Annual Report • Mar 25, 2021
Annual Report
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 ANNUAL REPORT FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12, 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 25, 2021
☐ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
OR
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ___________ to ___________
OR
☐ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of event requiring this shell company report ___________
Commission file number 1-14968
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
ISRAEL
(Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
8 AMAL STREET AFEQ INDUSTRIAL PARK ROSH-HA'AYIN 48103 ISRAEL
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Hadar Vismunski-Weinberg [email protected]
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or facsimile Number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Name of each exchange on which registered American Depositary Shares, each representing The NASDAQ Global Select Market
* Not for trading, but only in connection with the registration of American Depositary Shares representing such ordinary shares, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
one ordinary share, nominal value NIS 0.01 per share Ordinary Shares, nominal value NIS 0.01 per share* The NASDAQ Global Select Market Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:
ORDINARY SHARES OF NIS 0.01 EACH 182,826,973
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
YES ☐ NO ☒
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act 1934.
YES ☐ NO ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days:
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of "accelerated filer and large accelerated filer" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large Accelerated Filer ☐ Accelerated Filer ☒ Non-Accelerated Filer ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
U.S. GAAP ☐
International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ☒
Other ☐
If "Other" has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the Registrant has elected to follow:
ITEM 17 ☐ ITEM 18 ☐
If this is an annual report, indicate by checkmark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
YES ☐ NO ☒
| ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS | 5 |
|---|---|
| ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE | 5 |
| ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION | 5 |
| ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY | 30 |
| ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS | 68 |
| ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS | 68 |
| ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES | 104 |
| ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS | 130 |
| ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 133 |
| ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING | 139 |
| ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 139 |
| ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK | 151 |
| ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES | 153 |
| ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES | 154 |
| ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS | 154 |
| ITEM 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES | 154 |
| ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT | 155 |
| ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS | 155 |
| ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES | 155 |
| ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES | 156 |
| ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS | 156 |
| ITEM 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACOUNTANT | 156 |
| ITEM 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | 156 |
| ITEM 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 156 |
| ITEM 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 157 |
| ITEM 19. EXHIBITS | 157 |
As used herein, references to "we," "our," "us," the "Group," "Partner" or the "Company" are references to Partner Communications Company Ltd. and (i) its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Partner Future Communications 2000 Ltd., Partner Land-Line Communications Solutions LP, Partner Business Communications Solutions LP, Get Cell Communication Products LP (formerly Partner Communication Products 2016 LP), 012 Smile Telecom Ltd. ("012 Smile"), (ii) 012 Smile's wholly-owned subsidiary, 012 Telecom Ltd., (iii) PHI (as defined below), and (iv) Iconz Holdings Ltd., except as the context otherwise requires. Partner Future Communications 2000 Ltd. serves as the general partner and the Company serves as the limited partner of each of the limited partnerships.
Pursuant to a 15-year Network Sharing Agreement that the Company entered into with HOT Mobile Ltd. ("HOT Mobile") in November 2013, the parties created a 50-50 limited partnership, P.H.I. Networks (2015) Limited Partnership ("PHI"). Starting January 1, 2019, we began to account for PHI as a joint operation. See "Item 4B.6 OUR NETWORK ", "Item 5A.1d Network Sharing Agreement with HOT Mobile" and note 9 to our financial statements.
In the context of cellular services, references to "our network" refer to Partner's cellular telecommunications network which includes our core network, as well as the shared radio access network with HOT Mobile which is operated by PHI and any other Company infrastructure which enables our cellular service.
In addition, references to our "financial statements" are to our consolidated financial statements, unless the context requires otherwise.
The Company currently provides telecommunications services in the following two segments: (1) cellular telecommunications services ("Cellular Services") and (2) fixed-line communication services ("Fixed-Line Services"), which include: (a) Internet services including access to the internet through both fiber-optics and wholesale broadband access; internet services provider ("ISP") services; internet Value Added Services ("VAS") such as cyber protection, anti-virus and anti-spam filtering; and fixed-line voice communication services provided through Voice Over Broadband ("VOB"); (b) Business solutions including Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP") voice trunks and Network Termination Point Services ("NTP") – under which the Group supplies, installs, operates and maintains endpoint network equipment and solutions, including providing and installing equipment and cabling, within a subscriber's place of business or premises, hosting services, transmission services, Primary Rate Interface ("PRI") and other fixed-line communications solution services; (c) International Long Distance services ("ILD"): outgoing and incoming international telephony, hubbing, roaming and signaling and calling card services; and (d) Television services over the Internet ("TV"). Sales of equipment include sales and leasing of telecommunications, audio-visual, and internet-related devices including cellular handsets, phones, tablets, laptops, modems, data cards, domestic routers, servers and related peripherals, equipment and integration projects. Unless the context indicates otherwise, expressions such as "our business," "Partner's business" and "the Company's business" or "industry" refer to both Cellular and Fixed-Line Services.
In this document, references to "\$," "US\$," "US dollars," "USD" and "dollars" are to United States dollars, and references to "NIS" and "shekels" are to New Israeli Shekels. We maintain our financial books and records in shekels. This Annual Report contains translations of NIS amounts into US dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. No representation is made that the amounts referred to in this Annual Report as convenience translations could have been or could be converted from NIS into US dollars at these rates, at any particular rate or at all. The translations of NIS amounts into US dollars appearing throughout this Annual Report have been made at the exchange rate on December 31, 2020, of NIS 3.215 = US\$1.00 as published by the Bank of Israel, unless otherwise specified. See "Item 3A. Key Information – Selected Financial Data – Exchange Rate Data".
Our financial statements included in this Annual Report are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") published by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"). See "Item 18. Financial Statements" and "Item 5A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects – Operating Results".
This Annual Report includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "seek," "will," "plan," "could," "may," "project," "goal," "target" and similar expressions often identify forward-looking statements but are not the only way we identify these statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Annual Report, including the statements in the sections of this Annual Report entitled "Item 3D. Key Information – Risk Factors," "Item 4. Information on the Company" and "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" and elsewhere in this Annual Report regarding our future performance, revenues or margins, market share or reduction of expenses, regulatory developments, and any statements regarding other future events or our future prospects, are forward-looking statements.
We have based these forward-looking statements on our current knowledge and our present beliefs and expectations regarding possible future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Partner, consumer habits and preferences in cellular and fixed-line telephone usage, trends in the Israeli telecommunications industry in general, the impact of current global economic conditions and possible regulatory and legal developments. For a description of some of the risks see "Item 3D Risk Factors," "Item 4 Information On The Company", "Item 5 Operating And Financial Review And Prospects," "Item 8A.1 Legal And Administrative Proceedings" and "Item 11 Quantitative And Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk". In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this Annual Report might not occur, and actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, have been prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB").
The tables below at and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 set forth selected consolidated financial data under IFRS. The audited consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2019 and 2020 and for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, appear at the end of this report and have been audited by Kesselman & Kesselman, our independent registered public accounting firm in Israel and a member of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited.
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 ** | 2018 ** | 2019 *** | 2020 *** | 2020 *** | |||
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | ||||||||
| (except per share data) | US\$ in millions(1) | |||||||
| Consolidated Statement of Income Data | ||||||||
| Revenues, net | 3,544 | 3,268 | 3,259 | 3,234 | 3,189 | 992 | ||
| Cost of revenues | 2,924 | 2,627 | 2,700 | 2,707 | 2,664 | 829 | ||
| Gross profit | 620 | 641 | 559 | 527 | 525 | 163 | ||
| Selling and marketing expenses | 426 | 269 | 293 | 301 | 291 | 90 | ||
| General and administrative expenses | 181 | 144 | 148 | 149 | 145 | 45 | ||
| Credit losses | 82 | 52 | 30 | 18 | 23 | 7 | ||
| Income with respect to Settlement | ||||||||
| agreement with Orange | 217 | 108 | ||||||
| Other income, net | 45 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 9 | ||
| Operating profit | 193 | 315 | 116 | 87 | 96 | 30 | ||
| Finance income | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 2 | ||
| Finance expenses | 118 | 184 | 55 | 75 | 77 | 24 | ||
| Finance costs, net | 105 | 180 | 53 | 68 | 69 | 22 | ||
| Profit before income tax | 88 | 135 | 63 | 19 | 27 | 8 | ||
| Income tax expenses | 36 | 21 | 7 | * | 10 | 3 | ||
| Profit for the year | 52 | 114 | 56 | 19 | 17 | 5 | ||
| Earnings per ordinary share and per ADS | ||||||||
| Basic: | 0.33 | 0.70 | 0.34 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.03 | ||
| Diluted: | 0.33 | 0.69 | 0.34 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.03 | ||
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands) |
||||||||
| Basic: | 156,268 | 162,733 | 165,979 | 162,831 | 182,331 | 182,331 | ||
| Diluted (for calculation above): | 158,096 | 164,537 | 166,962 | 163,608 | 183,188 | 183,188 |
(*) Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
(**) The results at and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 with effect as of January 1, 2017. See "Item 5A.1h IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers".
(***) The results at and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 with effect as of January 1, 2017; see "Item 5A.1h IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers.", and also include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 with effect as of January 1, 2019; see "Item 5A.1i IFRS 16 Leases".

| Year ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 * | 2018 * | 2019 ** | 2020 ** | 2020 ** | |
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | US\$ in millions(1) | |||||
| Other Financial Data | ||||||
| Capital expenditures (2) | 202 | 417 | 499 | 578 | 595 | 185 |
| Adjusted EBITDA (3) | 834 | 917 | 722 | 853 | 822 | 256 |
| Statement of Cash Flow Data | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 945 | 973 | 625 | 837 | 786 | 244 |
| Net cash used in investing activities | (639) | (72) | (351) | (1,181) | (581) | (180) |
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | (516) | (750) | (725) | 227 | (128) | (40) |
| Financial Position Data (at year end) | ||||||
| Current assets | 2,339 | 2,009 | 1,254 | 1,664 | 1,496 | 465 |
| Non current assets | 2,858 | 2,709 | 2,722 | 3,351 | 3,629 | 1,129 |
| Lease - right of use (**) | 582 | 663 | 206 | |||
| Property and equipment | 1,207 | 1,180 | 1,211 | 1,430 | 1,495 | 465 |
| Intangible and other assets | 793 | 697 | 617 | 538 | 521 | 162 |
| Goodwill | 407 | 407 | 407 | 407 | 407 | 127 |
| Deferred income tax asset | 41 | 55 | 38 | 41 | 29 | 9 |
| Total assets | 5,197 | 4,718 | 3,976 | 5,015 | 5,125 | 1,594 |
| Current liabilities (4) | 1,607 | 1,811 | 1,150 | 1,489 | 1,334 | 414 |
| Non current liabilities (4) | 2,479 | 1,473 | 1,420 | 2,109 | 2,068 | 644 |
| Total liabilities | 4,086 | 3,284 | 2,570 | 3,598 | 3,402 | 1,058 |
| Total equity | 1,111 | 1,434 | 1,406 | 1,417 | 1,723 | 536 |
| Total liabilities and equity | 5,197 | 4,718 | 3,976 | 5,015 | 5,125 | 1,594 |
| 6 |
(*) The results at and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 with effect as of January 1, 2017. See "Item 5A.1h IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers".
(**) The results at and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 with effect as of January 1, 2017; see "Item 5A.1h IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers.", and also include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 with effect as of January 1, 2019; see ""Item 5A.1i IFRS 16 Leases".
The tables below at and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, set forth a reconciliation between Profit and Adjusted EBITDA.
| Year ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 ** | 2018 ** | 2019 *** | 2020 *** | 2020 *** | ||
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||||||
| Reconciliation Between Profit and Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||
| Profit | 52 | 114 | 56 | 19 | 17 | 5 | |
| Depreciation and amortization expenses | 595 | 580 | 592 | 751 | 714 | 222 | |
| Finance costs, net | 105 | 180 | 53 | 68 | 69 | 22 | |
| Income tax expenses | 36 | 21 | 7 | * | 10 | 3 | |
| Other (****) | 46 | 22 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 4 | |
| Adjusted EBITDA (2) | 834 | 917 | 722 | 853 | 822 | 256 |
(*) Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
(**) The results at and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 with effect as of January 1, 2017. See "Item 5A.1h IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers".
(***) The results at and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 with effect as of January 1, 2017; see "Item 5A.1h IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers.", and also include the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 with effect as of January 1, 2019; see ""Item 5A.1i IFRS 16 Leases".
(****) Mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation.
| At December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||
| Cellular Industry Data | ||||||
| Estimated population of Israel (in millions) (1) | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.3 | |||
| Estimated Israeli cellular telephone subscribers (in millions) (2) | 10.6 | 10.6 | 10.4 | |||
| Estimated Israeli cellular telephone penetration (3) | 118% | 116% | 112% | |||
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||
| Company's Data | ||||||
| Cellular subscribers (000's) | ||||||
| (at period end) (4) (5) | 2,686 | 2,662 | 2,646 | 2,657 | 2,836 | |
| Pre-paid cellular subscribers (000's) | ||||||
| (at period end) (4) | 445 | 354 | 285 | 291 | 341 | |
| Post-paid cellular subscribers (000's) | ||||||
| (at period end) (4) | 2,241 | 2,308 | 2,361 | 2,366 | 2,495 | |
| Share of total Israeli cellular subscribers | ||||||
| (at period end) (5) | 26% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 27% | |
| Average monthly revenue per cellular subscriber | ||||||
| including roaming ("ARPU") (NIS) (6) | 65 | 62 | 58 | 57 | 51 | |
| Churn rate for cellular subscribers (7) | 40% | 38% | 35% | 31% | 30% | |
| TV subscribers (000's) | ||||||
| (at period end) (8) | 43 | 122 | 188 | 232 | ||
| Infrastructure-based internet subscribers (000's) | ||||||
| (at period end) (9) | 268 | 329 | ||||
| Fiber-optic subscribers (000's) (at period end) (10) | 76 | 139 | ||||
| Homes Connected (HC) to the fiber-optic infrastructure (000's) (at period end) (11) | 324 | 465 | ||||
| Estimated cellular coverage of Israeli population (at period end) (12) | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | |
| Number of employees (full time equivalent) (at period end) (13) | 2,686 | 2,797 | 2,782 | 2,834 | 2,655 |
In view of the expected growing impact of M2M (machine to machine) activity on our business, as from Q4 2018, M2M subscriptions are included in the post-paid subscriber base on a standardized basis, according to which the number of M2M subscriptions included is calculated by dividing total revenues from M2M subscriptions by the average revenue from a dedicated data package subscriber for the relevant period. This change had the effect of increasing the post-paid subscriber base at December 31, 2018, by approximately 34,000 subscribers.
References to the number of subscribers are stated net of subscribers who leave or are disconnected from the network, or who have not generated revenue for the Company for a period of over six consecutive months ending at a reporting date.
