חוק התקשורת (בזק ושידורים) (תיקון מס' 74), התשפ"א-2020Communications Law (Broadcasting and Telecommunications) (Amendment No. 74), 2020 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) (Amendment No. 74), 2020 (hereinafter – the Amendment), was passed in second and third reading on 21 December 2020. The Amendment is intended to bring about a nationwide deployment of an advanced communications network, based on optical fibers or equivalent technology, that will enable high-speed internet browsing. Under the Amendment, which will come into effect on 1 January 2021, Bezeq, the Israel Telecommunication Corp. Ltd. (hereinafter – Bezeq) will notify the Minister of Communications (hereinafter – the Minister) within five months of the areas in which it wishes to deploy advanced infrastructure (hereinafter – the original notice). The Minister may extend the said deadline by two months. Bezeq will be required to deploy advanced infrastructure in the areas it has chosen within 6 years and to provide service there, and for this purpose will be exempt from the 'universality obligation' that applies to it under the Law, meaning the obligation to provide the service throughout the entire country. In order to deploy an advanced network in the remaining areas of the country where Bezeq has chosen not to deploy an advanced network ('incentive areas'), a special fund will be established (the 'incentive fund'). Every entity with an interest in advanced network services, which is expected to benefit from its establishment and whose annual income exceeds 10 million NIS, will transfer half a percent of its revenues each year to the incentive fund, and the funds accumulated will be allocated through tenders for the deployment of an advanced network in the incentive areas, to be published by a dedicated tenders committee, until deployment obligations are set for all incentive areas. In the first three years, the Minister may prioritize incentive areas located in certain geographic regions for the purpose of allocating the funds as described, based on considerations set out in the Amendment. In addition, Bezeq and companies affiliated with it will not be able to compete in such tenders and will not be able to deploy an advanced network in an incentive area for 5 years after another company has won a tender for the deployment of an advanced network in that area. However, the Minister may permit Bezeq to deploy an advanced network in additional areas, if the proportion of households in all the additional areas is 10% or less of the households in the areas included in its original notice. Financial sanctions were also established, applicable to a body that violates the provisions of the Amendment, and it was further determined that the Minister will report to the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee, once a year for 6 years, on progress in implementing the provisions of the Amendment.

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Zvi Hauser, Yakov Margi, Eitan Ginzburg, Moshe Arbel, Oded Forer, Yitzhak Ze'ev Pindrus, Nitzan Horowitz