A network sharing agreement between Israeli mobile operator Hot Mobile and its larger rival Partner Communications, which operates under the Orange brand, has received regulatory approval with “minor conditions”.
The partnership is however still…
A network sharing agreement between Israeli mobile operator Hot Mobile and its larger rival Partner Communications, which operates under the Orange brand, has received regulatory approval with “minor conditions”.
The partnership is however still subject to final approval from Israel’s communications ministry, Hot’s parent Altice said in a short statement.
Under the original pact agreed in November last year, the two companies were planning to each own half of a new entity, which would operate an advanced mobile network by pooling antennas and frequencies, allowing Hot to launch 4G services.
The nature of the minor conditions demanded by the Israeli antitrust authority has not been revealed and Altice was not immediately available to comment.
Last December Cellcom, Pelephone and Golan Telecom, the other three mobile operators in the country, inked an agreement to share a 4G network and passive cell site elements in an effort to cut costs.
The local authorities reportedly objected to the original deal. But the communications ministry recently drafted a new policy that will allow the companies to share all their infrastructure assets except frequencies, according to local newspapers.