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Golan Telecom: A Complete Review and Service Guide

Golan Telecom

Golan Telecom is a leading mobile network operator in Israel. The company began to disrupt the exploitative Israeli mobile phone market in 2012. It offered the public a variety of cheap Golan Telecom plans and grew rapidly to become a major service provider. 

We’ll look at Golan Telecom Israel in this blog post and see how they compare to major competitors. We’ll review Golan Telecom Coverage, Golan Telecom customer service, and Golan Telecom plans. A major issue for Anglos in Israel is the availability of customer service and billing in English. We’ll also look closely at Golan Telecom English options and if Golan is recommended for Anglos or English speakers.

Golan Telecom Israel

For Hebrew speaking Israelis, Golan Telecom started to disrupt the Israeli mobile phone industry and transformed it. Golan launched simple, low-cost Golan Telecom plans that directly challenged the effective monopolies enjoyed by Pelephone and Cellcom. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis canceled their expensive, restrictive mobile phone plans and flocked to join Golan. The Golan advertising slogan “Enough of being a sucker” captured the public mood. 

The massive popularity of Golan Telecom Israel forced competitors to slash their prices and simplify their mobile plans. In 2022, Golan continues to offer competitive mobile phone plans, but they face tougher competition from other Israeli mobile network operators. 

Most Israeli mobile phone users assume that Golan Telecom is still an independent company. The truth is that Golan merged with Cellcom in August 2022. Golan Telecom Coverage is excellent, and Golan still offers customers some good deals with a high degree of flexibility and convenience. However, Golan Telecom Israel is no longer the revolutionary outsider that turned the Israeli mobile phone industry on its head.

The Top 6 Mobile Phone Companies in Israel

If you’re a Golan customer or are considering signing up for a Golan mobile plan, it’s helpful to see how Golan fits into the Israeli market. There are currently 6 top mobile phone companies in Israel. It’s worth remembering that Golan merged with Cellcom in 2020 and has worked closely with other companies in the past. 

  1. Cellcom
  2. Partner
  3. Pelephone
  4. Hot Mobile
  5. Golan
  6. XFONE

Is Golan Telecom any Good in Israel?

The short answer is yes! Golan Telecom is one of Israel’s best mobile network operators. If you want cheap mobile phone plans in Israel, and you're not concerned with having to deal with Israeli customer service, Golan is worth checking out. Golan doesn’t just offer affordable mobile plans, it makes it easy to change, upgrade or even cancel its phone plans online. 

The secure Golan Telecom login is a quick and hassle-free process (at least compared to many companies). You can manage your Golan account, check your monthly billing, and change mobile plans with a single click of your mouse. Golan lets customers make their own decisions and doesn’t pester or pressurize them with upsales or irritating retention tactics. 

Golan Telecom Plans

Golan Telecom currently offers 22 different packages (including 4 Kosher plans). If you have special requirements, you can fill in a simple online form to request a tailored package. A Golan rep will contact you to discuss a tailor-made phone plan. Golan offers an excellent choice of cheap mobile plans and a family package. 

Does Golan Offer a Kosher Plan?

Golan Kosher Plans and Kosher SIMs

Golan Telecom is popular with Israel’s Orthodox communities for its choice of cheap Kosher plans. Ultra-Orthodox customers can enjoy a basic mobile phone service via four unique packages. 

  1. Kosher Basic
  2. Kosher Basic Plus
  3. Kosher Plus
  4. Kosher Roaming

Top Tips for Golan Kosher Plan Users

Don't take the quoted price at face value if you’re planning to sign up for a Golan Kosher plan (or any Kosher plan). An extra charge for your Kosher SIM and a connection fee may be applied to your bill. If you have a large family or need a tailored plan, it’s worth speaking to a Golan rep and negotiating a personal plan that meets your needs. Be prepared for long hold times and to speak Hebrew.

If the quoted monthly plan prices are only valid for the first year, you can make a note to switch plans when the initial offer expires. If you’re willing to take a few minutes to contact Golan Telecom customer service or use your Golan Telecom login, you can always keep your phone charges to a minimum. 

How is Golan Telecom Customer Support? 

One of the big questions for Anglos in Israel always concerns a company’s customer support. Israeli customer support and customer service can be dire. Apart from the language barrier, issues include long waits and stacking in call center systems, rude and impatient customer service staff, aggressive sales techniques - and the inevitable incompetence and indifference that is a feature of service standards in Israel. 

We can say three good things about Golan Telecom's customer service:

  1. You will hopefully never need to contact them.
  2. They are better than Pelephone and Cellcom etc. which doesn't say much, but is at least something.
  3. There is an English version of the Golan website, sort of.

Who started Golan?

Golan Telecom was launched by a French businessman called Michael Golan. From Day One, he set out to disrupt the Israeli market. As well as lowering prices, Monsieur Golan brought European customer service concepts to his new company. 

You can do all your dealings with Golan via your online account. Generally speaking, you’ll only have to deal with Golan Telecom customer service if there is a problem or a glitch. Anecdotal evidence from Anglos in Israel suggests that you can be a Golan customer for years and never have a single conversation with a customer service rep. 

