A week after "Globes" reported on the churn rate at the mobile carriers following the entry of new carriers HOT Mobile Ltd. and Golan Telecom Ltd., new figures indicate that the move of subscribers from the established carriers to the new ones is continuing. Figures from May 14, when the new carriers began operations, through this morning, obtained by "Globes", show that Golan Telecom has overcome the technical problems related to number mobility, and it now has 4,880 subscribers, and that HOT Telecom has 20,860 subscribers. HOT Telecom's larger number of subscribers is apparently due to the wide network of sales centers of its parent, HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT), and because HOT employees and their family members are switching to the new carrier.
HOT Mobile claims that its subscribers do not include subscribers from Mirs Communications, but subscribers who have quit the veteran carriers.
The figures only include subscribers who have switched carriers and taken their previous phone numbers with them.
The figures indicate that mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Rami Levy Communications Ltd. is recruiting more subscribers than its rivals, but here too, the pace has been slowing. Before the entry of the new carriers, Rami Levy recruited 400-500 a day, and sometimes more. The new carriers halved this pace, and, since May 14, Rami Levy has recruited 2,478 subscribers, or 200-250 a day.
Alon Cellular Ltd. is the newest MVNO, and its mobility numbers are consequently negligible - just 195 subscribers. Home Cellular Ltd. has succeeded in recruiting several score subscribers a day, and it now has 1,027 subscribers.
Golan Telecom, which previously reported recruiting only 149 subscribers from other carriers, now has 4,880. But this figure does not include new subscribers, and it is believed that the mobility system may not identify subscribers seeking to switch to it, because the carrier is hosted by Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL). Golan Telecom probably has more subscribers than the figures show.
The veteran carriers refused to let subscribers switch to Golan Telecom, claiming that it was not working according to the procedures, which delayed mobility last week. Golan Telecom said in response, "The numbers are incorrect. We reiterate that we've crossed the 30,000 subscriber threshold, and the pace of recruitment is steady.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 31, 2012
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