On December 31, 2020, the exchange rate was NIS 3.215 per US\$1.00 as published by the Bank of Israel. Changes in the exchange rate between the shekel and the US dollar could materially affect our financial results.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
You should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information in this Annual Report. Depending on the extent to which any of the following risks materializes, our business, financial condition, cash flow or results of operations could suffer, and the market price of our shares may be negatively affected. The risks below are not the only ones we face, and other risks currently not affecting our business or industry, or which are currently deemed insignificant, may arise.
We operate in a highly regulated telecommunications market in which the regulator imposes substantial limitations on our flexibility in managing our business and continues to seek to increase industry competition. At the same time, the regulator limits our ability to compete by, among other measures, giving preference to new competitors, and limits our ability to expand our business and develop our network. Such measures may continue to increase our costs, decrease our revenues and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Bezeq-The Israel Telecommunication Corp., Ltd. ("Bezeq") owns and operates the largest fixed-line infrastructure in Israel, and is also one of the largest providers of mobile telephone, internet connection, and other telecommunications services, such as television. Bezeq's license provides that it maintain structural separation between itself and its subsidiaries (Pelephone, DBS broadcasting and Bezeq International). This requires, inter alia, that Bezeq keep its management, assets and employees fully segregated from those of its subsidiaries.

On June 30, 2020, the Ministry of Communications ("MoC") published the report of the inter-departmental team ("the Team") tasked with examining the structural separation provisions applicable to the Bezeq and Hot Telecom LP ("HOT Telecom") groups. The Team found that the time is not yet ripe for the total removal of structural separation provisions in the Bezeq group. The Team's MoC members stated that the current provisions applicable to Bezeq have been effective thus far and cancelling them would severely harm competition and the welfare of consumers.
However, the Team found that it is possible to make certain changes in the overall regulation that could potentially improve the service provided to the public and which will influence the structural separation provision applicable to Bezeq. Within this scope, the Team has recommended that the Minister of Communications consider changing the current separation in Israel between the infrastructure service and ISP service.
Following this recommendation, the MoC published a hearing regarding a reform in the structure of the Internet market. The hearing was aimed at ending the separation between the infrastructure service and the ISP service, thus allowing Bezeq and Hot Telecom to market a unified product (comprised of both infrastructure and ISP components). This proposed reform will not apply to broadband services to business subscribers. According to the hearing document, the proposed reform will enter into force on January 1, 2022, allowing ISPs to prepare for the change in the structure of this market. The Company has filed its position regarding this hearing. The Company agrees with the consumer benefits of a unified service but has argued that Bezeq and HOT Telecom should not be allowed to market this service themselves, but rather through their subsidiaries (which would purchase the infrastructure component from Bezeq and HOT at the same prices and terms as all other competitors). If the MoC allows Bezeq itself to market a unified service (as opposed to such marketing by its subsidiaries), it may be able to offer bundled services more effectively than we, and thereby gain a competitive advantage which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Furthermore, if the MoC removes the structural separation provisions applicable to Bezeq altogether, before we have firmly established ourselves in the fixed-line telecommunications services market (in both fixed-line telephony, passive infrastructures and broadband) and the multi-channel TV market, Bezeq may be able to offer bundled services more effectively than we, and thereby gain a competitive advantage which could adversely affect our results of operations.
The current structural separation provisions also require Bezeq to equally market all ISPs (internet service providers) when selling service bundles which include its infrastructure services and ISP services. Bezeq has failed to provide the relevant ISPs with the customer information required to continue service provision once Bezeq stops billing for the ISPs (after the first year of the bundle). If the MoC fails to enforce its decisions on this matter, this may adversely affect our results of operations.
The MoC might prevent us from using some of our existing spectrum, may limit our ability to use such spectrum (whether by demanding we share such use with others or placing other limits on such use) or may fail to respond to our demands for the allocation of additional spectrum or for the refarming of our existing spectrum (the conversion of existing frequencies to a different technology). The MoC might also require us to cease use of certain bands and require us to shift to other bands, which may involve investment in new radio infrastructure.

The MOC has recently stated, as part of its consultation regarding the shutdown of 2G and 3G networks, that it may terminate the use of the spectrum awarded to us and which is currently used for 2G and 3G. We strongly oppose such moves. For further details see "Item 4B.12e - x Hearings and Examinations - Hearing regarding a proposed framework for the shutdown of 2G and 3G cellular networks".
Such actions may interfere with our ability to effectively manage our licensed spectrum, reduce our ability to adequately provide services to our subscribers, increase our costs due to evacuation of such spectrum and place us at a competitive disadvantage. These possible eventualities may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In the past, the MoC has failed to enforce its fixed-line wholesale market reforms ("Wholesale Market Reform") on Bezeq and HOT Telecom, the two largest fixed-line infrastructure operators in Israel. If the MoC fails to enforce the most important components of its wholesale market reform, or if it rolls back (partially or in-whole), or fails to enforce, its decisions regarding wholesale access to Bezeq and HOT Telecom's networks, or adopts other regulation unfavorable to companies, such as Partner, which must rely on the two wholesale suppliers for access to their fixed line networks, such actions may negatively affect our business and results of operations.
In September 2020, Bezeq announced that it intends to launch its Fiber to the Home (FTTH) infrastructure service, which they commercially launched in March 2021. In anticipation of this launch, on August 25, 2020, the MoC published its decision regarding the maximum tariff that Bezeq will be allowed to charge for access to the wholesale BSA (Bitstream Access) service provided over Bezeq's fiber-optic network. If the Ministry fails to effectively enforce Bezeq's obligation to offer the wholesale BSA service on its fiber-optic network before the launch of Bezeq's retail service, this might provide Bezeq with an unfair competitive advantage, thus adversely affecting our business and results of operations.
The wholesale tariffs for the BSA services on Bezeq and HOT Telecom's existing networks are set by the MoC. If the MoC fails to update and lower these tariffs in accordance with relevant developments, this may adversely affect our business and results of operations. See "Item 4B.12e Regulatory Developments".
In addition, the infrastructure owners (Bezeq and HOT Telecom) may lower their infrastructure retail prices thereby narrowing the margin between their retail prices and the wholesale price which we are required to pay them to use their fixed-line infrastructure. This may erode our margin to the point of eradicating the economic feasibility of continuing such operations. If the MoC fails to prevent such conduct by the infrastructure owners, this may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
An MoC economic opinion published in February 2013, included a recommendation for a further reduction of cellular call and SMS interconnect tariffs towards the end of 2016. Such a reduction may negatively affect our business and results of operations. In February 2017, the MoC notified the cellular companies that due to other priorities, it did not intend to pursue this task at that time. An additional economic opinion commissioned by the MoC has recommended that interconnection charges be cancelled.
The implementation of the Telecommunications Law, 1982, ("Telecommunications Law"), the Wireless Telegraph Ordinance [New Version], 1972 (" Wireless Telegraph Ordinance") and other laws and regulations, as well as the provisions of our licenses, are all subject to interpretation and change. New laws, regulations or government policies, changes to current regulations, or a change to the interpretation thereof, may be adopted or implemented in a manner which damages our business and operating results. Such measures may include new limits on our ability to market our services, new safety and health related requirements, new limits on the construction and operation of cell towers, new requirements, standards, consumer protection provisions, privacy provisions, coverage term and other conditions or limits applicable to the services we provide. Such measures may negatively affect our business and results of operations. Furthermore, if such measures would benefit our competitors or are applied only to us (and not to our competitors), we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage. For information regarding the principal regulations and regulatory developments affecting our business, see "Item 4B.10e Regulatory Developments".
The State (through the MoC and/or the Council for Cable and Satellite Broadcasting) may impose regulations on nascent TV content services which are provided over the Internet ("OTT") and which are currently unregulated. The MoC has published a draft bill which proposes that OTT services will be regulated in stages, according to annual income of the relevant operator (the "Draft Bill"). According to the Draft Bill, no regulation will be imposed on local OTT services with an annual income of less than NIS 350 million. Our annual income from local OTT services is not expected to exceed such a level in 2021.
In September 2020, the Minister of Communications appointed a new committee assigned with re-examining the overall regulatory regime applicable to the broadcasting segment in Israel (the "Folkman Committee"). In November 2020, the Folkman Committee published a consultation document which listed the topics which are due to be discussed by it. These included imposing regulation on OTT services (which may include local production quotas) and the regulation of sports content (including the possibility of requiring sports channels to allow all broadcasting platforms to access their content). The Company presented its position to the Folkman Committee and its sub-committee on sports broadcasts. The Folkman Committee was due to publish its recommendations by the end of January 2021, however to date it has not done so.
If the State places burdensome regulations on our OTT services (such as a requirement to invest a percentage of our income from this activity in original productions), this might increase our costs, raise the cost of operations in this segment and, if applied only to Israeli OTT providers, place us at a competitive disadvantage, in each case with potential negative effects on our business and results of operations.
In November 2013, we entered into a 15-year network sharing agreement ("Network Sharing Agreement") with HOT Mobile pursuant to which the parties created a limited partnership, under the name P.H.I. Networks (2015) Limited Partnership ("PHI"). The purpose of PHI is to operate and develop a radio access network to be shared by both parties.
In May 2014, the Competition Commissioner resolved to approve the Network Sharing Agreement, subject to a number of conditions ("Competition Commissioner Approval") and in April 2015, the Ministry of Communications resolved to approve the Network Sharing Agreement, subject to a number of conditions as well ("MoU Approval").
However, the Network Sharing Agreement may terminate or expire prior to the lapse of the said 15-year period due to regulatory intervention in one of the following circumstances:
If and when the network sharing will end, we will need to split the shared network with HOT Mobile and the resources, time and expense it may take to have our own network on a nation-wide coverage, may be substantial and could materially harm our business and results of operations at such time. See also "Item "3D.2l If the network sharing agreement entered into with HOT Mobile is unilaterally terminated by HOT Mobile earlier than we expect, we will be required to split the shared network with HOT Mobile and the resources, time and expense it may take us to have our own network in a nationwide coverage, would be substantial and could also materially harm our business and the results of operations at such time." and "Item 4B.8a Overview - Cellular Network Sharing Agreement".
Data protection regulations impose wide obligations with respect to data privacy protection. Our business requires us to hold and use certain personal data of our customers, and we believe we are in compliance with all currently applicable laws, regulations, policies and legal obligations, although they are all subject to interpretation and change. However measures we have implemented in order to protect our customers' data may not result in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, measures to ensure compliance may require us to invest additional modifications to our solutions to comply with such regulations and might delay offerings of new products and services.
If we fail or are unable to comply with applicable privacy and data security laws, regulations, self-regulatory requirements or industry guidelines, or our terms of use with our customers, we may be subject to penalties, fines, legal proceedings by governmental entities or other enforcement actions, loss of reputation, legal claims by individuals and customers and significant legal and financial exposure, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business and our results of operations. See the claim alleging harm to customer privacy disclosed in "Item 8A.1 LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS".
Although we believe that we are currently in compliance with all material requirements of the relevant legislation and our licenses, disagreements have arisen and may arise in the future between the MoC and us regarding the interpretation and application of the requirements set out in relevant legislation and our licenses. The MoC is authorized to levy significant fines on us for breaches of the Telecommunications Law, relevant regulations and our licenses. Our operations are also subject to the regulatory and supervisory authority of other Israeli regulators which have the authority to impose criminal and administrative sanctions against us.

We currently have several enforcement proceedings pending or in process. We may not always be successful in our defense, and should we be found in violation of these regulations, we and our management may be subject to civil or criminal penalties, including the loss of our operating license as well as administrative sanctions. All such enforcement measures may adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.For information regarding on-going litigation and legal proceedings, see "Item 8A.1 Legal and Administrative Proceedings".
Our ability to maintain and improve the extent, quality and capacity of our cellular network coverage depends in part on our ability to obtain appropriate sites and approvals to install our network infrastructure, including network sites. The erection and operation of most of these network sites require building permits from local or regional planning and building authorities, as well as a number of additional permits from other governmental and regulatory authorities. In addition, as part of our network build-out and expansion, we are erecting additional network sites and making modifications to our existing network sites for which we may be required to obtain new consents and approvals.
For the reasons described in further detail below, we have had difficulties obtaining some of the building permits required for the erection and operation of our network sites. As of December 31, 2020, less than 10% of our network sites were operating without local building permits or exemptions which, in our opinion, are applicable. In addition, some of our network sites are not built in full compliance with the applicable building permits.
Network site operation without required permits or that deviates from the permit has in some cases resulted in the filing of criminal charges and civil proceedings against us and our officers and directors, and monetary penalties against the Company, as well as demolition orders. See "Item 8A.1 Legal and Administrative Proceedings". In the future, we may face additional demolition orders, monetary penalties (including compensation for loss of property value) and criminal charges. The prosecutor's office has a national unit that enforces planning and building laws. The unit has stiffened the punishments regarding violations of planning and building laws, particularly against commercial companies and its directors. If we continue to experience difficulties in obtaining approvals for the erection and operation of network sites and other network infrastructure, this could have an adverse effect on the extent, coverage and capacity of our network, thus impacting the quality of our cellular voice and data services, and on our ability to continue to market our products and services effectively. In addition, as we seek to improve the range and quality of our services, we need to further expand our network, and difficulties in obtaining required permits may delay, increase the costs or prevent us from achieving these goals in full. Our inability to resolve these issues could prevent us from maintaining the quality requirements contained in our license.
Uncertainties regarding the validity of exemptions for wireless access devices. We have set up several hundred small communications devices, called wireless access devices, pursuant to a provision in the Telecommunications Law which exempts such devices from the need to obtain a building permit. A claim was raised that the exemption does not apply to cellular communications devices and the matter reached first instance courts a number of times, resulting in conflicting decisions. This claim is included in an application to certify a class action filed against the three principal Israeli cellular operators. In May 2008, a district court ruling adopted the position that the exemption does not apply to wireless access devices. We, as well as our competitors, filed a request to appeal this ruling to the Supreme Court. In May 2008, the Attorney General filed an opinion regarding this matter stating that the exemption does apply to wireless radio access devices under certain conditions. Two petitions were filed with the High Court of Justice in opposition to the Attorney General's opinion. In October 2018, the Attorney General submitted a request to dismiss the petitions on the grounds that the matter of network sites has been regulated by regulations. In December 2018, the Supreme Court and the High Court of Justice dismissed the two petitions and accepted the appeal filed by us as well as our competitors against the district court ruling. See "Item 4B.10h Network Site Permits". In December 2017, the Knesset Economics Committee discussed a new version of the regulations passed by the Minister of Finance in coordination with the other relevant government ministries. In May 2018, the Economics Committee approved the new regulations which were published in October 2018. According to the provisions of the regulations that were approved, in order to establish a new wireless access device, a short process of licensing is required before the committee engineer, which could constitute a significant obstacle to obtaining such approval. If approval is not obtained, or is substantially delayed, our network capacity and coverage would be negatively impacted, which could have an adverse effect on our revenue and results of operations.
