The Ministry of Communications announced Thursday that tenders would be issued for construction of Israel’s first 4G cellular network.
The tenders are expected to be published by June 30 and awarded in September.
According to the Globes financial daily, companies will compete for 5 Mbps deployments on a 1800 MHz frequency. Partner Communications Ltd. and Cellcom Israel Ltd. will be limited in the number of deployments they are able to purchase, but other companies will be eligible to purchase up to 20 Mbps. The IDF has also made 2600 MHz frequencies available.
Mobile companies in Israel have been pushing for a 4G tender for years. Globes said it is a “disgrace” that mobile telephone service in Israel has suffered due to the lack of 4G, and added that the upgraded infrastructure would benefit the telecommunications market, mobile companies and the economy as a whole. 4G will enable increased cellular traffic, which is expected to fuel growth for the entire economy.