Immigrating to a new country can be both an exciting and terrifying experience. Especially when making Aliyah, there is so much to look forward to. Understandably, getting set up with various amenities and services like internet for your home can get confusing.
Usually you’d turn to information provided online to get a better understanding of how things work. But, despite the continual increase in Aliyah, information in English is still very scarce. Even though, NPOs like Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) can provide assistance in English to Olim from North America, some information online is outdated.
Here at TCS, we will try to provide a more holistic understanding of the telecommunications industry in Israel. When you’re ready to get yourself started and connect to phone and internet services, our American style sales and customer support is here to help you.
In the meantime, it is still very important you understand what to expect from telecommunication companies in Israel and what to look out for.
As per 2019, there are 6 major cellular networks in Israel: Pelephone, Cellcom, Partner, HOT Mobile, Golan Telecom, and we4g. Of course, there are also other smaller mobile companies. But these 6 are the ones you’d want to know about.
In recent years, companies that work as mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), entered the telecommunication industry, which resulted in an increase of price competitiveness. Namely: Rami Levy Communications, Home Cellular, YouPhone, Select Communications, and 019 Mobile.
In Israel, there are about seven phone companies that operate for domestic landline calls: Bezeq, HOT, 012 Smile, NetVision, Cellcom, Partner, and Xfone. Bezeq is the oldest company.
For international calling: Bezeq International, 012 Smile, NetVision, 017 Hot Lead, Xfone, Hello 015. Each company has a different area. Careful not to get them mixed so you won’t pay extra for your international call.
Now that we introduced some of the big names in the Mobile market, here are some challenges you’re likely to deal followed by some tips how to deal with them.
Below is some practical information about what to expect from an Israeli telecommunications company.
TCS is one of the companies that provides a full internet setup without you having to divide your attention between collaborating services.
Despite the fact that 80% of Israelis speak English, individuals who work in customer service may have difficulties communicating sufficiently to your needs. Many of customer supports are either still learning to become proficient in English, or they themselves are Israeli immigrants or from other minority groups. So it might take you a few tries till you catch someone who can speak a decent amount of English to suffice your needs.
Israel is definitely an exciting place to be. But, it still has some way to go in regards to phone customer service. First, until you reach a live person, you’ll still have to go through a few minutes of automated menu system. But when you finally reach live support, you might want to prepare yourself for less than optimal service. As immigrants, however, it’s important to understand that the mentality in Israel is rougher than you’re used to. So sometimes this mentality might be mistaken as rudeness. But overall, with some patience, you’ll get what you need. To expedite your customer service experience in Hebrew, it would be a good idea to have a Hebrew speaking friend to help you with the process.
TCS is a phone and internet company that help Anglo-Israeli residents get phone and internet services. The TCS team is just like you, as most of the TCS team come from English speaking communities. It is an easy solution for olim, expats, and temporary Israeli residents.
As a new Israeli immigrant, you’ll have to deal with bureaucracies in Hebrew anyways. With TCS you’ll get at least one amenity in English. It just makes things easier for you. TCS is here to seamlessly accommodate your communications needs as you fulfill your dream living in Israel.