Uncertainties regarding requirements for repeaters and other small devices. We, like the other cellular operators in Israel, provide repeaters, also known as bi-directional amplifiers, to subscribers seeking an interim solution to weak signal reception within specific indoor locations. In light of the lack of a clear policy of the local planning and building authorities, and in light of the practice of the other cellular operators, we have not requested permits under the Planning and Building Law, 1965 ("Planning and Building Law") for the repeaters. However, we have received an approval to connect the repeaters to our communications network from the Ministry of Communications and have received from the Ministry of Environmental Protection permit types for all our repeaters. If the local planning and building authorities determine that permits under the Planning and Building Law are also necessary for the installation of these devices, or any other receptors that we believe do not require a building permit, it could have a negative impact on our ability to obtain permits for our repeaters.
In addition, we construct and operate microwave links as part of our transmission network. The various types of microwave links receive permits from the Ministry of Environmental Protection in respect of their radiation level. Based on an exemption in the Telecommunications Law, we believe that building permits are not required for the installation of most of these microwave links on rooftops, but to the best of our knowledge, there is not yet a determinative ruling on this issue by the Israeli courts. If the courts determine that building permits are necessary for the installation of these sites, it could have a negative impact on our ability to obtain environmental permits for these sites and to deploy additional microwave links, and could hinder the coverage, quality and capacity of our transmission network.
We conduct our operations pursuant to licenses granted to us by the Ministry of Communications, which may be extended for additional periods upon our request to the Ministry of Communications and confirmation from the Ministry that we have met certain performance requirements. Our license was originally valid for a period of ten years (until April 2008), but has been extended until 2022; a further extension is currently pending with the MoC. We cannot be certain that our licenses will not be revoked, will be extended when necessary, or, if extended, on what terms an extension may be granted. See "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License ".
As with other companies engaged in the telecommunications business in Israel, our license requires that a minimum economic and voting interest in, and other defined means of control of our company be held by Israeli citizens and residents or entities under their control. If this requirement is not complied with, we could be found to be in breach of our license and be subject to significant monetary sanctions, even though ensuring compliance with this restriction may be beyond our control. See "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License".
Our general mobile telephone license requires that our "founding shareholders or their approved substitutes", as defined in the license, hold at least 26% of the means of control in the Company, including 5% which must be held by Israeli founding shareholders (Israeli citizens and residents), who were approved as such by the Minister of Communications. Notwithstanding the aforesaid, following the sale of the controlling stake of the Phoenix Group (one of the Company's approved Israeli founding shareholders) to foreign entities, on November 12, 2019, the MoC issued a temporary order (ending on November 1, 2020) (the "Temporary Order") amending the above holding requirement in our License and reducing the percentage that the approved Israeli entities are required to hold from 5% to 3.82% of the means of control in the Company.

On July 7, 2020, the MoC published an amendment to our cellular license which provides that the license terms applicable to Israeli shareholders may be replaced by an order issued by virtue of the Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting), 1982. Since the regulatory procedure allowing the above-mentioned license amendment to take place was still ongoing at the time, on October 26, 2020, the MoC extended the term of its Temporary Order (extending its term to March 1, 2021). The temporary order allowed the MoC and the Company sufficient time in which to resolve the issue of holdings of approved Israeli shareholders in the Company. During February 2021, the regulatory procedure allowing the above-mentioned license amendment to take place has been completed.
In 2006, our Israeli founding shareholders sold substantially all of their shares in the Company to Israeli institutional investors, who were approved as substitutes. Since then, there were additional share sales to Israeli institutional investors that were approved as substitutes by the Minister of Communications.
In addition, according to our license, no transfer or acquisition of 10% or more of any of such means of control, or the acquisition of control of our company, may be made without the consent of the Minister of Communications. Nevertheless, under certain licenses granted, directly or indirectly, to Partner, a notice to the Minister of Communications may be required for holding any means of control in Partner. Our license also restricts cross-ownership and cross-control among competing mobile telephone operators, including the ownership of 5% or more of the means of control of both our company and a competing operator, without the consent of the Minister of Communications, which may limit certain persons from acquiring our shares. Shareholdings in breach of these restrictions relating to transfers or acquisitions of means of control or control of Partner could result in the following consequences: the shares will be converted into "dormant" shares as defined in the Israeli Companies Law, 1999 ("Israeli Companies Law"), with no rights other than the right to receive dividends or other distributions to shareholders, and to participate in rights offerings until such time as the consent of the Minister of Communications has been obtained and our license may be revoked. In addition, under certain licenses of the Company's subsidiaries, approval of, or notice to, the Minister of Communications may be required for holding of less than 5% of means of control. Because of this lack of consistency, Partner may be in breach of its licenses in this regard.
3D.2a Largely as a result of substantial and continuing changes in our regulatory and business environment, our operating financial results, profitability and cash flows have declined significantly in recent years, including a loss for the year 2015. In 2020 we earned profits of NIS 17 million (US\$ 5 million) compared with profits of NIS 19 million for 2019 and over NIS 50 million for each of the years between 2016 and 2018. Should existing trends continue, our operating results may continue to decline in 2021 and possibly beyond, and may also result in losses, which would adversely affect our financial condition.
Our revenues in 2020 were NIS 3,189 million (US\$ 992 million), a decrease of 1% from NIS 3,234 million in 2019; we recorded a profit in 2020 of NIS 17 million (US\$5 million), compared with a profit of NIS 19 million in 2019 and of NIS 56 million in 2018. Net Cash provided by operating activities totaled NIS 786 million (US\$244 million) in 2020 compared with NIS 837 million in 2019. The principal factor leading to the overall decline in operating results over the past several years has been the intense competition resulting largely from regulatory developments intended to enhance competition in the Israeli communications market, including both the cellular and fixed-line markets. These developments have caused, over the past several years, significant price erosion in cellular services due to heightened competition from new entrants in the Israeli cellular market, and increasing pressure on gross profits from equipment sales.
Should existing trends continue, these factors may continue to negatively impact our business through 2021 and possibly beyond, and may also result in losses. As a result, our financial condition would be adversely affected, thereby increasing the risk of a substantial impairment in the value of our telecommunications assets. See also "Item 5D.2 Outlook".

Competition in the cellular market. Over the past few years, the entrance of new operators and regulatory changes at the time of their entrance which removed portability barriers between cellular operators, combined with various benefits and leniencies awarded to them by the MoC, resulted in increased competition in the market and has continued to lead to high levels of portability of cellular subscribers between cellular operators, which has negatively affected, and may continue to negatively affect, our results of operations. Cellcom Israel Ltd. ("Cellcom"), Golan Telecom Ltd. ("Golan Telecom") and Marathon 018 Xfone Ltd. ("Xfone") have a network sharing agreement which enabled Xfone to enter the market as the sixth facility-based operator. Xfone's entry into the market has increased competition levels in the cellular market, thus negatively affecting our results of operations. In June 2020, the Competition Authority approved Cellcom's purchase of Golan's entire share capital and in August 2020 Cellcom completed the purchase of Golan Telecom's entire share capital.
Competitive advantages of the two fixed-line infrastructure groups. The Bezeq Group and the HOT Group are the only Israeli telecommunications providers that have their own nationwide fixed-line telecommunications infrastructures. See "Item 3D.1a If the structural separation provisions which apply to Bezeq are not enforced or are removed (in part or in whole) before we have established ourselves in the fixed-line and TV markets, this would adversely affect our business and results of operations."
Because the Bezeq Group and the HOT Group operate their own nationwide broadband internet access and transmission infrastructures, they do not depend on any third party for broadband internet access. Partner (and other telecommunications services providers who do not have their own nationwide independent broadband internet access infrastructure) is unable to independently provide these services to most households, and is dependent on Bezeq and HOT in providing these services, substantially limiting our ability to compete.
Fixed-line infrastructure market. Our participation in the fixed-line infrastructure market since August 2017 entails significant long-term investments associated with infrastructure deployment, for which a positive return on the investment is not expected in the short term. Bezeq has executed a substantial part of the investments required for the deployment and operation of its own fiber-optic network, and commenced services in March 2021, which might substantially increase competition in this market.
ISP market. The MoC has published a hearing regarding a reform in the structuring of the Internet market. See "Item 4B.12e - x Hearings and Examinations- Hearings regarding a reform in the structure of the Internet Market". The hearing is aimed at ending the separation between the infrastructure service and the ISP service, thus allowing Bezeq and Hot to market a unified product (comprised of both infrastructure and ISP components). This may allow Bezeq and Hot to offer bundled services more effectively than we, and thereby gain a competitive advantage which could adversely affect our results of operations. See "Item 3D.1a If the structural separation provisions which apply to Bezeq are not enforced or are removed (in part or in whole) before we have established ourselves in the fixed-line and TV markets, this would adversely affect our business and results of operations."
TV market. The entrance of additional players has increased competition in the market which has caused a decline in the rate of growth of our market share. The reduced rate of growth may continue in the future.
Competition in Roaming Services. Some competing service providers use alternative technologies for roaming that bypass the existing method of providing roaming services. See "Item 3D.2n The telecommunications industry is subject to rapid and significant changes in technology and industry structure which could reduce demand for our services."
At December 31, 2015, we recorded an asset impairment of NIS 98 million for the fixed-line business in the ISP/VOB CGU. See "Item 5A.1e Impairment of Fixed-Line Assets and Goodwill ".
Continued increases in the level of competition for cellular or fixed-line services may bring further downward pressure on prices which may require us to perform further impairment tests of our assets. Such impairment tests may lead to recording additional significant impairment charges, which could have a material negative impact on our operating profit and profit.
As for other telecommunications companies in Israel and around the world, the novel COVID-19 disease had a harmful effect on the Company's business from March 2020 due in particular to the significant fall in the volume of international travel by our customers which caused a very significant decrease in revenues from roaming services. In addition, the closure of shopping malls for limited periods during 2020 and changes in general consumer behavior negatively affected the volume of sales of equipment and the increase in the number of people working from home caused increases in internet traffic and in demand for customer services.
The net impact on the Company's results for the year 2020 was material, but was partially mitigated by a set of measures implemented by the Company, including cutting costs in a number of areas and temporarily reducing the workforce by sending a significant number of employees on temporary unpaid leave during the year and by an increase in other revenue streams, in particular in the fixed-line market.
Although sales of equipment have recovered in recent months, revenues from roaming services continue to be significantly restrained. Furthermore, both the scope for the Company to mitigate the harmful effects in the future and the ultimate impact of the crisis on bad debts are uncertain.
In addition, risks remain regarding possible disruptions in the supply chain of our equipment, including handsets, spare parts for handsets, electronic equipment for our fiber-optic infrastructure and other items of equipment needed to continue to provide services to our customers and invest in our network.
Based on recent experience in several countries, a sharp spike in the number of affected persons may occur without warning, and the ultimate extent of the disease's spread cannot be foreseen. As a result, the final impact of the disease on our results of operations and financial position cannot be assessed at this time.
Cyber-attacks against telecommunications companies targeting their infrastructure and economic assets as well as their reputation have recently increased, and are intensifying in their frequency and complexity. These attacks have significant potential to lead to prevent the provision of services to customers, cause breaches of our customers' data privacy and damage to the business continuity of the Company and its financial situation. The Company continues to invest in systems to prevent such attacks and mitigate the risks associated with cyber-attacks, however these actions may not be able to prevent a significant attack of this type in the future. Moreover, the Company implements third-party vendor systems, and cyber-attacks against these vendors, their products and services might adversely affect the Company, its daily operations and financial condition. See "Item 3D.2f Equipment failures, system failures, natural disasters and hostile events such as acts of war or terror events may materially adversely affect our results of operations."
Furthermore, we cannot be sure that the insurance policies we have subscribed with respect to cyber risk will adequately cover or include the damage or losses resulting from successful cyber attacks or if we will be able to renew such insurance.
Our ability to provide ongoing services to our subscribers, bill for services rendered and protect company and subscriber data are all vulnerable to various types of risks.
Such risks may include equipment failures, network and infrastructure failures, computer and IT system failures, transmission outages, spectral interferences, failures or dysfunctions at third-party systems and networks and colocation data centers, natural disasters (such as fire, extreme weather and earthquakes), hostile events (such as acts of war, terror-attacks, see "Item 3D.2q The political and military conditions in Israel may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations."), and data breaches whether by employees or other third parties. If any such events do occur, they could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
System upgrade and moving into virtualized architecture of the network. During 2021, we will continue to upgrade our LTE and 5G mobile core networks into a virtualized solution provided by Mavenir Systems Limited ("Mavenir"). See "10C Material Contracts". During the upgrade, we plan to operate our existing Ericsson network and the new Mavenir network in parallel to aid in the transition to the upgraded network until all phases of the upgrade are completed. During the upgrade we will experience an increased risk of major system or business disruptions. Interruptions and/or failure of this upgraded network could disrupt our operations and impact our ability to provide our services, retain customers, attract new customers, or negatively impact overall customer experience, damage our reputation and result in legal proceedings and as a result might adversely affect our business and results of operations.See "Item 3D.2i We depend on a limited number of suppliers and vendors for key equipment and services. Our results of operations could be adversely affected if our suppliers and vendors fail to provide us with needed services and adequate supplies of network equipment, handsets and other devices or maintenance support on a timely and cost effective basis."
Like many other telecommunication companies, we have experienced an increase in cyber incidents over the past few years, which are increasing in their frequency, sophistication and intensity, some of which penetrated our cyber defenses, although no significant damage or loss of customer data resulted. We have integrated protective systems and prepared Disaster Recovery Plans ("DRP") to mitigate such and other related risks, and we regularly consider our defensive systems and evaluate their effectiveness, including through simulated cyber penetrations; however it is not possible to determine in advance whether our defense systems and recovery plans will continue to be entirely effective, or how quickly we will be able to restore any affected service.
As threats to our network, services and data continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant efforts and resources to enhance our control environment, processes, practices and other protective measures.
If despite such efforts, we are unable to operate our networks even for a limited period of time or provide some or all of the telecommunications services to a substantial portion of our customers, whether temporarily or for an extended period of time, or if data of our customers and others is lost or accessed by third parties, we may be exposed to legal claims and liability, we may be found to be in breach of our legal obligations towards our customers, our brand and reputation may be damaged, we may suffer a loss of customers, our ability to attract new customers may be impaired, and we may be required to compensate our customers (see "Item 8A.1 LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS). Such eventualities may negatively affect our business, and our short- and long- term results of operations may be materially adversely affected. See also "Item 3D.2e Cyber attacks impacting our networks or systems could have an adverse effect on our business."