If you need to contact Golan Telecom customer service, the experience is fairly painless - at least by the standards of other major mobile network providers in Israel. Expect some delay with annoying piped music and recorded messages when you enter the call center, but the Golan Telecom customer service reps are reasonably well trained and helpful. 

What do we like about Golan Telecom's customer service?

  • It’s easy to sign up as a new customer at Golan. They will get your new SIM card to you without delay, and there is no fuss or logistical problems.
  • Cold-calling sales reps will not pester you. Golan sends customers SMS messages from time to time, usually to wish them a Chag Sameach or promote a new service. That’s entirely reasonable, and an occasional text message is unlikely to ruin your Golan user experience. 
  • Online account management at Golan is excellent. Changing plans is easy, and you can get monthly e-billing to save paper and inconvenience.

All of the above applies if you are Israeli.

Is Golan Telecom Available in English?

For our English speaking audience, Golan Telecom is an Israeli company, but there is an English website version. Golan Telecom English speaking customer service is hit and miss, but if you have a little patience and help from Heaven, they will connect you to an English-speaking rep. The simplicity of the Golan approach to account management means that you probably won’t need to use complex Hebrew jargon or technical terms. 

Not a real English Website

One slightly problematic area is that Golan Telecom English site text only covers the basic descriptions and terms of each mobile plan. The detailed terms and conditions and small print are currently only available in Hebrew. This probably isn’t a big deal for the average customer. Apart from one-time charges for new SIMs and a small connection fee, Golan Telecom doesn’t hit customers with additional fees. 

Complex Hebrew Billing

Golan Telecom English services don’t extend to monthly billing. Your bill will be in Hebrew, but the format of the bills is logical, and the figures are self-explanatory. One advantage of e-billing to your inbox is that you can copy and paste each monthly invoice and run it through Google Translate. 

Account Management and Golan Telecom login

Account management at Golan is simple and hassle-free. Secure Golan Telecom login takes you straight to a private dashboard, and you can check to bill and switch mobile plans with a single click. If you change your mobile plan, your account will usually be updated within 24 hours. 

The Golan system is well designed and efficient. If you experience any problems with your Golan Telecom login, it’s usually just a case of changing your password or checking that you entered the correct login details. Golan Telecom customer service will fix things if you can’t resolve any glitches via the website and your email. 

Golan Telecom Coverage

Golan Telecom coverage is generally on a par with other major Israeli mobile network providers. If you live in a populated area, you’ll have excellent coverage. If you live in a few remote parts of the South, your network coverage may be a little shakier with localized blind spots. 

One area where Golan Telecom Coverage lags is 5G coverage. Companies like Pelephone and Partner Mobile are the market leaders for 5G. This isn’t a major negative for most mobile users, and Golan Telecom coverage will likely be upgraded to match its competitors’ 5G coverage.

Golan Telecom Tech: eSIMs and APN

What is a Golan Telecom eSIM?

An eSIM is a modern version of a SIM card. Until recently, all mobile phones required a SIM card. We’re all familiar with the fiddly plastic rectangles that had to be manually inserted into a mobile phone before it could be used. Newer mobile phones often have eSIMS or embedded SIM cards. 

An eSIM is contained inside the phone, usually soldered to the motherboard. It’s misleading to speak of a Golan Telecom eSIM, your eSIM is part of your smartphone, and you can quickly connect it to the Golan mobile network. Unfortunately if you’re moving to Golan from another network, you are not yet able to transfer your eSIM to Golan as it is not yet supported. 

Not all phone manufacturers are embracing the eSIM technology. If your phone still has a slot for a removable SIM card, it isn’t obsolete just yet. Golan Telecom eSIM technology is not there yet, the company hopes to be offering eSIM technology sometime in the near future. If you purchased your eSIM phone in Israel, Golan may be able to support it.

What is a Golan Telecom APN?

An APN is an Access Point Name. It’s a piece of technology that the average mobile phone user will never need to worry about or adjust. An APN is all your phone's info to connect to a mobile network. Golan Telecom APN requirements are handled automatically by your smartphone. Most mobile phones sold in Israel have built-in APNs for local network providers - including Golan Telecom APN. 

It’s very unlikely that you’ll ever experience any technical issues with your Golan Telecom APN. If you have problems with your APN, contact Golan Telecom customer service or go online for advice about adjusting your APN settings. Many Israelis will just take their phone to a local repair store where a technician can fix it in a minute or two. 

Golan Telecom Review in Brief

Overall, for Hebrew speakers Golan Telecom provides a great service at a competitive price. There's a wide choice of mobile plans, and customers are free to switch plans as it suits them. Golan Telecom is ahead of its competitors if you’re looking for a flexible mobile service with no fuss and above-average Israeli customer service. 

Golan Telecom Review Star Ratings

  • Golan Mobile Plans          ★★★★★
  • Golan Value for Money     ★★★★★
  • Golan Customer Service   ★★
  • Golan Technology             ★★★★
  • Golan Telecom English      ★★
  • Golan Telecom Coverage  ★★★★
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