Israel telecoms regulator seeks quicker fibre network rollout

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Communications Minister on Monday said he would seek to speed up deployment of a long-delayed nationwide fibre optics network that would provide incentives to include less profitable rural areas.

A government committee recommended to Yoaz Hendel – whose ministry is also the telecommunications regulator – a plan that would allow for a fibre network in much of Israel in the next few years.

The rollout of a fibre network had been held up due to a battle between Bezeq, Israel’s main telecoms group, and the Communications Ministry. The regulator demanded Bezeq deploy in all of Israel, while Bezeq argued it was not financially viable to do so in some rural areas.

But the regulator has eased its demand to deploy everywhere. Bezeq’s smaller rivals, Cellcom and Partner Communications, have begun to establish their own fibre networks.