The 5 Best Internet Israel Service Companies For Anglos
All of the best Internet Israel providers, Bezeq, Hot Net, Netvision, and Partner offer great internet speeds, but their customer service in English can be spotty and unreliable. Luckily, TCS provides great internet speeds and a service that’s entirely in English
After living in Israel for a while, you’ll start to notice that there’s a new internet Israel provider born almost every year.
There are companies that are household names like Bezeq and Hot, and then just down the street, there’ll be one you may have never heard of, like Xphone.
All of these Internet Israel-based service providers offer great speeds and service, but their English customer support can be spotty, and unreliable. Great news! There are internet service providers that specifically offer customer service in English. No more mix-ups, miscommunications, or confusion, “breaking your teeth” trying to work through Hebrew.
What are the differences between internet providers in Anglo Speaking countries and internet Israel providers?
There’s no language barrier: if you ring up Verizon in the US, you might have to wait on hold for customer service, but one of the reasons you’re okay with that is you know whoever picks up, even if the call center is in another country, will speak English.
In Israel, unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that the customer service representative speaks your language.
In Israel, internet customers need to purchase two services: an infrastructure for your internet connection and an internet service provider (ISP).
The majority of cellular providers like Cellcom, Partner, and Miris offer infrastructure for your internet connection services and serve as internet service providers. Similar to Verizon, British Telecom, and other Anglo Internet Services, in Israel, your internet services are delivered through cable or a DSL (digital subscriber line).
Bear in mind that your internet speed is dependent on both your Internet Services Provider and infrastructure and as they say, “you’ll get the lower of the two”.
Key facts about Infrastructure for Internet Israel Providers
- Both DSL and Cable require their own physical connection and it costs money to install.
- DSL runs through your landline phone wire, instead of running through a cable.
- DSL speeds tend to be slower than cable speeds. Cable modem speeds are typically twice as fast.
- Both options have their own modem which you can rent or buy from companies like Bezeq, Hot Net, or Partner.
For a guide on internet speeds: Megabytes (MBs) Gigabytes (GBs) and Megabits (Mbps) click here.
The Most Prominent Internet Israel Providers
- Bezeq International
- Hot Net
- Netvision
- TCS Telecom
Tips for choosing your internet Israel provider:
- Some internet service providers will arrange infrastructures like installing your modem or cable. Sometimes, for a slightly discounted price.
- With each monthly subscription plan, the standard commitment for customers is 18 months, while some can be up to 36 months. Make sure to ask your Internet Service Provider for details on their subscription plans before signing up.
- When your service commitment is nearing its end, it’s smart to call your provider and request an additional special price period. If you don’t, your bill will likely go up.
- Internet Service Providers will provide you with a free email address, but it’s much better to use a web-based email like Gmail or Yahoo, so you have more freedom to “change your provider at a later date”.
Bezeq
Bezeq was established in 1984, making them one of Israel's longest established and largest telecommunications companies. They are both an internet service provider (ISP) and provider of infrastructure services (modems, fiber-optic cable).
They offer a range of infrastructure services such as wireless modems, NGN (Next Generation Network), and Fiber to the Curve Network. They claim that their broadband services can reach up to 100 megabits (Mbps) per second.
Pricing and packages:
- Bezeq’s basic package: 15MBs plus internet infrastructure services cost 59.90 shekels per month for the first three months.
- After that, it will cost you 95.90 shekels.
- Their largest package for a duration of an 18-month agreement is 144.90 shekels including a rental of a modem or router for an extra 11.90 shekels per month.
Website: Some anglos may find their website a little difficult to make heads or tails of especially if they don’t speak Hebrew or don’t use Google Translate. Like other providers, Bezeq has someone who you can speak to on Live Chat, but this option is only for Hebrew speakers.
Hot Net Internet
Please note: Hot Net and Hot are two different companies. It’s easy to get confused as they are separate companies with similar names. Hot Net and Hot do not shareowners. Hot Net belongs to the Altis group, while Hot is an independent company.
Hot Net is an internet services provider, while Hot offers only infrastructure services.
Bezeq and Hot Net both offer infrastructure services too (routers and cables).
Hot Net’s internet services work through a fiber optic cable and a telephone line modem. One of their additional services includes parental filtering, to make sure children don’t land on unsuitable web pages.
Some of their packages even include browsing speeds of up to 500 Mbps! Hot Net offers extensive deployment of infrastructure (like fiber optic cables) in the majority of places in Israel.
Pricing and Packages:
On the less expensive end of 69 shekels, Hot Net offers a 30 MB Package which includes:
- Internet and infrastructure services.
- Modem and Router rental for 11.90 Shekels per month.
- An Email inbox with 1 Gigabyte of storage.
Their fastest package of 500 MB costs 109 shekels for the first three months
Make sure to note: that the monthly price will go up after the initial three months!
Website: Hot Net is predominantly Hebrew, only having one English webpage. They have a live chat feature, but that chat’s in, you guessed it, Hebrew.
Netvision (Cellcom)
Cellcom, the parent company of Netvision offers a number of high-speed packages and infrastructure services based on fiber optics. As such, the company has limited places they can provide service.
Their latest offer uses light optic fibers to generate faster internet speeds.
They claim it is 10 times faster than other more commonly used optic fibers.
- Their lower-cost package is 15MB and a 10Mb email inbox for 25 shekels.
- Their fastest package is 200Mbs, including the same size email inbox that costs 50 shekels a month.
Website: relatively easy to navigate, but prices and descriptions of all the packages on their site are all in Hebrew. For someone who doesn’t speak the native language in Israel, it can be a little difficult to know what you’re getting for each package with Netvision.
Partner
Partner offers internet provider services in stand-alone packages or can be combined with Hot or Bezek infrastructure services.
Starting two years ago, they began offering their own infrastructure services called “the Partner fiber optic cable service” and now have over 170,000 subscribers.
They also offer a router mesh all-home internet service that provides WiFi in all rooms. Some of their packages include Antivirus for secure browsing and parental control filtering.
- Partner’s packages start at the 15Mb package
- This package is 99 shekels for one year and includes both infrastructure and internet service.
- For the first two months, you can get this package for 59 shekels.
- Their most expensive package is their 200Mb package for 139 shekels per month.
- All packages include options to rent out a router for 25 shekels or pay 20 shekels for 36 months.
TCS Telecom
TCS is both an internet service and infrastructure provider. They were founded by new emigrants who built the service to best serve people from English-speaking countries. Unlike their larger competitors, their website is all in English, offering the opportunity for anglo customers to have easy conversations with a real human being over live chat on their website.
- Their home internet packages start at 129 shekels per month for 200Mb internet.
- Installation is free of charge and they have both a local internet provider and infrastructure services.
- Their more expensive package is 189 shekels for 500Mb internet
- Installation is free of charge and they have both a local internet provider and infrastructure services.
Website: TCS’ website is a breath of fresh air for anglos. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed getting your internet set up with a company like TCS. Everything is in English, from their homepage to their checkout. No matter what question you might have, a chat representative will be able to answer it in fluent English.