Last Updated on October 20, 2021
A comparison of Israel’s mobile phone carriers and call plans.
Hebrew: ספקי שרות סלולרי
Until 2012, there were 3 mobile cellphone carriers in Israel; Pelephone, Orange and Cellcom. Cellcom was the market leader.
New immigrants found it difficult to choose a mobile phone carrier or plan as there was almost no English information available. Often they felt that they had been coerced into signing a Hebrew contract without fully understanding their commitment. People received outrageous bills for thousands of shekels. Customer service representatives, with almost no English, were known to be impatient and impolite, slamming down the phone or walking away from clients. Thankfully, things have improved a little.
Understanding the need for English resources, we took up the challenge and published Hebrew English translations of some of the mobile phone bills
New mobile phone carriers enter the market
The summer of 2012 brought about a revolution in the mobile phone market and 5 new carriers came onto the scene. Among them, HOT Mobile and Golan Telecom who began discounting mobile phone plans. Both started by offering unlimited plans for only 99 Shekels per month. This prompted the other mobile phone carriers to re-evaluate their packages and pricing. Competition between mobile phone carriers is fierce and they all offer discounted packages
These are the cellphone carriers in Israel today:
- Cellcom
- Pelephone
- Orange
- HOT Mobile
- Golan Telecom
- Rami Levy
- 012 Mobile
- 019 Mobile
As of November 2016, the carrier, YouPhone is no longer operational
Fun Phone Fact Did you know that Motorola was the first company to produce a handheld mobile phone? On 3 April 1973, Martin Cooper, a Motorola researcher and executive, made the first mobile telephone call from handheld subscriber equipment, placing a call to Dr. Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs.
Private Cellphone Companies
Smaller, private companies offer mobile phone packages, internet and landline options. Some offer American or Canadian virtual numbers with caller ID which may be an important aspect of setting up your business in Israel.
Best Cellphone Deals & Prices
Mobile phone packages start from 9 Shekels per month for a limited and metered plan. For around 39 shekels per month, you can get packages with unlimited texting and calls to local numbers, free or discounted calls to landlines and mobile numbers abroad. Internet access is also included in some of these packages. This is a far cry from the pre-revolution costs which ran into hundreds of shekels per month.
- Hebrew English translations of your telephone and other household bills
- Hebrew English translations of automated answering machines at various public offices
- Hebrew English phone and internet terminology with transliterations
Making International Calls from a Cellphone
It is important to note that not all packages include international calls. Some packages include calls to specific countries only. Calls to international land-lines and international mobile numbers may be charged at different rates. Read the small print.
- Calling in or calling out? Telephone numbers & area dialing codes
- Emergency services and telephone numbers you should have on hand
- Contact information for ministries and public offices
First & Second Generation Mobile Phones
You may still be able to find a suitable for older phones (and Kosher phones) It is important to sign up with a carrier that can support your phone. It’s unlikely that you will find a carrier that supports Blackberry, at this stage – a phone which many South Africans and immigrants from the U.S.A. were bringing on Aliyah with them.
Top Tip Before Changing Carriers & Providers
Before you take the final step and change over from your existing carrier to another one, we suggest that you contact your existing carrier, tell them with a firm voice, that you are planning to leave and ask if they can offer you a plan comparable to the one you are considering from the new carrier.
Buying a Cell Phone
Purchasing a mobile phone from a cellphone carrier in Israel, is expensive and you can get cellphones cheaper from electronic stores around the country or online. The lesser-known Chinese brands you can purchase online basically all do the same thing and these are good options for young school children who are likely to lose or damage a phone. In order not to arouse the suspicions of the tax authority, don’t place an online order more than phone at a time.
Do your homework before you commit to a buying a phone. Cellphone carriers are happy to sell you a phone and they will rope you into 36 month contract that you will not be able to get out of. Find out exactly what you are getting (or not getting) before you buy a phone from a retail electronic store. It may be worth buying from a Samsung or iPhone store, for example and paying an extra few hundred shekels for a full guarantee and original spare parts.
Comparing Cell Phone Prices
Use a website like zap.co.il to compare the prices of latest mobile phones and accessories. ZAP is a Hebrew website and while most of the information is in Hebrew, the model and pricing information is clearly understandable.
Cell Phone Scams, Frauds, Tricks & Unwanted Contact
You get a call, as soon as you answer the phone, the other party hangs up. Out of curiosity you call back and find yourself listening to a recording – some special offer or incentive. In reality, there is no special offer and these calls are billed at top-dollar rates. Reports of billing at 160 shekels per minute and even as high as 5,132 shekels (!!!!!!!!!) per minute
Even though it is illegal to send out unsolicited messaging expect to get SMS text messages offering you loans at competitive rates and other deals you can hardly refuse. Unsubscribing from these lists is complicated and almost impossible if you do not have Hebrew skills. Ignore them and just click on DELETE.
True-Caller is a useful app that identifies the caller. You can eliminate a lot of phone-spam that way.
