New fund to pay telecom firms to deploy fiber for faster internet nationally

Israel’s Communications Ministry plans to utilise taxes from phone and internet companies and create a fund to specifically incentivise telecom firms to roll out fiber optic cables across the entire country over the next few years. The levy would be for firms that are currently utilising the landline infrastructure and total approximately 0.5 percent (%) of annual revenues. 

Firms will need to tender for the fiber optic network rollout in order to access the funds with specific emphasis being in less densely populated areas which traditionally would not provide sufficient financial incentive for infrastructural investment. The plan will require changes to the existing telecommunication’s law in order to be activated and these changes are anticipated to be made in 2020 after a new government is in place.