Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel) Company
شركة الاتصالات الفلسطينية
TypePublic Shareholding Co. Ltd
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded1995 (1995)[1]
FounderSabih Masri
Headquarters
Ramallah
,
Palestine
Area served
Palestine
Key people
Sabih Masri (Chairman)
ProductsFixed, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, SMS, MMS, ISP, Fiber-optic communication
Number of employees
3,000
ParentPaltel Group
SubsidiariesPaltel, Jawwal, Hadara, Reach
Websitepaltelgroup.ps

Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel) Company (Arabic: الاتصالات الفلسطينية شركة), listed in the Palestine Exchange (PEX) as PALTEL, is a telecommunications holding company consisting of Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel), Palestine Cellular Communications Ltd. (Jawwal), internet provide Hadara, Reach call center, and Palmedia broadcast media.

History

The Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) was established in Jericho in the West Bank on 28 August 1995. The next year, the Palestinian Authority granted Paltel a 20-year license to build and operate cellular, data, and landline communications. In 1999, Israel released cellular frequencies, and the Palestine Cellular Communications Company (Jawwal) was established as Palestine's first cellular communications network.[2]

When Paltel was founded, only 3% of Palestinians owned a telephone;[3] applicants would have to wait years for a connection by Bezeq, the Israeli state-owned provider.[4] The initial three-year plan was to invest $600m in the West Bank and Gaza in order to increase customers from 85,000 to 250,000.[5] An agreement was reached in 1997 to acquire fixed-telephony from Cable & Wireless,[6] and in 1998 Ericsson won the contract to supply a GSM cellular network.[7] That year Arafat called on mobile users to switch to Paltel which would soon become the sole provider in Palestine.[8]

The mobile operator of PaltelGroup, Jawwal, with its 2 million subscribers,[9][10] has stopped a merger operation with Zain,[11] but still will join the One Network project in the year 2010.

In 2015, Paltel and fellow provider Ooredoo were granted access by Israeli authorities to use 3G, something they were previously restricted from doing.[12]

As of 2007, Paltel Group was the largest employer in Palestine, after the government.[13]

Palmedia

Palmedia for Multimedia Services Company is the media arm of Paltel.[2] Based in Ramallah, it provides media broadcast services and production services to media outlets such as Russia Today, the BBC, Al-Mayadeen, Al-Manar, and Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV, Al-Aqsa TV, and Palestine Today.[14][15]

In July 2017, the Israeli military raided Palmedia's offices in Ramallah on suspicion of "incitement to terrorism."[14] Their offices throughout the West Bank were raided again in October 2017 because of their provision of production services to Hamas-affiliated media outlets Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa, and Palestine Today.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Palestine Telecommunications Company P.L.C.: Private Company Information". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 Abudaka, Mashhour (2013-10-01). "The Effects of the PA's Dissolution or Collapse on Telecommunication and Postal Services". Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Prusher, Ilene R. Palestinians sprint to break Israeli grip on phone lines, The Christian Science Monitor 20 August 1996
  4. ↑ Dempsey, Judy. Paltel on fast track to solve communication problem Financial Times 11 December 1996
  5. ↑ Machlis, Avi. Palestinian telecoms plan Financial Times 19 November 1996.
  6. ↑ Dempsey, Judy. C&W appeals to Israeli PM: Financial Times 25 November 2011
  7. ↑ Ericsson, Financial Times 9 July 1998
  8. ↑ Christopher Walker Arafat renews vow to declare independence The Times 10 July 1998
  9. ↑ Palestinian Market Briefs - U.S. Commercial Service West Bank and Gaza Archived 2009-08-30 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Palestinian Authority to stop use of Israeli mobiles". Ynetnews. 29 April 2010.
  11. ↑ Zain-Paltel share swap deal abandoned - Telecoms - News & Features - ITP.net
  12. ↑ "Israel Agrees To Allow Palestinian Telecommunication Companies Access To 3G". imemc.org. November 20, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  13. ↑ Devi, Sharmila, Financial Times, 29 March 2007
  14. 1 2 "Israeli soldiers raid offices of Palestinian media production company citing 'incitement'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Israeli forces raid several Palestinian media production companies". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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