Communications to grant a special license to the IEC for transmission services, and access networks for wireless and fiber optics.

According to Lasker, IEC will provide these services to telecom operators, thus significantly strengthening competition in the communications sector. To this end, IEC intends setting up a communications subsidiary.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 15, 2009