The move, using Vplus technology, is an interim solution as Bezeq gears up to deploy a fiber optic network
Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ) has deployed advanced Vplus (also known as 35B) equipment that facilitates surfing at higher speeds on its existing network. This is an interim solution as the company prepares to introduce a fiber optic network that will offer up to 1 gigabit per second. It will permit surfing speeds of up to 250 Mbit per second Vplus technology will enable Bezeq to offer customers who currently have fairly low surfing speeds because of infrastructure limitations much better speeds, and will considerably expand the number of customers able to reach speeds of 100 Mbit and greater. The new technology will be good not just for Bezeq customers, but also for competitors, mainly Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL) and Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR), that use its infrastructure, and need especially wide broadband for their television services
Technologies such as Vplus enable telecommunications providers to squeeze more out of their copper wire networks. Sources inform “Globes” that Bezeq has deployed the new equipment throughout Israel, but has not yet started operating it. The suppliers in the project are Nokia, which merged with Alcatel, and Adtran
At present, HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT) is the only company providing speeds of 200 Mbit nationally in Israel. Partner, Cellcom and others have infrastructure only in particular neighborhoods, in tall buildings, to which they provide speeds of up to 1 gigabit. Another competitor in the market is IBC, which provides Internet only at speeds of up to 1 gigabit to extensive areas of large cities, on Israel Electric Corporation’s infrastructure