Bezek’s Monopoly Approaching an End

MED-1 Corp. has plans to build a second underwater communications cable named IC-1 (Israel Coasting 1) along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, sparking new competition in Israel’s telecom market.

The cable is intended to provide an alternative foundation in times of overwhelming demand for phone use within Israel. It will offer the three other Israeli long distance and Internet providers — Barak, Kavi-Zahav and Bezeq International — an alternate route of transport for users. Until now Bezeq had the only existing cable that provided service for Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

According to MED-1 Corp., the cable will lie along 400 kilometers of Israeli seashore, from Naharia to Gaza City. In order to prevent damage to the cable, it will be placed a few hundred meters under the sands surface. IC-1 will have the capability to transfer Internet communications to connected cities at a speed much faster than the current rate, with a band-width that can support all Israeli residents over the next 15 years.

The date of completion is set for sometime within the first six months of next year, with a total investment of $10 million committed to the project. The cables point of output will be from a building called the “Med-1 Telehouse”. The building will be the center of operations for Israel’s three international phone and Internet service
providers as well as the internal SDH net of Bezeq.

The cable brings with it peaceful tidings to Israel’s neighbors the Palestinian Authority. PelTel, the Palestinian communication company will for the first time enjoy independence from Israel’s Internet connection and have a straight point to the lev or “heart” cable, and with it outside access to any point in the world.