In addition to a number of legal and administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business, we have been named as defendants in a number of civil and criminal proceedings related to our network infrastructure. These proceedings may result in civil liabilities or criminal penalties against us or our officers and directors. We also must defend ourselves agains customer claims, including class actions and requests to approve lawsuits as class action suits, regarding, among other matters, alleged breaches of the Consumer Protection Law and the Telecommunications Law as well as breaches of provisions of our licenses. Such claims and lawsuits are costly to defend and may result in significant monetary damages. See also "Item 3D.1i We are subject to monitoring and enforcement measures by the Ministry of Communications and other relevant authorities, which may adversely affect our business and results of operations." During the last few years, additional requests to approve lawsuits as class actions have been filed against the Company and we expect this trend to continue in light of various amendments to the Consumer Protection Law and the stricter regulatory policies that have been adopted. In cases where the courts have accepted the plaintiff's position, it may determine that we have breached our licenses or the law, which may adversely affect our financial results. The costs that may result from these lawsuits are only accrued when it is more likely than not that a liability, resulting from past events, will be incurred and the amount of that liability can be quantified or estimated within a reasonable range. The amount of the provisions recorded is based on a case-by-case assessment of the risk level, and events arising during the course of legal proceedings may require a reassessment of this risk. The Company's assessment of risk is based both on the advice of legal counsel and on the Company's estimate of the financial exposure if the verdict is in favor of the plaintiff. If the requests to certify lawsuits against us as class actions are approved and succeed or if we underestimate the potential exposure, our financial results will be adversely affected. See "Item 8A.1 Legal and Administrative Proceedings".
We are also subject to the risk of intellectual property rights claims against us, including in relation to innovations we develop ourselves and the right to use content, including television, video and music content, which we have purchased or licensed from third parties who present themselves as the owners or official licensors (or as the representatives of owners or licensors) of the intellectual property rights included in the content, when in fact they may not be. These claims may require us to initiate or defend protracted and costly litigation, regardless of the merits of these claims. If any of these claims succeed, we may be forced to pay damages or may be required to obtain licenses for the infringing content, product or service, which may affect our financial results. If we cannot obtain all necessary licenses on commercially reasonable terms, we may be forced to cease using, distributing or selling the products and services.
As of December 31, 2020, total borrowings and notes payables amounted to NIS 1,595 million, compared to NIS 1,780 million as of December 31, 2019. In addition, options to issue Series G notes are recorded on our balance sheet as a financial liability at fair value of NIS 4 million as of December 31, 2020. See also "Item 5B.4 Total net financial debt ". The terms of the Company's borrowings and notes payable require the Company to comply with financial covenants and other stipulations for existing borrowings. The existing borrowing agreements allow the lenders to demand an immediate repayment of the borrowings in certain events (events of default), including, among others, a material adverse change in the Company's business and non-compliance with the financial covenants set in those agreements. These events of default include non-compliance with the financial covenants, as well as other customary terms. See "Item 5B.2 Long-Term Borrowings ".
In addition, our need for cash to service our substantial existing debt may in the future restrict our ability to continue offering long-term installment plans to promote sales of equipment. As a result, our ability to continue benefiting from one of the current contributors to total Company profits may be limited. (See also "ITEM 5 OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS" and specifically "Item 5D.2 Outlook").
Our indebtedness could also adversely affect our financial condition and profitability by, among other things:
If our financial condition is affected to such an extent that our future cash flows are not sufficient to allow us to pay principal and interest on our debt, we might not be able to satisfy our financial and other covenants, and may be required to refinance all or part of our existing debt, use existing cash balances or issue additional equity or other securities. We cannot be sure that we will be able to do so on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.

Network suppliers. Our network equipment, such as switching equipment, base station controllers and base transceiver stations and network software were purchased from LM Ericsson Israel Ltd. ("Ericsson"). See "Item 4B.8g Suppliers". In January 2019, we entered into an agreement with Mavenir Systems Limited for the upgrade and improvement of the performance of our LTE network. As a result of our equipment having been provided by Ericsson and our current reliance on Mavenir, we are substantially dependent on these vendors and our operations and business results could be materially adversely affected if they cannot provide us with the required service and maintenance. See "Item 3D.2f Equipment failures, system failures, natural disasters and hostile events such as acts of war or terror events may materially adversely affect our results of operation" and "Item 10C Material Contracts".
Handset, infrastructure and other equipment suppliers. We purchase the majority of our handsets and other equipment from a limited number of suppliers.
TV equipment and content services. We purchase our TV set top boxes and applications from a single supplier and we purchase the rights to distribute sports content and premium content from a limited number of suppliers. See "Item 4B.8g Suppliers."
TV core network. We purchase our TV core network systems such as encoding systems, back office and content management system and video content system for the TV services we supply from a limited number of suppliers. See"Item 4B.8g Suppliers."
We cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain contracted services, equipment or handsets from one or more alternative suppliers on a timely basis in the event that any of our suppliers is unable to satisfy our requirements for services, equipment or handsets, or that the equipment provided by such alternative supplier or suppliers will be compatible with our existing equipment. Our handset and equipment suppliers may experience inventory shortages from time to time.
Our results of operations could be adversely affected if any of our key suppliers fails to provide us with contracted services or adequate supplies of handsets, equipment, as well as ongoing maintenance and upgrade support, in a timely manner. In addition, our results of operations could be adversely affected if the price of network equipment rises significantly. In our experience, suppliers from time to time extend delivery times, limit supplies and increase the prices of supplies due to their supply limitations and other factors. If the availability of handsets and other equipment furnished by our suppliers is insufficient to meet our customers' demands, we may lose opportunities to benefit from demand for this product, and our unserved customers may purchase the equipment independently which may adversely affect our revenues. In addition, the constant development of new handsets and other equipment can render existing handsets and other equipment obsolete resulting in high levels of slow moving inventory.
The collective employment agreements that we signed on March 13, 2016 and on December 12, 2016 with the employees' representatives and the Histadrut, the labor union representing the Company's employees, and that were valid for a period of three years (2016-2018) were renewed in March 2019. Accordingly, the renewed agreement is valid from January 1, 2019 for a period of three years until December 31, 2021. Similar to the previous agreements, the organizational chapter includes, among other terms, provisions regarding manning and changing of positions, termination of employment and tenure and the economic chapter includes, among others, provisions regarding terms of employment, benefits and welfare. See "Item 6D Employees". The unionization of our employees may lead to disruptions in our operations or cause work stoppages and has limited management's flexibility to efficiently run our business and adjust operations to market conditions, including the ability to execute organizational and personnel changes. It has resulted in increased costs and negatively affected our financial results, and may continue to do so in the future. The Company is expected to begin negotiations during the last quarter of 2021 to renew the collective employment agreement. If the Company reaches understandings with the employee representatives and the Histadrut, the Company may incur further expenses which could increase operating expenses and reduce profitability. Failure to reach an understanding with the employee representatives may lead to disruptions in our operations or cause work stoppages.
We entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Apple Distribution International, effective April 1, 2021, for the purchase and resale of iPhone handsets in Israel and the purchase of a minimum quantity of iPhone handsets per year, for a period of three years. These purchases represent a significant portion of our expected handset purchases over that period. If we fail to meet the minimum quantities and do not reach an agreement with Apple regarding this matter, we may be in breach of the agreement which may involve payment of damages, which would increase our costs.
Pursuant to the terms of the Network Sharing Agreement that we entered into with HOT Mobile as of April 2022, either party is entitled to notify of termination of the Network Sharing Agreement for convenience by notifying the other party to that effect two years in advance. See "Item 3D.1g The Network Sharing Agreement we entered into with HOT Mobile may be terminated earlier than we expected due to regulatory intervention. In such case we will be required to split the shared network with HOT Mobile, and the resources, time and expense it may take us to have our own network on a nation-wide coverage may be substantial and could also materially harm our business and the results of operations at such time. Network sharing and similar agreements entered into by our competitors may place us at a competitive disadvantage."
If and when the network sharing will end, we will need to split the shared network with HOT Mobile and the resources, time and expense it may take to have our own network on a nation-wide coverage would be substantial and could materially harm our business and results of operations at such time.
In order to attract and retain the maximum number of subscribers in our highly competitive market, we design specific tariff plans to suit the preferences of various subscriber groups. We require sophisticated information systems to record accurately subscriber usage pursuant to the particular terms of each subscriber plan, as well as accurate database management and operation of a very large number of tariff plans. From time to time, we have detected some discrepancies between certain tariff plans and the information processed by our internal information systems, such as applying an incorrect rebate or applying an incorrect tariff to a service, resulting in a higher or lower charge. We have invested substantial resources to refine and improve our information and control systems and ensure that our tariff plans are appropriately processed by our information systems. We have also taken steps to remedy the identified discrepancies. Despite our investments, we may experience discrepancies in the future due to the multiplicity of our plans and the scope of the processing tasks. Further, while we invest substantial efforts in monitoring our employees and third-party distributors and dealers that market our services, it is possible that some of our employees, distributors or dealers may offer terms and make (or fail to make) representations to existing and prospective subscribers that do not fully conform to applicable law, our license or the terms of our tariff plans. As a result of these discrepancies, we may be subject to subscribers' claims, including class action claims, and substantial sanctions for breach of our license that may materially adversely affect our results of operations.
A number of studies have been conducted to examine the health effects of wireless phone use and network sites, and some of these studies have been construed as indicating that radiation from wireless phone use causes adverse health effects. Media reports have suggested that radio frequency emissions from network sites, wireless handsets and other mobile telecommunication devices may raise various health concerns.
The Ministry of Health published in July 2008 recommendations regarding precautionary measures when using cellular handsets. The Ministry of Health indicated that although the findings of an international study on whether cellular phone usage increases the risk of developing certain tumors were not yet finalized, partial results of several of the studies were published, and a relationship between prolonged cellular phone usage and tumor development was observed in some of these studies. These studies, as well as the precautionary recommendations published by the Ministry of Health, have increased concerns of the Israeli public with regards to the connection between cellular phone exposure and illnesses.
In May 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer ("IARC"), which is part of the World Health Organization ("WHO"), published a press release according to which it classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans based on an increased risk for adverse health effects associated with wireless phone use.
In June 2011, WHO published a fact sheet (no. 193) in which it was noted that "A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use". It was also noted by WHO that "While an increased risk of brain tumors is not established, the increasing use of mobile phones and the lack of data for mobile phone use over time periods longer than 15 years warrant further research of mobile phone use and brain cancer risk in particular, with the popularity of mobile phone use among younger people, and therefore a potentially longer lifetime of exposure". WHO notified that in response to public and governmental concern it will conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radio frequency fields exposure by 2014. We are not aware that such an assessment has been published.
We have complied and are committed to continue to comply with the rules of the authorized governmental institutions with respect to the precautionary rules regarding the use of cellular telephones. We refer our customers to the precautionary rules that have been recommended by the Ministry of Health, as may be amended from time to time.
While, to the best of our knowledge, the handsets that we market comply with the applicable laws that relate to acceptable Specific Absorption Rate ("SAR") levels, we rely on the SAR levels published by the manufacturers of these handsets and do not perform independent inspections of the SAR levels of these handsets. As the manufacturers' approvals refer to a prototype handset, and not for each and every handset, we have no information as to the actual level of SAR of the handsets along the lifecycle of the handsets, including in the case of repaired handsets. See also "Item 4B.10g Other Licenses". Furthermore, our network sites comply with the International Council on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection standard, a part of the World Health Organization, which has been adopted by the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Several lawsuits have been filed in the past against operators and other participants in the wireless industry alleging adverse health effects and other claims relating to radio frequency transmissions from sites, handsets and other mobile telecommunications devices, including lawsuits against us.
A class action was filed against us and three other operators alleging, among other things, that health effects were caused due to a lack of cell sites, resulting in elevated levels of radiation, mainly from handsets. The plaintiffs stressed that health damages are not a part of the claim. Another class action was also filed against us and three other operators alleging, among other things, that the supply of accessories that are intended for carrying cellular handsets on the body are sold in a manner that contradicts the instructions and warnings of the cellular handset manufacturers and the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, and without disclosing the risks entailed in the use of these accessories when they are sold or marketed. In these two class actions, Partner and the plaintiff filed a settlement agreement, which the court approved.
In February 2009, a municipal court ruled against one of our competitors, stating that there is no need for the standard burden of proof to prove damages from a cellular network site, and that under certain circumstances it would be sufficient to prove the possibility of damage in order to transfer the burden of proof to the cellular companies. To the best of our knowledge, the defendant appealed the ruling and the ruling was dismissed as part of a settlement between the parties. Although we were not a party to this proceeding, such rulings could have an adverse effect on our ability to contend with claims of health damages as a result of the erection of network sites.
The perception of increased health risks related to network sites may cause us increased difficulty in obtaining leases for new network site locations or renewing leases for existing locations or otherwise in installing mobile telecommunication devices. If it is ever determined that health risks existed or that there was a deviation from radiation standards which would result in a health risk from sites, other telecommunication devices or handsets, this would have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition, including through exposure to potential liability, a reduction in subscribers and reduced usage per subscriber. Furthermore, we do not expect to be able to obtain insurance with respect to such liability.
We face competition from existing or future technologies that have the technical capability to handle mobile, fixed-line and international long distance telephone calls, and to interconnect with local and international telephone networks and the Internet. Such new and evolving technologies include fixed-line and broadband wireless access services, Over the Top or Internet-based voice and multimedia services, Wi-Fi technologies and VoC. For example, the use of Global SIM cards and internet-based services that provide user experience largely equivalent to our offerings, such as Voice over IP ("VoIP"), messaging services (such as WhatsApp and Skype), and video services (YouTube, video portals) are already available. The rapid development in recent years of technologies that allow international calls to be placed over the Internet without the need to use the services of an ILD has caused a decrease in the amount of international call minutes placed through the ILD services and also serve as an alternative for fixed-line communications. In particular, the risk posed by VoIP is that the purchase of a data package alone will partially replace the provision of most cellular voice, data and messaging services. In addition, the eSIM technology, which allows for a simple switch to a local SIM card in mobile phones, might adversely affect our revenues from the cellular segment and increase volatility in the telecommunications sector.
The effect of emerging and future technological changes, including the convergence of technologies, on the viability or competitiveness of our network cannot be accurately predicted. The technologies we employ or intend to employ may become obsolete or subject to competition from new disruptive technologies in the future. Competition from new technologies in the future may have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Moreover, global equipment vendors and Internet providers have expressed their interest in penetrating the cellular telephone industry and strengthening their position along the value chain. They have expressed their intention, and some have already begun, to provide direct access to the end-user to a wide variety of applications and services (e.g Apple with iTunes and Google with the Android market). This has already changed our competitive position and may further increase the dominance of those new providers at the expense of cellular service providers. Changes in the industry value chain structure might result in an increase in our expenses as well as a decrease in our revenues.
Our ability to provide commercially viable fixed-line and cellular telephone services depends upon our ability to interconnect with the telecommunications networks of existing and future fixed-line, cellular telephone and international operators in Israel in order to complete calls between our customers and parties on the fixed-line or other cellular telephone networks. All fixed-line, cellular telephone and international operators in Israel are legally required to provide interconnection to, and not to discriminate against, any other licensed telecommunications operator in Israel. We have interconnect relations with all the Israeli operators, including Bezeq and HOT Telecom, and we also depend on their internet broadband access infrastructure in order to provide TV, ISP services and VoB fixed telephony services. See "Item 3D.1c If the Ministry of Communications fails to enforce its fixed-line wholesale market reforms on Bezeq and HOT Telecom, fails to lower the wholesale price for use of their fixed-line networks, or fails to prevent Bezeq or HOT Telecom from lowering their retail prices for fixed-line services (to the point of not allowing the necessary margin for its competitors in this segment), our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected." and "Item 3D.1a If the structural separation provisions which apply to Bezeq are not enforced or are removed (in part or in whole) before we have established ourselves in the fixed-line and TV markets, this would adversely affect our business and results of operations."
