network, Partner and Hot will lay off up to 55

maintenance employees.

Orange franchisee Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) today signed an agreement with its employees, allowing it to implement its network merging agreement with HOT Mobile Ltd.. Sources inform “Globes” that as part of the agreement, dozens of employees will be fired by Partner and Hot Mobile. The joint venture will be managed by Partner VP engineering Eyal Iluz. The Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) was a party to the agreement.

Partner has 115 employees maintaining its cellular network of whom 35 will be fired and the remainder will be employed by the joint venture. Hot Mobile has 70 employees maintaining its network of whom 10-20 will be let go with 50 joining the new venture.

new operators Hot Mobile and Golan Telecom.

painting a gloomy picture about the future for the veteran

companies.

confirmation of illness.

Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) is launching a new venture: medical services for its customers through smartphones and tablets. Israel’s Orange franchisee today announced a cooperation agreement with MedTrix that will enable its customers to obtain medical services, including prescriptions, hospital referrals, and confirmation of illness, directly from both Israel and overseas for NIS 19.90 for a family of five. The service will be available 24/7 through a video call with MedTrix’s doctors.

Partner VP marketing Yigal Barkat said, “In January this year, we announced our readiness to operate the first 4G network in Israel. This technology fosters progress through new products, and as a leading communications company promoting innovation and creativity, we are committed to developing products with significant added value for our customers. The 4G network allows high-quality video calls with a real-time experience for the first time, in which the doctor is closer than ever.”

MedTrix CEO Yves Biton said, “MedTrix, which combines medical expertise and technology, is developing new solutions in medicine in order to upgrade diagnostic capability and response time for providing treatment to patients. Orange proposed a major step forward, in which we will make optimal use of our vast experience in providing medical consultation , and make it available everywhere, at any time. Cooperating with a technologically leading communications company was very attractive and appeared natural to us. Results came quickly, and today we are launching an advanced medical service, which is one of the first in the world.”

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 28, 2014

Saban Capital responded to Patrick Drahi’s remarks

about a possible Hot acquisition of Partner or Cellcom.

Saban Capital Group Inc. says that Orange franchisee Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) is not for sale. The remarks were made in response to comments by Patrick Drahi to French portal “La Tribune” that he might be interested in acquiring either Partner or Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL).

The Orange 4G Innovation Lab focuses on media and

entertainment, connected cars, telemedicine, andInternet

of things.

Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) is launching a technology accelerator for 4G apps and services, the Orange 4G Innovation Lab. The mobile carrier will make available to developers its laboratories, after a filtering process, where they can develop products before market launch. Partner may invest in the start-ups at the accelerator. Entrepreneurs can submit proposals for media and entertainment, the connected car, telemedicine, and Internet of things.

Partner said that a panel of judges, chaired by COO Menachem Tirosh, will select six projects. The projects will stay at the Innovation Lab for 12 weeks. In addition, three start-ups will receive grants of NIS 100,000, NIS 70,000, and NIS 50,000.

“Orange is the first Israeli mobile carrier planning 4G. This is a great opportunity to strengthen the Israeli start-up industry and local talent by creating the change to initiate and develop ideas in an innovative technology environment, as in other parts of the world. 4G apps are seen around the world, and we believe that it is very important to allow the Israeli entrepreneurship industry to experience a living environment to become leaders in the global arena,” said Partner CEO Haim Romano.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 12, 2014

Haim Saban and Adam Chesnoff held a meeting with

Xavier Niel in Paris.

Sources inform ”Globes” that, last week, Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) executives met French media tycoon Xavier Niel, a partner in Golan Telecom Ltd. and an associate of its owner, Michael Golan.

Partner’s controlling shareholder Haim Saban and chairman Adam Chesnoff met Niel in Paris to discuss various options and opportunities in the Israeli telecommunications market. So far as is known, they did not discuss a possible future merger of the carriers, but the meeting indicates that the carriers’ controlling shareholders realize that the situation in Israel must change, and that the existence of five carriers in an environment of extreme uncertainty, in the structure being prepared by the Ministry of Communications, is impossible.

In the past few months, “Globes” has reported that Niel, one of the strongest men in France’s telecommunications industry, had expressed an interest in acquiring Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL) from IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. (TASE:IDBH), when the latter was still controlled by Nochi Dankner. Dankner said at the time that Cellcom was not for sale.

Last week’s meeting reportedly discussed the uncertainty about Cellcom’s future and what IDB’s new controlling shareholders want to do with the mobile carrier.

The meeting in Paris was held against the backdrop of talks between Saban Capital Group Inc. and Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT.B1) owner Patrick Drahi on the sharing of mobile networks, which is waiting for government approval. Presumably, an agreement on network sharing by the carriers is a first step toward a possible future merger of the carriers, but for now, it seems that the Antitrust Authority and the Ministry of Communications will not permit such a merger.

Golan Telecom said in response, “Golan Telecom does not control or manage Niel’s appointments. As always, the company does not comment on rumors.”

No response was obtainable from Saban Capital Group.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on March 11, 2014

The mobile carrier’s fourth quarter revenue fell to NIS

1.13 billion.

Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) today published its financial report for 2013. Fourth quarter revenue totaled NIS 1.13 billion, 10% less than for the corresponding quarter of 2012. Net profit fell 55% to NIS 46 million for the fourth quarter from NIS 102 million for the corresponding quarter.

Services revenue totaled NIS 922 million for the fourth quarter, 11% less than for the corresponding quarter, and equipment revenue fell 8% to NIS 205 million ($59 million).

