Communications Minister Gilad Erdan decided to end the saga concerning the universal deployment of Hot, and accepted the recommendations of a committee established in the Communications Ministry, which recommended that he oblige Hot to deploy its infrastructure in dozens of localities across the country where it has not deployed its infrastructure.
Now Hot will be forced to connect dozens of communities across the country to its infrastructure, at a cost of about a billion shekels.
The exceptions committee at the Ministry of Communications was established back in 2011, but has now completed its work and decided to reject Hot's requests for exemption from deployment in those localities where it requested not to be present.
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This concerns 390,000 people who were prevented from receiving Hot's services, which results in the company violating its obligation for universal deployment. In Erdan's opinion, the Ministry of Communications currently has no engineering impediment preventing the deployment of communications infrastructure in all localities in the country, and this obligation is intended to ensure that communications infrastructure and services are accessible and equitable to the entire public.
""All citizens of the country, regardless of their place of residence, are entitled to enjoy developed and advanced communications services. We will maintain competition everywhere, even in the periphery and remote areas," said Erdan.
Hot has submitted requests for exemptions and relief from its deployment obligations. Most of Hot's requests relate to entire communities.
Over the years, HOT has claimed that there are places where they do not want service from the company at all and even oppose deployment. The Ministry of Communications stated that HOT will have to prove the opposition in the form of a written request from the authority's chief engineer, or a document from the army, police, or Shin Bet. As well as proof that it did everything in its power.
As a result, Hot will be required to deploy a wired network in Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh, Elad, and the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem, which will lead to a drop in prices and the opening of the market to competition in ultra-Orthodox areas as well.
The estimated cost of deploying the network in ultra-Orthodox cities and neighborhoods is tens of millions of shekels. For example, it will cost Hot to reach Bnei Brak 30 million shekels, Elad 12 million shekels, and the Givat Shaul neighborhood in Jerusalem about 1 million shekels.
According to the report, "The committee recommends that the timetables for implementing the deployment obligation and the universality obligation be determined by the Minister, bearing in mind the great importance that the committee sees in the existence of the universality obligation for the benefit of the entire public and in as short a period of time as possible. The committee proposes that in light of possible technological and regulatory changes, the pace of implementation of the deployment obligation by HOT Telecom be examined from time to time, and at least once a year, and if necessary, the deployment plan and its implementation dates be updated" - which leaves room for evasion by HOT in the future.
Hot said: "Most of the unconnected areas are the result of opposition from residents and authorities to the deployment of infrastructure, or, alternatively, a lack of demand for the company's services.".