We are also dependent on the submarine infrastructure made available by TI Sparkle Israel (formerly Med Nautilus), which provides mutual international transmission based on fiber-optics between Israel and other countries. See "10C Material Contracts" as well as Tamares Telecom Ltd. We also depend on foreign operators that provide us with interconnection to the global internet network.
We also rely on agreements to provide ILD services to our subscribers. However, we cannot control the quality of the service that other foreign telecommunication companies provide or whether they will be able to provide the services at all, and it may be inferior to our quality of service.
Our television services are provided over the internet. Because a significant proportion of our television subscribers are also subscribers to our wholesale internet infrastructure service, any growth in the volume of data such television subscribers (as well as ISP and wholesale market subscribers) consume during peak hours translates into an increase in the payment to the infrastructure holders for access to their infrastructure.
We have no control over the quality and timing of the investment and maintenance activities that are necessary for these entities to provide us with interconnection to their respective telecommunications networks. Disruptions, stoppages, strikes and slowdowns experienced by them may significantly affect our ability to provide telecommunication services. The failure by our suppliers to provide reliable interconnections and transmission services to us on a cost effective and consistent basis could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The political and military conditions in Israel directly influence us. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a number of armed conflicts have taken place between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Hostilities involving Israel, the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its trading partners and political instability within Israel or its neighboring countries are likely to cause our revenues to fall and harm our business. During the last decade, there has been a high level of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, including missile strikes by Hamas against Israel, which led to an armed conflict between Israel and the Hamas over the past few years. In the last few years, Iran has threatened to attack Israel with nuclear weapons. There is evidence that Iran has a strong influence among extremist groups in areas that neighbor Israel, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria. This situation may potentially escalate in the future to violent events which may affect Israel and us. Ongoing violence between Israel and its Arab neighbors and Palestinians may have a material adverse effect on the Israeli economy, in general, and on our business, financial condition or results of operations. During such periods, incoming and outgoing tourism may be affected which consequently may have an adverse effect on our financial results. In particular, in recent conflicts, missile attacks have occurred in civilian areas, which could cause substantial damage to our infrastructure network, reducing our ability to continue serving our customers as well as our overall network capacity. In addition, in the event political unrest and instability in the Middle East, including changes in some of the governments in the region, causes investor concerns resulting in a reduction in the value of the shekel, our expenses in non-shekel currencies may increase, with a material adverse effect on our financial results.
Some of our directors, officers and employees are currently obligated to perform annual reserve duty. Additionally, all reservists are subject to being called to active duty at any time under emergency circumstances. In addition, some of our employees may be forced to stay at home during emergency circumstances in their area. We cannot assess the full impact of these requirements on our workforce and business if conditions should change.
During an emergency, including a major communications crisis in Israel's national communications network, a natural disaster, or a special security situation in Israel, control of our network may be assumed by a lawfully authorized person in order to protect the security of the State of Israel or to ensure the provision of necessary services to the public. During such circumstances, the government also has the right to withdraw temporarily some of the spectrum granted to us. Under the Equipment Registration and Mobilization to the Israel Defense Forces Law, 1987, the Israel Defense Force may mobilize our engineering equipment for their use, compensating us for the use and damage. This may materially harm our ability to provide services to our subscribers in such emergency circumstances, and would thus have a negative impact on our revenues and results of operations.
Moreover, the Prime Minister of Israel may, under powers which the Telecommunications Law grants him for reasons of state security or public welfare, order us to provide services to the security forces, to perform telecommunications activities and to set up telecommunications facilities required by the security forces to carry out their duties. While the Telecommunications Law provides that we will be compensated for rendering such services to security forces, the government is seeking a change in the Telecommunications Law which would require us to bear some of the cost involved with complying with the instructions of security forces. Such costs may be significant and have a negative impact on our revenues and results of operations.
There is an inherent risk of potential abuse by individuals, groups, businesses or other organizations that use our telecommunications services and avoid paying for them entirely or at all. The effects of such fraudulent activities may be, among others, a loss of revenue and out-of-pocket expenses which we will have to pay to third parties in connection with those services, such as interconnect fees, payments to international operators or to operators overseas and payments to content providers. Such payments may be non-recoverable. Although we are taking measures in order to prevent fraudulent activities, we have suffered from these activities in the past, and we may suffer from them in the future. The financial impact of fraudulent activities that have occurred in the past has not been material. However, fraudulent activities may in the future materially affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Nearly all of our revenues and a majority of our operating expenses are denominated in shekels. However, in recent years, approximately one quarter of our operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization), including a substantial majority of our equipment purchases, were linked to or denominated in non-shekel currencies, mainly the US dollar. These expenses, where the price paid by us is based mainly in US dollars, included the acquisition of equipment and devices sold, payments for roaming services and payments to content suppliers. In addition, our capital expenditures include payments that are incurred in, or linked to, non-shekel currencies, mainly US dollars. A decline in the value of the shekel against the dollar (or other foreign currencies) could have an adverse impact on our results, which may be material if we are unable to pass on higher costs to our customers in the Israeli market. Material changes in exchange rates may cause the amounts that we must invest to increase materially in shekel terms.
Since May 2013, we have not entered into any derivative transactions to hedge underlying exposure to foreign currencies. As a matter of policy, we do not enter into transactions of a speculative or trading nature.
We have also entered into a number of operating leases whose rental payments are linked to the Israeli CPI. A significant increase in the rate of inflation may therefore have a material adverse impact upon us by increasing our financial expenses. See "ITEM 11 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK" for more information regarding the Company's exposure to exchange rate fluctuations and inflation.

Our efforts to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 relating to the evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting require substantial resources, management time and attention. We expect these efforts to require a continued commitment of resources. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting. Although our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020, we may identify material weaknesses or other disclosable conditions relating to internal control over financial reporting in the future. Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in investigation or sanctions by regulatory authorities and significant effort and expense, and could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and on the market price of our ordinary shares.
There is no assurance that we will declare dividend distributions in the future or regarding the level of any dividend distribution which may be declared. No dividends have been distributed since 2013, although we repurchased 6,501,588 shares of the Company 2018 for a cost of NIS 100 million. A distribution of dividends that may result in a significant reduction of our future reserves could prevent us from complying with existing or future financial covenants, or limit our ability to fund capital expenditures. We may also be required to increase our financial indebtedness to obtain needed liquidity, which may not be possible on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
If we are unable to pay dividends at levels anticipated by our shareholders, the market price of our shares may be negatively affected and the value of our investors' investment may be reduced.
We are subject to taxation in Israel, and significant judgment is required in determining our provisions for taxes on income. We are also subject to audits by the Israeli tax authorities, including in relation to VAT payments. In such audits, it is possible to present our case according to our interpretation of tax legislation, and the relevant tax authorities may disagree, and then also challenge the amount of our profits subject to tax in Israel.
While we believe that our estimates are reasonable, the final outcome of these audits and related legal litigations, in so much as they may occur, may differ from the amount of our provisions for taxes and therefore may affect our operating results. See also note 25 to our consolidated financial statements and "Item 5A.1c Settlement Agreement with Orange Brand Services Ltd."
On November 12, 2019, the District Court of Tel Aviv ("the Court") issued a court order ("the Court Order") under which attorney Ehud Sol (the "Receiver") was appointed as receiver for 49,862,800 of the Company's shares, representing as of March 1, 2021, approximately 27.12% of our issued and outstanding share capital and the largest block of shares held by a single shareholder. The shares (the "Pledged Shares") had been purchased by S.B. Israel Telecom Ltd. ("S.B. Israel Telecom") from Advent Investments Pte Ltd ("Advent") in 2013; in connection with the purchase, S.B. Israel Telecom assumed certain debt owed to Advent, and agreed that such debt would be secured by, among other things, the Pledged Shares. S.B. Israel Telecom defaulted on the payment, and on November 11, 2019, consented to enforcement and foreclosure proceedings with respect to the Pledged Shares.
The Court Order was issued due to an application filed by Advent ("Advent's Application") and granted the Receiver substantial rights related to the Pledged Shares, including the right to participate in our shareholders' meetings, to vote the Pledged Shares, to receive dividends, and any contractual right related to the Pledged Shares, although as noted below, the Receiver may not sell or transfer the Pledged Shares without the Court's approval. Without derogating from those rights of the Receiver, S.B. Israel Telecom remains the holder of legal title to the Pledged Shares. On December 9, 2019, the Ministry of Communications granted, within its powers, a permit to the Receiver to exercise means of control of the Company by himself. As a result, the Receiver has the power to substantially influence the nomination of the Company's Board of Directors and to play a preponderant if not decisive role in other decisions taken at meetings of our shareholders. The Receiver is expected to hold such rights until the Pledged Shares are sold or transferred to Advent, actions that would require the Court's approval according to the Court Order and Advent's Application. S.B. Israel Telecom has agreed that it would not raise an objection to such a transfer to Advent if it occured within 9 months of November 11, 2019, the date of its consent; On December 9, 2020, Advent submitted an application to exercise means of control of the Company, but to the best of our knowledge, such application has not yet been answered.
The Receiver is to exercise the rights associated with the Pledged Shares based on its judgment and subject to the Court's orders and approvals. Neither the Receiver nor Advent, as applicable, is obligated to provide us with financial support or to exercise its rights as a shareholder in our best interests or in the best interests of our other shareholders and noteholders, and it may engage in activities that conflict with such interests. If the interests of the Receiver or Advent, as applicable, conflict with the interests of our other shareholders and noteholders, those shareholders and noteholders could be disadvantaged by the actions that it may pursue. However, the Receiver or Advent, as applicable, are subject to the fairness duty of a controlling shareholder under the Israeli Companies Law, and, in the context of related party transactions, to vote for the approval of transactions which are in favor of the Company. See "Item 6C.9 Duties of a Shareholder".

We were incorporated in Israel under the laws of the State of Israel on September 29, 1997, as Partner Communications Company Ltd. Our products and services were marketed under the "Orange" brand until February 16, 2016, when it was replaced with the "Partner" brand. Our principal executive offices are located at 8 Amal Street, Afeq Industrial Park, Rosh Ha'ayin 48103, Israel (telephone: +972-54-7814-888). Our website addresses are www.partner.co.il, www.012mobile.co.il and https://www.012.net/. Information contained on our websites does not constitute a part of this Annual Report. Our authorized U.S. representative is Puglisi and Associates, 850 Library Avenue, Suite 204, Newark, Delaware, 19711 and our agent for service in the United States is CT Corporation System, 28 Liberty St., New York, New York 10005.
Since our incorporation, we have achieved a number of important milestones:
In July 2006, we purchased Med-1 I.C.–1 (1999) Ltd.'s fiber-optic transmission business for approximately NIS 71 million, in order to enable us to reduce our transmission costs as well as to provide our business customers with bundled services of transmission of data and voice and fixed-line services.
In January 2007, we were granted a domestic fixed license by the Ministry of Communications, and in February 2007 we were granted a network termination point license.
For information on our capital expenditures for the last three financial years, and for the principal capital expenditures currently in progress, see "Item 4B.8 Our Network" and "Item 5B.4 Total Net Financial Debt-Capital Expenditures".

Partner Communications Company Ltd. is a leading Israeli telecommunications company, providing a wide integrated and customized range of cellular and fixed-line telecommunication services, including infrastructure, international long distance (ILD), internet services provider (ISP), television and other services as well as related equipment. We offer our subscribers a full range of products and services to address a broad range of communications needs based on advanced technologies and competitive tariff plans.
As a comprehensive communications group, we supply our services through two business segments:
At December 31, 2020, we had approximately 2,836 thousand cellular subscribers, representing an estimated 27% of total Israeli cellular telephone subscribers at that date. As of that date, approximately 88% of our subscriber base (approximately 2,495 thousand subscribers) subscribed to post-paid tariff plans and 12% (approximately 341 thousand subscribers) subscribed to pre-paid tariff plans. (For a definition of "subscriber", see "Item 3A Selected Financial Data").
Our GSM/UMTS network covers 99% of the Israeli population, and our LTE network covers 99% of the Israeli population, in line with the deployment milestones in our license. We currently operate our GSM network in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, the UMTS network in the 900 MHz and 2100 MHz band and the LTE network in the 700, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz bands. We already deployed 800 LTE sites in the 700MHz band. Our services provided on our network include standard and enhanced services, as well as value-added services and products. See "Item 4B.5 SERVICES AND PRODUCTS".
We market our cellular services and products mainly under the Partner brand as well as under the 012 Mobile brand;
and
Our fixed-line services are marketed under the Partner and 012 brands.
In 2020, Partner was named by Marketest, a multi-discipline research and consulting firm, as the leading company among the largest telecommunications companies in Israel for its customer service.
In 2020, we were named by the Maala organization in their highest platinum plus category for corporate social responsibility for the thirteenth consecutive year.
We believe that the following special characteristics differentiate the Israeli market from other developed cellular telecommunications markets. In particular, as noted below, on-going, significant changes in regulations applicable to cellular operators have created a complex environment specifically intended to substantially increase competition:
Bezeq and HOT Telecom are the only telecommunications services providers with their own nationwide fixed-line infrastructure. IBC, along with the infrastructure that it acquired from Cellcom, is deploying its fiber-based fixed-line services and is obligated to reach a 68% deployment within five years of the grant of its license. Partner is deploying its fiber-optic lines in some areas across Israel.
Bezeq is the incumbent provider of fixed-line telephony services in Israel and holds a majority of the market. The remaining portion of the market is divided between HOT Telecom, the next largest provider, Cellcom and Partner.
Broadband and Internet services. The fixed-line internet access market used to be divided into two tiers of services: infrastructure services and ISP service. Since February 2015, with the launch of the wholesale market reform, ISPs have begun to market bundled packages which include both (Bezeq's) infrastructure and ISP components. Since 2019, HOT Telecom began to offer wholesale services on its cable infrastructure.
The Ministry of Communications declared its intention to provide an incentive for Bezeq to implement the wholesale market by reducing the regulations requiring Bezeq to maintain a "structural separation" between its fixed-line and its TV services and other telecommunications operations. See "Item 3D.1a If the structural separation provisions which apply to Bezeq are not enforced or are removed (in part or in whole) before we have established ourselves in the fixed-line and TV markets, this would adversely affect our business and results of operations. "
In September 2020, Cellcom announced that it, together with the Israel Infrastructure Fund, entered into an investment transaction with Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd ("HOT") in IBC. According to Cellcoms' announcement, HOT shall become an equal partner in IBC, and hold indirectly 23.3% of IBC's share capital. This merger was approved by the Competition Authority and approved subject to certain conditions by the MoC. See "Item 4B.9b Competitors in Fixed-line Services".
