The Ministry of Communications has ordered Golan Telecom Ltd. to stop offering international calls services until it receives an operating permit. HOT Mobile Ltd., which has received a license, and was due to begin offering international calls services on Wednesday, will also not be allowed to offer the service until it receives a permit.
The Ministry of Communications found that Golan Telecom had begun operating international calls services without a license and even without an operating permit.
On Friday, both carriers received international calls licenses, but that is not enough. By law, they must also obtain an operating permit, which enables the Ministry of Communications to ensure that the carriers' system work and that they have done everything necessary to connect with the other carriers.
The licenses stipulate that Golan Telecom and HOT Mobile must enable every customer to make an international call via their systems. However, both companies apparently did not intend to comply. Golan Telecom did not allow calls through its system; only subscribers had access to international calls. The situation at HOT Mobile is different, since it had not yet begun offering international calls, but if Golan Telecom were to continue offering international calls, HOT Mobile would have demanded to do the same.
Now that the Ministry of Communications has halted Golan Telecom's international calls service, HOT Mobile will also wait until the issue is resolved and the necessary connections to all carriers are completed, both companies are in compliance with the law, and both receive operating permits. Only then will they be able to offer international calls.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 5, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012