Bezeq Completes the Deployment of Fiber Optics in Metulla
Tel Aviv, Israel – October 27, 2020 – Bezeq – The Israel Telecommunication Corp., Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ), has announced today its completion of the deployment of fiber optics in Metulla. The project will shortly allow all Metulla residents to enjoy a broadband speed of 1 Gbps. This makes the town the first ever community in Israel to be entirely hooked up to Bezeq's fiber-optic network. Until now, maximum speed in Metulla was up to 100 Mbps. Commercial hook-up of first customers will be carried out within a few short weeks.
Recently, the Ministry of Communications approved the fiber optics plan, following which Bezeq announced that it would link up the first private customers to the fiber-optic network within a matter of weeks. Bezeq's announcement came after the board of directors gave its approval for the Company to enter the fiber optics project. This move will have far-reaching effects on the broadband market in Israel, and on the Israeli economy as a whole.
Following the completion of the fiber optic deployment in Metulla, Gil Sharon, Bezeq Chairman, said: "We have recently embarked on an investment drive to further fiber optics and 5G, putting us in an excellent position to take on future market challenges, while retaining the technological and service-related edge held by the Group's companies. Extensive and rapid deployment of the largest fiber-optic network in Israel will propel the country forward and contribute to its strength and economy. We congratulate Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel, who has acted with speed and determination to promote the matter, thereby enabling the Israeli public located anywhere in Israel, to benefit in the near future from one of the world's best fiber-optic infrastructures."
Dudu Mizrahi, Bezeq CEO: "The announcement regarding Metulla is not random, but a declaration of intent by Bezeq. The current definitions of center and periphery are about to change soon, as the bandwidth available to households will blur the geographical gaps, enabling countless new capabilities for Israeli citizens, regardless of their physical place of residence. We plan to deploy an advanced fiber-optic infrastructure from Metulla to Eilat, in the center and the periphery, along the borders and within the interior of the country.
Mizrahi added, "The recent period has shown more than ever the need for a stable and quality broadband connection, and it is Bezeq's job to provide this to all Israel's residents."
The project, which is the most complex and costly in the telecommunications market today, has seen the investment of hundreds of millions of shekels, with billions of shekels more to be invested. To gear up for the project, Bezeq is currently recruiting hundreds of infrastructure workers and technicians, to beef up and bolster its field service network. Meanwhile, Bezeq has also started planning deployment in several other cities in Israel, and it aims to accelerate the pace of deployment over the coming year, with the help of hundreds of the Company's workers.
About "Bezeq" – The Israel Telecommunication Corp.
Bezeq is Israel's leading telecommunications service provider. Established in 1984, the Company has led Israel into the new era of communications, based on the most advanced technologies and services. Bezeq and its subsidiaries offer the full range of communications services including domestic, international and cellular phone services; broadband Internet, and other data communications; satellite and Internet based multi-channel TV; and corporate networks. For more information about Bezeq please visit the corporate website at www.bezeq.co.il.
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