Internet access is currently provided by three major Internet service providers, or ISPs: Netvision from the Cellcom Group, Bezeq International and Partner, as well as some other niche players. All three major providers are also suppliers of ILD services (see below).
The MoC has recently published a hearing in which it suggested a reform in the structure of the ISP market which would end the split of this segment into two tiers and allowing Bezeq and Hot Telecom to market a unified product. See "Item 4B.12e - x Hearings and Examinations- Hearings regarding a reform in the structure of the Internet Market".
The three major players in ILD services in Israel are: Partner, Bezeq International and Cellcom. The other players are Xfone and Telzar 019 International Telecommunications Services Ltd., which commenced operations in 2011, and Hashikma Communications Marketing Ltd., Golan Telecom and HOT Mobile, that commenced operations in 2012. Beginning in 2012, as part of the unlimited packages that the cellular companies began offering their customers, most of them, including the Company, included ILD services to certain destinations in these packages. Proposed regulations intend, among others, to allow all general telecommunications licensees (including MVNOs) to provide international call services to international destinations included in their subscribers' tariff plans and only calls to destinations not included in the subscriber's plans would be routed through ILD providers. See "Item 4B.12e - x Hearings and Examinations-Intervention in international call market". Such regulations may alter the ILD market structure in Israel and decrease the volume of international calls routed through ILD providers.
Partner's strategy is to further reinforce its position as a comprehensive telecommunications company that offers an entire range of telecommunication solutions to a variety of customers, and we strive to lead the market in service as well as technology. The most recent elements in pursuit of this strategy that continued to be pursued during 2020 were the launch of the 5G network, further rapid deployment of our fiber-optic infrastructure and the continued increase in our market share in the television market. The success and synergies of the variety of services that we offer, particularly from TV and fiber, strengthens customer loyalty and increases customer satisfaction. Along with the challenges that the COVID-19 crisis has presented for the Company, we also see opportunities due to the broadened understanding of the importance of quality communication services, with an emphasis on stable and fast internet services as well as changes in TV viewing habits, including an increase in bundled packages which offer streaming services.
The principal elements of our business strategy are as follows:
• Offer our customers a range of cellular and fixed-line services and added value services. For our core businesses we intend to continue to offer our customers a wide integrated and customized range of cellular and fixed-line telecommunications services. In addition, we offer our customers tailored value-added services that combine an entire array of solutions including: network and data infrastructures, advanced information security solutions, integration solutions, and for our business customers, designated services for customers with multiple branches and commercial networks, business information storage in a secured and advanced data center and cloud services. Our value strategy, 'Partner More', allows us to offer our customers for each of our products, packages that include value-added services and provide the customer with a richer experience than the basic services. This strategy generates more revenue per customer. This strategy of offering our customers higher value services at competitive prices has proven itself since the cellular churn rate in 2020 was the lowest since 2011, which attests to our customers' satisfaction and loyalty.
Further extend deployment of a fiber-optic infrastructure over which the Company offers high quality internet services which will increase our independence vis-à-vis the fixed-line infrastructure operators. Our investment in our fiber-optic infrastructure, which we commercially launched in August 2017, is part of our strategy to maintain our technological leadership in the market. Our fiber-optic infrastructure, which has already reached approximately two thirds of the cities throughout Israel, enables us as a comprehensive communications group to offer increased internet speeds compared to current market offerings, enhance the quality of service and customer experience, and provide additional advanced services. The combination of the fiber-optic network and Partner TV Service, which can be offered over our fiber-optic infrastructure, provides us with a unique advantage and reduces our dependency on the fixed-line infrastructure operators, thus reducing our on-going operating costs, which has proven to be essential during COVID-19, when internet demand significantly spiked. In addition, our strategy of connecting our fiber-optic infrastructure to Bezeq's network at the local level (to the Multi-Service Access Gateway -"MSAG" component) has reduced and will continue to reduce the cost of our use of Bezeq's BSA wholesale service. By connecting our fiber-optic infrastructure to Bezeq's MSAGs we save a substantial portion of the cost involved in providing the wholesale infrastructure service (such a connection at the local level reduces the cost of the variable component from the wholesale tariff). To date, we already reached more than 760 thousand households with our independent fiber-optic infrastructure while we continue to connect customers at the highest internet speed in Israel of up to 1000 Mb per second in dozens of cities throughout the country and the number of fiber-optic subscribers totaled 139 thousand as of year end 2020. As a result of regulatory decisions regarding deployment, we were able to further decrease our installation costs during 2020. In 2021, we intend to accelerate the deployment of our fiber-optic infrastructure as well as to connect additional customers to the service. See "Item 5D.2 Outlook". The independent network will also constitute a base for future cellular technology network development. In addition, there is potential for future investments in the fiber-optic infrastructure to be shared through cooperation with other operators and/or potential wholesale activities.
Lead in technology and innovation in our cellular network in order to remain at the technological edge. Based on public reports, Partner's shared radio network has the widest 4G coverage in Israel compared to other cellular operators. See "Item 4B.8 OUR NETWORK". As part of our strategy to remain a leading telecommunications operator in the cellular market and offer more advanced services, we intend to continue investing in 2021 in both our shared network as well as in our core cellular network. We intend to continue to expand advanced technologies, for instance LTE Advanced, VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling and Nb-IoT. Following our strategic accomplishment in August 2020 of acquiring 4G and 5G frequencies in the frequency auction tender, during 2021, the Company will continue to expand the roll out of the 5G network towards becoming the leading 5G network in Israel.
We continuously utilize a variety of marketing tools and channels in order to strengthen our brand presence in the market and promote sales.
In 2020, we continued to reinforce our position as a comprehensive telecommunications company that offers an entire range of telecommunication solutions to our customers with an emphasis on the growth engines of TV services and our fiber-optic infrastructure while emphasizing the value strategy.
We have created a brand promise to the customer that includes all of our product lines and ensures that they have a partner that gives them more. This promise implements Partner's value strategy, that each of the product lines have packages that include value added services and provide the customer with a richer experience than the basic service.
In the second half of 2020, we re-formulated the brand story, and Partner's vision. We redefined the set of values that make up the brand: innovation, progress, internationalism and optimism. We have formulated a new communication strategy in order to continue to position Partner as the most innovative company in the telecommunications market in Israel. In addition, we have formed a new creative language, adopting the 5G icon and integrating it with our brand name: Partner 5G.
In 2021, we will continue to work on brand differentiation and strengthen consumer perceptions stemming from the brand story through a focus on the innovation arena across all product lines. In order to create a cross-effect between the various product lines, and in order to enjoy the overall brand aura, we will work communicatively in all product lines, and create RTB (reason to believe) to collect a premium.
We advertise our brand and services in a variety of media channels, including press, television, radio, digital and social networks. Our advertising emphasizes leading and innovative product services and technologies and is targeted to various market segments using several languages.
In 2020, approximately 69% of our revenues (excluding inter-segment revenues) was derived from our cellular segment and approximately 31% of our revenues (excluding inter-segment revenues) was derived from our fixed-line segment.
Our main business is cellular telephony - including basic cellular telephony services, text messaging, internet browsing and data transfer, content services, roaming services, M2M and IOT services, handset repair services and services provided to other operators that are permitted to use the Company's cellular network. Cellular content and value-added services offered include multimedia messaging, cyber protection, cloud backup, ringtones, music streaming service and a range of business services.
We offer our customers roaming services abroad, which allow a mobile phone subscriber to place and to receive cellular services while in the coverage area of foreign networks owned by operators with whom we have commercial roaming agreements. Our roaming packages allow our customers to benefit from attractive rates in nearly 180 destinations. We offer data-only packages as well as packages that combine calls, data and SMS.
At December 31, 2020, we had commercial roaming relationships with 541 operators in 183 countries or jurisdictions, 335 3G roaming agreements in 177 countries and 145 4G roaming agreements in 72 countries. Creating roaming relationships with multiple operators in each country increases potential incoming roaming revenue for us and gives our subscribers more choice in coverage, services and prices in that country. The 3G and 4G roaming agreements enable our 3G roamers to initiate video calls, high speed data and video and audio content while abroad.
The Ministry of Communications may introduce new regulations that would limit our revenues from roaming services. See "Item 4B.12e - x Hearings and Examinations".
Although GSM (2G), UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) are standardized, the frequency allocation per each technology varies from one country to another. Currently we operate our GSM services on the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, UMTS on 900 MHz and 2100 MHz bands and LTE on 700, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz bands. All 4G handsets which we sell, support all the above listed technologies and bands while 3G handsets support the above listed bands for GSM and UMTS. Most of the handsets support 700 Mhz, depending on the vendor. While roaming, there is a possibility that a subscriber's handset will not support all the technologies due to lack of support of a country's specific frequency bands; however this is rare in GSM and UMTS, due to technology maturity. Standardization bodies allow for more than 27 different LTE bands and since LTE in many countries utilizes reframed GSM and UMTS bands, there may be cases where handsets do not support the frequency allocated for LTE in specific countries.
Equipment and device sales in the cellular segment include sales and leases of cellular handsets and related cellular devices and accessories, mainly to retail customers but also to some wholesale customers. Until 2017, some sales of digital audio-visual devices and other cellular related devices were also recorded under the cellular segment. However, as from 2017, in view of updates to our sales strategy and the launch of television services, sales of Wi-Fi only devices and other devices not directly related to cellular services, including televisions, are recorded under the fixed-line segment instead of the cellular segment.
We offer fixed-line services that include internet services, ILD services, transmission services, telephony services (including SIP services), TV services and high speed broadband fiber-optic infrastructure.
Television services. In June 2017, we launched our OTT television services that provide our customers with an enhanced user interface experience of television services based on an open platform, Android TV. Partner TV service offers our customers dozens of live linear channels, including "catch up" capability of up to 14 days, video on demand library, direct access to YouTube and Netflix content through a dedicated button on our remote control allowing our customers to access their favorite show with a simple click. We also enable customers to subscribe and pay for Netflix through the Partner TV bill. Partner TV service also supports full integration of Amazon Prime Video. Our TV service also includes a fully supported 4K set-top box with an Android TV operating system which enables the viewer to add content, games and music applications directly from the Google Play store. Our full TV service can also be accessed by smartphones, tablets, Apple TV boxes, Smart TVs and personal computers ("TV everywhere") and we continue to work on developing our smart TV offerings. Approximately 75% of our TV subscribers have bundled offerings. Partner TV service, which has the highest growth rate among all TV operators in Israel, reached approximately 232 thousand subscribers as of December 31, 2020. In the second week of January, a technical malfunction occurred in the Partner TV service during which viewing was disrupted for some of the customers to the point of disabling the service to all customers for a short period of time. As of the date of publication of this report, the number of subscribers is approximately 234,000. The rate of growth from the beginning of 2021 mainly reflects the temporary impact of the malfunction in the television broadcasts mentioned above. All of our TV service set top boxes support our super aggregator strategy, which enables our customers the ability to access leading streaming services in the world using a single interface, thereby creating a competitive advantage for us in the market. Partner TV is available on additional compatible platforms including PCs and a smart TV platform on leading brands such as Samsung, LG and Hisense. Since 2019, we offer an addressable TV advertisement system based on an integrated advertising management platform-Google Ad manager that enables the targeting of specific audiences and maximizes the ability of the Android TV set top boxes.
• High speed broadband fiber-optic based network. In 2017, we launched the commercial phase and acceleration of our fiber-optic infrastructure in residential areas throughout the country, which provides for the first time a more advanced and cost-effective alternative to the existing fixed infrastructure in Israel. To date we have already reached more than 760 thousand households across Israel with our fiber-optic based infrastructure and the number of fiber-optic subscribers totaled 139 thousand as of year-end 2020. See "Item 4B.8d Fiber-optic infrastructure".
In addition to standard fixed-line value-added services, we offer a variety of value-added services such as defense and security services for the computer and e-mail that include, among others, parental monitoring control, firewall, web hosting, anti-virus and site filtering based on the customer's restriction definition, and other value added internet services including hosting, cloud-based hosted services and virtual switchboard. We also offer an upgraded data center that provides customers with business solutions on a secure site including hosting services (storage and maintenance of physical and virtual servers, website hosting, information storage and disaster recovery site), management communication services, and integrated services.
Equipment and device sales in the fixed-line segment include sales and rental of modems, domestic routers, servers and related equipment, including a device to increase wi-fi coverage, tv screens, integration project hardware and a variety of digital audio-visual devices, audio accessories and related devices. In addition, we provide our business customers with office communication Private Branch Exchanges (PBX). This service, available on the premises or cloud-based, provides all telephony services including unified communication features as well as Direct Inward Dialing (DID), which provides a block of telephone numbers for calling into the customer's PBX system. DID allows us to offer our customers individual phone numbers for each person or workstation within the company without requiring a physical line into the PBX for each possible connection.
As of December 31, 2020, approximately 88% of our cellular subscriber base (approximately 2,495 thousand subscribers) subscribed to post-paid tariff plans, and 12% (approximately 341 thousand subscribers) subscribed to pre-paid tariff plans. Revenues from post-paid subscribers represent over 90% of total cellular service revenues.
Business cellular tariff plans. Our post-paid cellular business tariff plans offer features attractive to business users such as bundles including large amounts of call minutes (usually 5,000 minutes) and SMS as well as browsing packages; bundles with fixed amounts of call minutes and SMS and browsing packages; tariff plans with fixed tariffs for airtime usage without adding the interconnect charges imposed by other cellular and fixed-line providers for calls made by our subscribers that terminate on third party networks; and providing discounts for calls to designated numbers within a subscriber's calling circle. Some of these bundles also include a limited amount of international call minutes and other value-added services. We also offer dedicated plans for data usage (eg. for use with dongles or with cellular routers) which offer large browsing packages. Furthermore, some of our contracts with large business customers with over 100 subscribers include commitment terms with exit fees for early termination.
Private customer cellular tariff plans. Most of our post-paid cellular tariff plans for private customers are bundles including large amounts of call minutes (usually 5,000 minutes) and SMS as well as browsing packages. Many of these bundles also include a limited amount of international call minutes and other value-added services such as cybersecurity, antivirus, cloud backup and other solutions and extended handset warranty plans. In addition, we offer a limited number of bundles with fixed amounts of call minutes and SMS and browsing packages. The elements of our cellular tariff plans for post-paid private customers are packaged and marketed in various ways to create tariff packages attractive to target markets, including families, military personnel, youth, students, family members of business customers and other sectors. We also offer dedicated plans for data usage (eg. for use with dongles or with cellular routers) which offer large browsing packages. Our private customer subscriber agreements do not have any commitment periods.
The Company also markets cellular tariff plans under an alternative brand, "012 Mobile". Under this brand, the Company offers plans mainly under a digital self-service model through a dedicated website (including web-chat with customer representatives) at competitive prices. These tariff plans were launched in order to compete with offers of new operators launched in 2012. Under our pre-paid plans, upon purchase of a SIM card or phone card or prepayment by credit card or cash, customers can use our network, including some of our value-added services, without the need to register with us or enter into any contract. Our pre-paid plans enable us to compete in the pre-paid cellular services market.
