Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) today unveiled its fiber optic project in Kiryat Ono at a ceremony attended by Minister of Communications Ayoob Kara. The event was held in a residential building once used as a Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ) call center, and which is now a student dormitory.
Partner demonstrated a speed of up to 1 Gbps at the event. The company has deployed optical fibers in buildings throughout Israel, and is selling a surfing package with up to 1 Gbps at NIS 99 per month.
Partner is branding its new business under the Partner Fiber name, and will offer combined packages with fiber optic Internet at speeds of up to 1 Gbps and television. Deployment is currently in a series of cities around Israel, but covers only specific neighborhoods, not entire cities. Partner is dependent in this on obtaining approvals from the local authorities and Bezeq's willingness to grant its requests for access to its communications channels, through which it lays the fibers.
Partner's optical fibers go along major traffic arteries throughout Israel, with a presence in prominent economic centers and deployment in dozens of neighborhoods in many communities throughout Israel, including Or Yehuda, Jerusalem, Kfar Saba, Tel Aviv, Rishon Lezion, Beer Sheva, Hod Hasharon, Petah Tikva, Ramat Gan, and Rosh HaAyin. By the end of the year, Partner will begin deploying the network in more communities, including Givatayim, Beer Yaakov, Givat Shmuel, Ganei Tikva, Herzliya, Hadera, Holon, Yavne, Netanya, and Ramat Hasharon.
Simultaneously with its launch of Partner Fiber, Partner is offering at this stage a special one-year price of up to 1,000 Mbps surfing speed to NIS 100 per month (provider + fiber-optic infrastructure). After a year, users can continue this package at the full price of NIS 210 per month, or select other packages, starting at NIS 99 per month (provider + fiber-optic infrastructure).
Partner CEO Isaac Benbenisti said that the prices were correct as of now, hinting at changes in prices at the end of the first year of the service. Kara said at the event that he would help any company seeking to invest in infrastructure in Israel, because he recognized the importance of infrastructure investment as an economic growth engine.
Partner chairman Adam Chesnoff said, "Expediting deployment of our fiber optics throughout Israel is a very significant step in our becoming the most advanced communications group in Israel. To the fastest cellular network and the most innovative television service we are now adding the world's best Internet infrastructure, thereby giving Partner's customers the most attractive batch of services in the Israeli market."
According to Benbenisti, in six months, Partner deployed a fiber optic network reaching 30,000 households in Israel, and will double that number by the end of the year. He added, "Partner's fiber optic network will enable us as an integrated communications group to offer faster Internet services in Israel, and to also provide other advanced services, such as especially high-quality television services prevailing around the world."
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on August 9, 2017
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017