General

The state owns and operates the major telephone communications services, although radio and television are increasingly privately owned. The state radio stations include the government's Israel Broadcasting Authority (Shidurei Israel), the army's Defense Forces Waves (Galei Zahal), and the Jewish Agency's Zion's Voice to the Diaspora (Kol Zion la-Gola), aimed mostly at Jewish communities in Europe and the US. The purchase of colour television sets has become widespread since taxes on imported receivers were cut and the government stopped filtering out the colour from imported television programs. In 1999, there were 2.8 million mainline telephones and 2.5 million cellular phones in use. In 2000, there were 526 radios and 335 television sets for every 1,000 people. As of 1998 there were 23 AM and 15 FM radio stations. In 1995, there were 17 television stations. In 2001, there were 1.9 million internet subscribers served by 21 service providers.

Overview

Telephones - main lines in use:
2.936 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.757 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest
domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital
international: country code - 972; 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
17 (plus 36 repeaters) (1995)

Internet country code:
.il

Internet hosts:
1.252 million (2006)

Internet users:
3.7 million (2006)