Globes 16-7-2012

New mobile operators reach 140,000 subscribers

“Globes” found that HOT Mobile and Golan Telecom are hitting Cellcom, Pelephone and Partner hard.

16 July 12 18:23, Gad Perez

Two months after competition in Israel’s mobile phone sector was ignited by the entry of Golan Telecom Ltd. and HOT Mobile Ltd., a special “Globes” survey reveals the latest figures from Israel’s mobile phone market.

According to these figures, Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL) is the worst hit by the change in consumer allegiances losing on balance 57,000 subscribers. Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) has lost 45,000 subscribers and Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ) unit Pelephone Communications Ltd. has lost 34,000 subscribers.

The figures also show that HOT Mobile has 98,000 subscribers while Golan Telecom has just 35,000 subscribers. Rami Levy, the first MVNO in the market, has lost 1,300 subscribers.

The “Globes” study found that over the past two months Pelephone gained 66,000 new subscribers but lost 100,000. Cellcom gained 63,000 new subscribers but lost 120,000, while Partner gained 55,000 but lost 100,000.

Of the two new companies, HOT Mobile shows the most impressive numbers with 115,000 subscribers while only 17,000 left what was formerly Mirs Communications Ltd..

Golan Telecom, which has not invested in advertising, nor a chain of sales offices but markets only over the Internet, has had relatively low recruitment of subscribers. Despite the company’s announcement last week that it has 80,000 subscribers, Globes found that it has 39,000 subscribers, while 4,000 subscribers have already left.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on July 16, 2012