The Communications Ministry has awarded Hot a waiver from nationwide coverage, without seeking anything in return.
Much has been said and substantial criticism has been levelled at the conduct of the Ministry of Communications under the management of Shlomo Filber. Many believe that the ministry has never experienced such a dark age before. The ministry's conduct vis-à-vis some communications companies should have woken the watchdogs from their sleep. Yet everyone keeps silent, and even the ministry's legal counsel says nothing, making no public comment on these developments.
The last deal with Hot regarding its nationwide coverage is a fine example of a third world state. It is unclear how Tzachi Hanegbi, the minister responsible for the Ministry of Communications, has been complicit in this. It is hard to believe how Hanegbi has sold all of his integrity for this maneuver. How did he agree to waiver Hot's obligation to provide nationwide coverage without any compensation? How did he agree to give Hot a windfall worth hundreds of millions of shekels without batting an eye?
This takes place without anyone one daring to make a sound. Fear has turned even the communications companies mute. Hot received a gift worth hundreds of millions of shekels and no one protests. Hot is excused from the duty to provide nationwide coverage and is permitted to deliver its TV services via the internet. For years, Hot has been laying infrastructure and now it is not only relieved of this obligation but receives a prize in the form of a right to sell internet-delivered TV. And what will it provide in exchange? It will pledge to invest in its network. This is what it should have been doing in any case, if Filber and Hanegbi had any concerns for competition in this sector. The Israeli communications market has never seen such a disgrace.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 10, 2016
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