Fixed-line tariff plans. For our Fixed-Line Services, we have a wide range of diverse plans and bundles to meet the needs of the various sub-markets-ISP, ILD, transmission, TV, fiber, VOB and PRI. . In the ILD services market we have tariff plans based on call destinations and level of use. Our Internet Service prices and our wholesale infrastructure and fiber-optic infrastructure services prices are based on bandwidth speed. We offer a variety of internet solutions for home and business use according to each customer's needs.
We apply a multi-channel approach to target various market segments and to coordinate our cellular and fixed-line sales and services strategy for both our business as well as private customers. Our customer support and service provides several channels for our customers: call centers, Interactive Voice Response ("IVR"), walk-in centers, digital media such as Facebook and self-service support, which include web-based services, including Facebook, mobile application, automated SMS messaging and digital chat.
Call Centers. Guided by our aim to provide high quality service, our call-center services are divided into several sub-centers including business, private and pre-paid for cellular and fixed-line services, and specialized support and services (finance, network, international roaming, TV services and support and infrastructure fiber internet service and support). The call center services are provided in several languages and also provide digital services through the Company's websites and SMS services. These services are provided internally by company employees as well as by outsourcing services.
Walk-in Centers. We currently operate 22 service and sales centers across Israel and 21 Partner stands in shopping centers throughout the country. These centers provide a face-to-face, uniformly designed, contact channel and offer all services that we provide to customers: sales, handset upgrade, handset maintenance, fixed-line sales, accessories sales fixed-line services (such as Internet and TV) and other services (such as finance, rate-plan changes and subscription to new services). Lease agreements for our retail stores and service centers are for periods of two to ten years. We have the option to extend the lease agreements for different periods including the initial lease period. See also note 19 to the consolidated financial statements.
Self-Service. We provide our customers with various self-service channels, such as IVR, web-based services, and services via SMS, mobile, smartphone applications and WhatsApp. The services provided through these channels include general and specific information, tariff plan information and the ability to update them, account balance, billing-related information, roaming tariffs and payment of past due bills. They also provide customers with information regarding trouble shooting and handset operation, and enable customers to activate services as well as to purchase various services.
Technical support. The Company's technicians provide our customers with support services and initial TV and fiber installation and repair services.
All of our service channels are monitored and analyzed regularly in order to ensure the quality of our services and to detect areas that require improvement.
Management Systems. Our management systems are certificated and monitored by IQC (The Institute for Quality Control, an RVA accredited Certification Body authorized by Bureau Veritas Quality International) to the appropriate international standards:
ISO 9001:2015, which focuses on fulfillment of clients and legal requirements;
ISO 14001:2015, which coordinates our commitment to habitat and environment;
ISO 45001:2018, which directs our efforts to provide a safe and healthy work environment at our premises; and
ISO 27001:2013, which focuses on the management of information security.
We distribute our services and products through direct sales channels and indirect sales channels.
4B.6b - i Direct Sales Channels
Sales and Service Centers: Our walk-in centers in stores and malls also serve as sales centers. The face-to-face contact enables customers to get the "touch and feel" of new handsets, tablets, accessories and services demonstrated by our representatives.
Direct Sales Force: Our sales force is comprised of sales and service representatives.
Our sales force undergoes regular training to improve their skills in selling advanced solutions such as cellular data, intranet extension and connectivity, virtual private networks, location based services, M2M services, TV, fiber, internet infrastructure and other value-added services that appeal to corporate customers.
We have agreements with many traditional dealers that provide over 41 points of sale, selling a range of our products. The private dealer network is an important distribution channel because of its ability to attract existing cellular users to our network. Our dealer network focuses primarily on sales to individual customers and, to a lesser extent, small business customers. These dealers specialize in sales for postpaid customers, handset sales, TV, fiber, infrastructure and internet.
In addition we have agreements with prepaid distributors that specialize in sales for pre-paid customers and distribution of pre-paid plans to sub-dealers.
We also have specific dealers that target different segments of the Israeli population with the appropriate style, language and locations. We provide regular training to employees of our dealers to update them on our products and services. Our managers visit dealers on a regular basis to provide information and training, answer questions and solve any problems that may arise. We pay our dealers commissions; however, dealers are not entitled to commissions for any customers that terminate their service within 90 days of activation.
Our cellular and fixed-line services are also available to be purchased online. We also manage an online service for the purchase of handsets and other equipment.
Our standard customer agreements with most of our private customers do not include commitment periods, since they are generally not permitted under Israeli law. Some of our business customers that have more than 100 cellular subscribers enter into an agreement with a commitment period of up to 36 months, as do some of our fixed-line customers with monthly invoices of over NIS 5,000. Customers are billed monthly for charges per services. Roaming access for direct debit cellular customers is subject to credit scoring by our credit supervisors with the assistance of outside credit agencies and may require additional guarantees or deposits.
Our customers pay for their services by credit card or by direct bank debit. All credit card accounts are subject to an initial maximum credit limit each month, which varies depending upon the type of credit card and for which we obtain prior approval from the card issuer. When a customer account reaches this limit, we may seek approval from the card issuer. If the card issuer does not grant the approval, we may require the customer to provide other means of payment or arrange an increase in the approved limit from his credit card issuer. If this does not occur, the customer's usage may be limited or suspended, after receiving our prior notice of such limitation or suspension, until we receive a cash deposit or guarantee from the customer.
Most of our customers pay for equipment devices with long term financing plans whereby the customer pays for the equipment through monthly payments (generally between 12 and 36 months), which are charged directly to their credit card or to their monthly bill. Where the customer opts to pay the monthly payments via their monthly bill, the outstanding installment payments are not secured. Customers acquiring more than a certain number of device sales are subject to a credit scoring review performed by Partner's credit supervisors with the assistance of outside credit agencies. During 2019, changes were made to the credit scoring review process whereby stricter requirements were imposed for customers to be accepted for long term financing plans. These changes significantly reduced the level of sales of equipment with long term financing plans.
We have built an extensive, resilient and advanced cellular networks to provide cellular, fixed-line, ISP and TV services in Israel. We have also developed and are continuing to expand a fiber-optic infrastructure network to improve nationwide communications. Through these networks, we offer our customers extensive coverage and consistently high quality services. During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, we made capital expenditures of NIS 237 million and NIS 251 million (\$78 million), respectively, in our network infrastructure, including in our fiber-optic infrastructure. See "Item 5B.4 Total net financial debt-Capital expenditures".
Our network is a converged fixed and mobile telecommunications network. For mobile services we built a multi generation (2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G) wireless network, which offers full interactive multimedia capabilities. This technology brings wire-free networks significantly closer to the capabilities of fixed-line networks. Improvements in coding and data compression technology provide better voice quality and more reliable data transmission. 5G is the most advanced mobile network technology which is currently available in more than 250 of the macro base stations as well as our LTE network which has nationwide coverage based on the existing spectrum of 1800 and 2100 MHz bands. For our fixed-line services we have built a geographical redundant network in case of a network malfunction.
Cellular Network Sharing Agreement. In 2013, we entered into a 15-year Network Sharing Agreement with HOT Mobile that was approved by the Antitrust Authority Commissioner in 2014 and by the Ministry of Communications in 2015. Pursuant to the agreement, the parties created a 50-50 limited partnership in the form of a limited partnership under the name P.H.I. Networks (2015) Limited Partnership ("PHI"), the purpose of which is to operate and develop the radio access network that is shared by both partiesbased on both parties' radio access network infrastructures to create a single shared pooled radio access network ("Shared Network"). The parties have also established a 50-50 company limited by shares under the name Net 4 P.H.I Ltd. that is the general partner of the limited partnership. In 2015, we were allocated a frequency bandwidth of 5MHz in the 1800MHz spectrum as a result of the 4G frequencies tender conducted by the Ministry of Communications in 2015. PHI started to operate in 2015, at which time each of Partner and HOT Mobile transferred to PHI certain employees who were previously engaged in their respective radio operations. Both companies continue to compete and differentiate their services and be responsible for providing cellular telecommunication services to its own customers, including the provision of customer service, value-added services, marketing and sales. Each company continues to retain and operate its own core network. In August 2020, we acquired through a MoC tender 2x5 MHz in 700 band, 2x10 MHz in 2600 band and 50 MHz in 3500 band (as the 5G frequency). HOT Mobile acquired the same bandwidths.
According to the Network Sharing Agreement, HOT Mobile paid Partner a onetime amount of NIS 250 million ("Lump Sum"), and since April 1, 2016, (i) each party bears half of the expenditures relating to the Shared Network, and (ii) responsibility for the operating costs of the Shared Network is apportioned according to a pre-determined mechanism, according to which one half of the operating costs are shared equally by the parties, and one half are divided according to the relative volume of traffic of each party in the Shared Network ("Capex-Opex Mechanism"). See "Item 5A.1d Network Sharing Agreement with HOT Mobile" and notes 9 and 26(d) to the consolidated financial statements with respect to balances and transaction with PHI.
In 2014, the Antitrust Commissioner approved the Network Sharing Agreement, subject to conditions, the most important of which are set forth below:
• After a period of seven years from the date of the Commissioner's approval or after a period of six years from the issue date of all the approvals of the Ministry of Communications, whichever is earlier, the Commissioner shall be allowed to notify the companies of the cancellation of his resolution, if he has concluded that the establishment of PHI, its existence or operations are liable to be substantively detrimental to the competition ("Cancellation Notice"). If a Cancellation Notice is issued, a graduated layout of dismantling PHI activity was set in the Commissioner resolution, as follows: a. at the end of two years after the issuance of the Cancellation Notice, PHI shall cease all activity apart from the management, maintenance and operation of the passive elements of the network.
b. at the end of five years after the issuance of the Cancellation Notice, the companies shall dismantle PHI and shall separate their assets fully and entirely.
In April 2015, the Ministry of Communications also approved the Network Sharing Agreement.
As of December 31, 2020, our Shared Network consisted of the following main elements:
Our core network domain consists of 2 DRP switching centers nationwide, in which the cellular, fixed-line, ISP, TV and the fiber networks reside.
Ericsson was our sole radio and core network equipment supplier, however in January 2019, we entered into an agreement with Mavenir Systems Limited for the replacement and modernization of our packet core network (EPC- Evolved Package Core) and the IMS (IP Multimedia Sub System) supporting VOLTE and WiFi calling technologies into a virtualized solution provided by Mavenir. As part of the transition to the modernized network, we are continuing to integrate Mavenir's EPC (virtualized EPV) and Vims (virtualized IMS) equipment with the Ericsson equipment. See "Item 4B.8g Suppliers".
Our cellular networks covered 99% of the Israeli population at year-end 2020. We are continuing to expand and improve the coverage, capacity and quality of our 4G and 5G radio accesses.
Our fixed-line network domain consists of circuit-switched and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platforms. Ericsson, Dialogic Networks, Broadsoft, AudioCode and ACME Packet supplies our VoIP solution, whereas the circuit-switched services utilize the mobile switching center platforms alongside Dialogic Network's switches. The International Long Distance network domain consists of Dialogic ILD Switch, together with NSN's Signaling Transit Point.
In addition, our network is interconnected with two public switched telephone companies, Bezeq and HOT Telecom, in several locations across Israel. Our network is also connected to all of the cellular networks, all the Israeli international operators, the fixed-line telephone network of the Palestine Telecommunication Co. Ltd. ("Paltel"), and the cellular network of Wataniya Palestine Mobile Telecommunication Company ("Wataniya"), and indirectly to the cellular network of Palestine Cellular Communications Ltd. ("Jawwal"). Our transmission network is made up by our own microwave links and fiber-optic infrastructure, including our multi protocol label switching (MPLS) network, while for sites that are unreachable with our own transmission, we lease lines from Bezeq and other operators. Currently approximately 5% of our transmission network consists of leased lines. Our fiber-optic/MPSL network and microwave transmission network enables us to reduce our transmission costs as well as to provide our customers with bundled services of data and voice transmission and fixed-line services. Currently, our transmission network has more than 2,374 kilometers of fiber-optics and more than 13 hundred microwave links. See "Item 4B.8d Fiberoptic infrastructure".
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Our primary cellular network design objective is to further expand and improve our network to provide HD (high definition) voice quality, video streaming and internet browsing with high reliability, and the best user experience based on high capacity and nationwide coverage. In formulating our network design objectives, we have been guided by our business strategy to continue to broaden the highest quality network by best network standards. In order to enhance user experience, starting in the fourth quarter of 2018, we launched a project to expand coverage and capacity for a 4G network based on the 700 MHz frequency temporarily received from the Ministry of Communications, and in the second half of 2020 we launched the 5G new radio (NR).
We use monitoring probes and counters to ensure network quality.
In our Fixed-Line business we offer telephony lines using VoB technology, SIP voice trunks, PRI, Internet Services, FTTH and ILD services targeting households and business customers in the Israeli market. These services are provided mainly over our existing network infrastructure. In order to provide the Fixed-line Services in the residential market, we developed a variety of CPEs (all in one router and modem), that provides the customer with a setup of a home network Wi-Fi, Voice FXS and DECT supported phones, Internet services and built-in firewall.
In 2006, we purchased Med-1 I.C.–1 (1999) Ltd.'s fiber-optic transmission business. Since then we have continued to expand our fiber-optic infrastructure, and in 2017, we commercially launched services provided through the network. Our investment in the expansion of our fiber-optic infrastructure is part of our strategy to maintain our technological leadership in the market, compared to current market offerings. As of March 2021, we have reached already more than 760,000 households with our independent fiber-optic infrastructure (FTTH), and we expect to complete the major phase of the deployment during the year 2023.
The fiber-optic infrastructure enables us as a comprehensive communications group to offer increased internet speeds compared to current market offerings, manage the quality of service and customer experience, and offer additional advanced services. The combination of the fiber-optic infrastructure together with Partner TV Service, which is also offered over our fiber-optic infrastructure, provides us with a unique advantage and reduces our dependency on the 3PTY fixed-line infrastructure operators.
MoC Regulations and an amendment to the Telecommunications Law now allow us to make use of the ducts and manholes (and other passive network elements) deployed by landline domestic operators (including Bezeq and HOT) in order to deploy our own fiber-optic cables.
The Company is currently considering several bids it has received from various investors to acquire 20% of the rights to use the Company's existing and future fiber-optic infrastructure for services to private households. There is no certainty that such a transaction will be executed and/or receive the required approvals for its completion.
Spectrum availability is limited and is allocated by the Ministry of Communications through a licensing process. Pursuant to the terms of our license and subsequent allocations, we were allocated 2x10.4 MHz in the 900 MHz frequency band, of which 2 x 2.4 MHz are shared with Jawwal which operates in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and an additional 2 x 2.4 MHz of Jawwal's spectrum is partially available to us.
