"We're here to break the market, to work for the good of the Israeli consumer. We're not in trouble at all," Golan Telecom Ltd. founder and CEO Michael Golan told “IDF Radio" (Galei Zahal) today in response to yesterday's halving of the price for the carrier's all-inclusive plan to NIS 49 a month for six months.
"We have 700 antennas under construction. We will become a profitable company," he added.
"IDF Radio": Can you make a profit at NIS 49 per month?
Golan: "Before the mobile revolution, which we started, the veteran carriers said that there was no room for a new company. Now they are speaking differently. NIS 49 is a discount. Over 80% of the population still does not benefit from the revolution. We're telling them that it works, it's quality, and it's cheap."
You haven’t yet recruited many subscribers. Do you plan to sell the company soon?
"No. We're here for the long haul. We've recruited 150,000 customers, which is a great achievement. HOT Mobile Ltd. isn't a new carrier (it was previously Mirs Communications - "Globes"), and we shouldn’t be compared with it. We are required by regulations to operate in a certain way. We must build and we already have 700 antennas under construction. We're building the infrastructure from scratch. We have no choice."
Maybe Israel doesn’t have room for five carriers.
"I have no doubt that there is room for five carriers in Israel. We need fewer antennas than in England or France. Ultimately, competition is good for the Israeli consumer and economy. I hope that the example of the mobile market will be copied to other markets.
"We're here to stay for a long time. We're building a company and we're continuing to grow. Our competitors are putting out mendacious stories."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 26, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012