HOT violated ISP licence terms: NetVision (Israel)

Israeli telco NetVision has reportedly claimed that HOT Telecommunication Systems, which last month was granted an internet service provider (ISP) licence by the Israeli Ministry of Communications (MoC), has violated the conditions of its new concession.

According to reports, NetVision has handed over documentation to the regulator which it alleges demonstrate that HOT has not only violated the structural separation provisions in its ISP licence, but that the cableco has no intention of complying with them at all.

As previously reports, in awarding HOT an ISP licence the MoC imposed a condition that it must create a separate company to offer ISP services, similar to the setup of incumbent Bezeq, with HOT’s HOT.net unit reportedly filling that role.

But as per NetVision, it can show that HOT’s internet activities are actually managed at the cableco’s offices in Yakum, while it also alleges that the posts at HOT.net are fictitious, because the roles are carried out by existing HOT employees that work simultaneously on internet services alongside the cableco’s other products. NetVision also highlighted that calls made to coordinate reciprocal network connectivity fees between the two companies are carried out by HOT itself.

According to HOT, NetVision petitioned the High Court of Justice even before HOT was awarded an internet access licence, and then withdrew the petition. It now complains, oddly, about activity that has not yet even begun.