Internet Gold's 72.4% Owned Subsidiary, 012 Smile.Communications Ltd., Expects to Benefit From Mandated Number Portability
04 December 2007 - 4:26AM
PR Newswire (US)
PETACH TIKVA, Israel, December 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Internet
Gold Golden Lines Ltd., (NASDAQ NMS and TASE:IGLD), today announced
that its subsidiary 012 Smile.Communications Ltd. (72.4%) (NASDAQ
NMS and TASE: SMLC) a growth-oriented provider of communication
services in Israel, is planning to take full advantage of the
number portability program initiated by Israel's Ministry of
Communications which became effective on December 2, 2007.
According to the program, Israeli telecommunications operators are
required to enable customers to retain their existing telephone
numbers when switching to different telecommunication providers, a
capability designed to make it easier for customers to switch
service providers. "We are excited about the number portability and
its implications for our business," commented Ms. Stella Handler,
CEO of 012 Smile.Communications. "Over the next few months, we plan
to capture a significant share of Israel's domestic telephony
market, which is valued at more than a billion dollars per year, by
offering extremely attractive bundled communications packages. We
will market expanded services both to our own broadband subscriber
base, which includes over 500,000 households and businesses, as
well as to the Israeli public. The anticipated success of our
efforts will enable us to continue increasing our Average Revenues
Per User (ARPU) while simultaneously transforming domestic
telephony into a major driver of our future growth." 012
Smile.Communications was the first Internet communications company
to receive a license from the Ministry of Communications to supply
Internet telecommunication services utilizing Voice Over Broadband
(VOB) technology. To date, the company has invested approximately
NIS 30 million to penetrate Israel's domestic telephony market and
continues to invest its resources in this area having already
enrolled over 30,000 VOB subscribers. The company's establishment
of the "072" prefix for fixed telecommunication lines is in keeping
with its strategy of becoming Israel's industry leader in providing
the most advanced communications technology. It will also serve as
an important growth engine for the company and broaden its package
of telecommunication services. About Internet Gold Internet Gold is
one of Israel's leading communications groups with a major presence
across all Internet-related sectors. Its 72.4% owned subsidiary,
012 Smile.Communications Ltd., is one of Israel's major Internet
and international telephony service providers, and one of the
largest providers of enterprise/IT integration services. Its 100%
owned subsidiary, Smile.Media Ltd., manages a growing portfolio of
Internet portals and e-Commerce sites. Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are
subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, general business conditions in the
industry, changes in the regulatory and legal compliance
environments, the failure to manage growth and other risks detailed
from time to time in Internet Gold's' filings with the Securities
Exchange Commission. These documents contain and identify other
important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in our projections or
forward-looking statements. Stockholders and other readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made.
We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any
forward-looking statement. For further information, please contact:
Lee Roth - KCSA Worldwide / Tel: +1-212-896-1209 Mor Dagan -
Investor Relations / Tel:+972-3-516-7620 Ms. Idit Azulay, Internet
Gold / Tel: +972-200-3848 DATASOURCE: Internet Gold CONTACT: For
further information, please contact: Lee Roth - KCSA Worldwide, ,
Tel: +1-212-896-1209; Mor Dagan - Investor Relations, ,
Tel:+972-3-516-7620; Ms. Idit Azulay, Internet Gold, , Tel:
+972-200-3848
Copyright