Bezeq recruited 150,000 fast-Internet users in 2005

by Eran Gabay 
January 2, 2006
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/665307.html

Bezeq recruited 150,000 users for its fast-Internet service 
in 2005. altogether the phone company has 800,000 users 
linked via ADSL, compared with 417,000 linked via cable 
modem.

Given that Israel's population is 6.9 million, it has one of the 
highest Internet penetration rates in the world. Some 65% 
of households surf through fast Internet. In May 2005, 
the estimated that 55% of households had online access.

Only South Korea has more online households: 75%.

Bezeq also reports that the year 2005 was characterized by 
households upgrading their surfing speed. Half its high-speed 
Internet surfers are signing on for 1.5 mega speed and more.

Three months ago Bezeq launched its 5-mega package and 
has a few thousand users already.

Bezeq marketing manager Ran Goron commented that the 
company would continue to cultivate fast Internet this year, 
answering demand, promoting upgrades and creating new 
applications. 

He added that Bezeq would be investing in improving 
existing services and added that 2005 had also been 
characterized by demand for advanced technology, 
for instance wireless household networks, a good thing in 
homes where the family surfs together - on more than one 
computer at a time. 

The cable companies also did well recruitment-wise in 
2005. Their business plan called for 216,000 subscribers 
for fast Internet and 52,000 telephony service customers in 
2005. In practice the cable companies reached almost 
double that figure of Internet users.