“In the coming year we intend to deploy approximately one thousand base stations equipped with advanced fourth generation technology. We look forward to receiving the allocation of the frequencies needed to provide the general public with the advanced services available with this technology,” said Partner CEO Haim Romano.

“At the beginning of November 2013, the company signed a network sharing agreement with Hot Mobile Ltd.. This agreement has many benefits for the general public, including: the ability to maximize existing spectrum for the launch of 4G network services, reducing the environmental impact from multiple base stations, and increasing competition in the telecommunications market in a manner that will benefit consumers.”

Romano added, “The company’s strength is also reflected in its ability to reduce the company’s operating expenses by approximately NIS 0.5 billion compared with the previous year, and in generating free cash flow (before interest payments) of approximately NIS 1 billion, which enabled the company to continue carrying out the investments required for its continued success while reducing net debt by approximately NIS 0.8 billion.”

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on March 10, 2014

television market and introduce competition for Bezeq and

Hot.

“By this coming April, the digital broadcasting system (Idan+) will grow to 90% coverage. This will solve many problems in the television market, and will allow new players, like Partner and Cellcom, to quietly and confidently integrate the Idan+ solution into the new world of television that they are planning,” Second Authority for Television & Radio CEO Shai Babad told “Globes.”

According to Babad, the Second Authority is working with the companies to solve the coverage problem, and he believes that ultimately it will happen faster than people think. “So the matter will not serve as an excuse for any company not to enter the world of television.”

Over the past two years, Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE:PTNR) and Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL) have taken steps to enter the television industry, as part of the Ministry of Communications’ plan to form large communications consortia to compete with each other over providing packages of services to consumers. The goal would be to compete with telecom operators like Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd. and Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ), which currently are able to offer more attractive packages.

In order to broadcast channels over the Internet, as Partner and Cellcom are planning, the companies must make Idan+ part of their system. At current bandwidths, it is no problem to do this, however the public channels, 1, 2, and 10, have difficulty broadcasting to hundreds of thousands of viewers in real-time. Therefore, the companies need the Idan+ solution in order to split the channels, so that the channels that have lower demand will not use the frequencies on Idan+, and can be transmitted over the Internet. On the other hand, it will be possible to watch more attractive channels via Idan+.

Conflicting estimates

There are conflicting estimates of the number of subscribers who have bought the dedicated device since Idan+ was launched four years ago. Estimates range between 250,000 and 400,000.

There is one thing about which there is no argument is that the service would be much better if it were adequately maintained, and, most critically, if the company were to establish decent coverage that would allow for viewing throughout the country. But, as is the way in Israel, they launched a service that is riddled with problems, and consumer confidence in the product has suffered in consequence.

The decision to entrust the Second Authority with broadcast transmission engineering was not particularly wise, as it is not their area of expertise, but it is a done deal at this point.

Now that Partner and Cellcom want to enter the market, they must work in cooperation with the Second Authority in order to help plug the holes in the service as quickly as possible, otherwise, as mentioned, they will be unable to launch the planned service.

“We are working in cooperation with Cellcom and Partner for reception to reach 85%-90%,” says Babad. “The transmitters have nearly all been distributed, and we are completing deployment of the remaining transmitters (smaller transmitters, called “pillars,” which are intended to cover smaller areas -G.P.). It is our opinion that we are currently at about 80% household coverage,” he adds.

Despite the fact that you have only been in the job for six months, what do you think is missing in terms of service?

“I don’t want to talk about what happened before. As I said, we are nearing a solution. But some of the complaints come from incorrect installation, or the wrong antenna. If someone buys an antenna and puts it in the wrong place, we can’t take care of it. An important part of our plan is to launch a PR campaign, in order to explain to our customers which products to buy and how to install them in the most correct manner.”

When will this happen?

“I am working in keeping with budgetary considerations. Because it takes time to issue new tenders (for new channels that the Ministry of Communications wants to launch on Idan+ -G.P.), and I don’t want to waste public funds, I expect that we will complete the coverage by April of next year, and that it will have a significant impact on the market.”

How will we know the coverage is optimal?

“I plan to use neutral, third-party services to determine the level of reception. We are collaborating closely with Cellcom, which is helping is to improve reception using the means at its disposal, but, in the end, I want a neutral party to test and present findings.”

And then the service will be on track?

“It is important to explain that the main problem is not reception. We need the Israeli consumer to have a broader selection of channels in order for the broadcast to be attractive. The number of complaints regarding reception dropped drastically in recent months, because of the distribution of the transmitters, and the public education regarding purchasing the correct equipment.

“Another thing is that, until now, the cost of launching a channel was high, and we have reduced this cost to NIS 1.5 million. If we issue tenders for additional channels, the cost will be low, and we will launch a campaign – I imagine that Idan+ will have much greater success.”

Collaboration

Digital broadcast is very important to Cellcom and Partner, and they contribute to it by allowing transmitters to be built on their sites. Cellcom is much more dominant, and has already allowed putting up 14 transmitters to solve the coverage issues. Partner has put up 4 Second Authority transmitters, and they are open to putting up more.

It is very important for the two companies to cooperate with the Second Authority, and, as it seems now, Idan+ coverage will not complicate their plans to launch television services in the coming months.

Cellcom said in response, “According to tests that the company has conducted, it seems that in recent months there have been significant improvements in the quality of Idan+ broadcast reception. The company continues to cooperate with the Second Authority in order to deliver further improvements.”