We were also allocated two additional bands of spectrum: 2 x 10 MHz of UMTS/HSDPA third generation in the 2100 MHz frequency band. We operate GSM 900 MHz band base transceiver stations that enhance the capacity of our network's quality. In May 2012, we shifted 5MHz of our 900MHz spectrum from the 2G GSM network to the 3G HSPA+ network. In July 2014, we shifted 10MHz of our 1800MHz spectrum from the 2G GSM network to the 4G LTE network. In March 2015, the Minister of Communications approved the results of the tender bid process in which we won an additional 2x5 MHz in the 1800 spectrum. HOT Mobile was also awarded two bandwidths of 5 MHz of frequencies in the 1800 band, both of which are used for the limited partnership created by the companies. Now that we have been allocated these frequencies, and have successfully refarmed our existing frequency bands and successful implemented the Network Sharing Agreement with HOT Mobile, our total spectrum available for 4G is 50 MHz, which allows us to offer full 4G services. See "Item 4B.8a Overview – Cellular Network Sharing Agreement". We have amended the technical annex to our license in order to allow us to refarm some of our existing spectrum (in the 2100 MHz band) for the implementation of LTE Advanced and carrier aggregation technologies. In February 2017, the MoC approved the refarming (the conversion of existing frequencies to a different technology) of these frequencies. In August 2020, we acquired through an MoC tender 2x5 MHz in 700 band, 2x10 MHz in 2600 band and 50 MHz in 3500 band. The total bandwidth in our 4G network is comprised of the existing10 MHz in 700 band and in addition 20 MHz in 2600 band as well as an additional100 MHz in 3500 band to 5G network.
For a discussion of the risks associated with regulatory developments in spectrum allocation, see "Item 3D.1b The MoC might require us to terminate the use of certain spectrum ranges which have been allocated to us, limit our use of such spectrum, fail to respond to our demands for the allocation of additional spectrum, or conduct the tender for additional frequencies in an unsuitable format. Such eventualities may adversely affect our business and results of operations."
Once a new coverage area has been identified, professional staff determines the optimal base station location and the required coverage characteristics. The area is then surveyed to identify network sites. In urban areas, typical sites are building rooftops. In rural areas, masts are usually constructed. Professional staff also identifies the best means of connecting the base station to the network, for example, via leased or owned and operated microwave or fiber links or wired links leased from Bezeq. Once a preferred site has been identified and the exact equipment configuration for that site decided, the process of obtaining necessary approvals begins.
The erection of most of these network sites requires building permits from local or regional authorities, as well as a number of additional permits from governmental and regulatory authorities, such as:
See "Item 4B.12h Network Site Permits" for a description of the approvals that are required for the erection and operation of network sites and the requirement to provide indemnification undertakings to local committees.
Suppliers for our cellular network. We purchased our network equipment, such as switching equipment, base station controllers and base transceiver stations and network software, from Ericsson, who was our sole supplier of cellular core equipment and systems. During 2020, we entered into a maintenance and support agreement with a third party that provides maintenance for Ericsson equipment. In January 2019, we entered into an agreement with Mavenir Systems Limited for the replacement and upgrade of our EPC and IMS. See "Item 3D.2i We depend on a limited number of suppliers and vendors for key equipment and services. Our results of operations could be adversely affected if our suppliers and vendors fail to provide us with needed services and adequate supplies of network equipment, handsets and other devices or maintenance support on a timely and cost effective basis." See also "Item 10C Material Contracts".
We continue to purchase certain network components, for our cellular, fixed and ISP services, from various other key suppliers. For example, Juniper Networks provides the Company with solutions for ISP and MPLS network segments.

Handset and other equipment suppliers. We entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Apple effective April 1, 2021, for the purchase and resale of iPhone handsets in Israel for a three-year period. See "Item 10C Material Contracts". During 2020, we purchased the majority of the Company's handsets from Apple and Samsung. We also purchase handsets and other equipment, including tablets and laptops, from other vendors.
Suppliers for TV content and equipment. In 2017, we partnered with Netflix, the world leading internet entertainment network, to make its services directly accessible through our TV service. Furthermore, in April 2018, we announced a unique collaboration with Amazon Prime Video, making Partner TV the first and only television service in Israel to offer Amazon Prime Video application on a set top box and the first Over the Top service in the world to support this application on an Android TV set top box.
In addition, we have agreements with well known suppliers in the industry for the provision of the following:
Suppliers for our fixed-line network. Bezeq and HOT Groups own the majority of the fixed-line telecommunications infrastructures in Israel. As a result, we use interconnection with the Bezeq and HOT Groups' infrastructure. Most of our broadband customers use Bezeq and Hot infrastructure which connects to Partner's ISP network. In addition, for international connectivity to all major Western European countries and the United States, we use Tamares Telecom Ltd. and TI Sparkle Israel (formerly Med Nautilus), who supply the Company with transmission services through their submarine infrastructures. See "Item 10C Material Contracts".
Dialogic Inc. and Broadsoft Inc. supply us with switches for the fixed-line telephony services based on Internet Protocol ("VoIP") and circuit switched calls.
All telecommunications providers with general licenses in Israel have provisions in their licenses requiring them to connect their networks with all other telecommunications networks in Israel. Currently, our network is connected directly with all other telecommunications networks operating in Israel.
We currently operate without any formal interconnect agreements with Bezeq with respect to our cellular network. Day-to-day arrangements with Bezeq substantially conform to a draft interconnect agreement negotiated with Bezeq. Bezeq is required by law not to discriminate against any licensed telecommunications operator in Israel with respect to the provision of interconnect services. We currently pay Bezeq an interconnection fee based on a tariff structure set forth in the Interconnection Regulations (Telecommunications and Broadcasts) (Fees for Interconnection) (2000) ("Interconnection Regulations").
We have formal interconnect agreements with all Israeli cellular and with the other fixed-line and voice over cellular companies. The interconnect tariffs are set forth in the Interconnection Regulations that impose a uniform call interconnect tariff for all cellular operators.
Our network is connected directly to Paltel, the Palestinian fixed-line operator, Wataniya, a Palestinian cellular operator, and indirectly to Jawwal, the cellular operator of Paltel. The interconnect tariffs are set out in commercial agreements.
One of our subsidiaries, Partner Land-Line Communications Solutions LP ("Partner Land-Line"), has a domestic fixed-line license and is connected directly with other telecommunication networks operating in Israel. The interconnection fees are set by the Interconnection Regulations.
An overview of our principal competitors and of some aspects of the competitive environment for telecommunications services is set forth below. For further information regarding the impact of regulation and regulatory changes on competition, including measures to enable new service providers to enter the market, and the competitive pressures arising from the development of full-service telecommunications providers and new technologies, see "Item 3D.1 Risks Relating To The Regulation Of Our Industry." and "Item 3D.2a Largely as a result of substantial and continuing changes in our regulatory and business environment, our operating financial results, profitability and cash flows have declined significantly in recent years, including a loss for the year 2015. In 2020 we earned profits of NIS 17 million (US\$ 5 million) compared with profits of NIS 19 million for 2019 and over NIS 50 million for each of the years between 2016 and 2018. Should existing trends continue, our operating results may continue to decline in 2021 and possibly beyond, and may also result in losses, which would adversely affect our financial condition."
Within the Israeli telecommunications market there are 4 major communication groups: Bezeq, HOT, Cellcom and Partner, as well as a number of smaller operators. See "Item 3D.2b Competition resulting from the full service offers by telecommunications groups and additional entrants into the telecommunications market, as well as other actual and potential changes in the competitive environment and communications technologies, may continue to cause a further decrease in mobile and fixed-line service tariffs as well as an increase in subscriber acquisition and retention costs, and may reduce our subscriber base and increase our churn rate, each of which could adversely affect our business and results of operations."
There are currently five cellular telephone network operators in Israel: Partner, Cellcom, Pelephone, HOT Mobile, and Xfone. Except for Xfone, these cellular operators are part of the four main telecommunications groups. In addition, there are six active MVNO operators – Golan Telecom, Hashikma Communications Marketing Ltd., ("Rami Levy"), Telzar 019 International Telecommunications Services Ltd. ("Telzar"), Free Telecom Ltd. ("Free Telecom"), Cellact Communications Ltd. ("Cellact") and Lev Anatel Ltd.
We compete principally on the basis of telecommunications service quality, brand identity, variety of handsets and other equipment, tariffs, value-added services and the quality of customer services.
The table below sets forth an estimate of each operator's share of total subscribers in the Israeli cellular market at year-end for the years 2016 to 2020.
| Estimated Market Shares* | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner | 26% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 27% |
| Cellcom** | 28% | 27% | 27% | 26% | 31% |
| Pelephone | 23% | 23% | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| HOT Mobile | 14% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 13% |
| Others | 9% | 10% | 12% | 14% | 6% |
* Based on Partner subscriber data, as well as information contained in published reports, and public statements issued by other operators.
** Includes Golan Telecom as of 2020.
Cellcom. Cellcom is an Israeli corporation founded in 1994 that is traded both on the Tel Aviv stock exchange as well as NYSE. Cellcom's major beneficial shareholder is Discount Investment Corporation Ltd. In August 2011, Cellcom acquired Netvision, an Israeli fixed-line operator. Cellcom operates nationwide cellular telephone networks as well as fixed-line telephony, transmission and data services and has partially deployed LTE. In 2014, Cellcom launched OTT television services. In March 2017, Cellcom announced that it received regulatory approval for a networking sharing and hosting services agreement with Xfone. In April 2017, Cellcom announced that following receipt of regulatory approvals, its 3G and 4G networking sharing and 2G hosting services greement with Golan Telecom, came into effect. In March 2019, Cellcom reported entering into definitive agreements for investment in IBC and indefeasible right of use in IBC's fiber-optic infrastructure and a term sheet for the sale of fiber-optic infrastructure in residential areas to IBC, which was approved by the Competition Authority in January 2021 and by the MoC in February 2021. In July 2019, Cellcom reported the completion of the transaction. In June 2020, the Competition Authority approved Cellcom's purchase of Golan Telecom's entire share capital. We cannot yet assess the full impact of these transactions on our results of operations.
Pelephone. Pelephone is an Israeli corporation that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bezeq, Israel's largest telecommunications provider and the primary fixed-line operator that is controlled by B Communications Ltd.
HOT Mobile. HOT mobile is held indirectly by the Altice Group, a French media group, controlled by Mr. Patrick Drahi, who also holds control of HOT Telecommunications Systems Ltd. ("HOT Telecommunications"). The HOT Group's main areas of activity are multi-channel television services, fixed-line telephony services, PRI, internet broadband access, transmission and data communications services as well as ISP services through its subsidiary HOT-NET. In January and February 2021, the Competition Authority and the Minister of Communications respectively approved a transaction whereby HOT Telecommunications became an equal partner in IBC, holding indirectly 23.3% of IBC's share capital. We cannot yet assess the full impact of this transaction on our results of operations.
In April 2015, the MoC approved a 15-year network sharing agreement between Partner and HOT Mobile pursuant to which the parties created a limited partnership to operate and develop a radio access network to be shared by both parties. See "Item 4B.8 Our Network- Cellular Network Sharing Agreement".
Golan Telecom. Since April 2017, Golan Telecom, is held by Electra Consumer Products Ltd., ("Electra") following the acquisition from Michael Golan, Xavier Niel and the Parienti family. In April 2017, Electra announced that following receipt of regulatory approvals, it finalized the acquisition of Golan Telecom and the 3G and 4G networking sharing and 2G hosting services agreement with Cellcom which came into effect. Golan Telecom began operations in early 2012 after winning a Ministry of Communications' tender offer for frequencies in the 2100 MHz spectrum. In addition, in August 2020, Cellcom completed the purchase of Golan Telecom's entire share capital. Following approval of this purchase by the MoC, Golan Telecom was awarded an MVNO license in August 2020, which replaced its cellular license.
Xfone. Xfone is a privately owned telecommunications company that provides telecommunications services, was awarded a 5MHz frequency band in the 1800 spectrum and entered the market as the sixth facility-based cellular operator in 2018. Xfone offers cellular services as well as ISP and ILD services.
MVNOs. The Ministry of Communications has granted MVNO licenses to various companies, some of which have entered into hosting agreements with cellular operators. The major MVNOs are Golan Telecom, which is now fully owned by Cellcom; Rami Levy, which is a subsidiary of a major Israeli discount supermarket chain; Telzar, an ILD operator and Cellact which is owned by Cellact Ltd., a communications group active also in the content field.
In May 2013, we signed an MVNO agreement with Telzar with respect to their use of Partner's network as an MVNO.
In addition, Paltel operates a GSM mobile telephone network under the name "Jawwal" in the Palestinian Administered Areas. Paltel also operates a fixed-line network. Paltel's GSM network competes with our network in some border coverage overlap areas. A second Palestinian operator, Wataniya launched its GSM network during 2009.
Several service providers offer competitive roaming solutions. The service is offered, among others, by the International Long Distance vendors as well as by specialized enterprises.
Market Saturation. Because the Israeli cellular market has reached a level of full saturation, except for natural market growth through the growth of population, any acquisition of new subscribers by any service provider typically results in a loss of market share for its competitors.
In the fixed-line market, our main competitors are Bezeq, Israel's largest telecommunications provider and the primary fixed-line operator, HOT Telecom, and other telecommunication services providers, including Cellcom who operate in the fixed-line market. The Bezeq Group, the HOT Group and Cellcom provide cellular telephony services, ILD services, PRI, internet broadband access, ISP services, transmission and data communications services and multi-channel television services.
We compete principally on the basis of the variety of telecommunications services and offers which include bundled and triple service packages, service quality, brand identity, the variety of handsets and other equipment, tariffs and value-added services.
The Bezeq Group. The Bezeq Group is under structural separation rules which apply to management, employees, assets, marketing and finance, and data systems. Starting in 2010, the Ministry of Communications has allowed the Bezeq Group to market bundled telecommunications services to the private sector, subject to certain conditions and limitations, including provisions which prevent Bezeq from discounting the price of bundled services from their unbundled prices and from including its fixed-line telephony service within bundles. See "Item 4B.2- Broadband and Internet services." Following implementation of the broadband wholesale market, the requirement for structural separation may be removed or eased, which would allow Bezeq to take advantage of its nationwide presence and crosssubsidization to market and sell more competitive and attractive offers than we will be able to offer. Bundled offerings have become more frequent in Israel and have caused price erosion in the services included. See "Item 3D.1a If the structural separation provisions which apply to Bezeq are not enforced or are removed (in part or in whole) before we have established ourselves in the fixed-line and TV markets, this would adversely affect our business and results of operations."
The HOT Group. The HOT Group may offer a bundle of services only including fixed-line telephony, broadband infrastructure and multi-channel television ("Triple"). The bundle of services currently offered by the HOT Group may also include Cellular and ILD services, subject to the MoC's approval.
The Ministry of Communications allowed HOT Telecom LLP, HOT Telecommunication and HOT Mobile to sell and market each other's services and exchange information regarding such marketing activities.
Once an effective wholesale fixed-line market is operating, the Ministry of Communications may cancel the structural separation imposed on the Bezeq and HOT Groups. This will allow the groups to offer attractive bundles that include all of the above services that may result in a loss of market share by Partner in all relevant telecom markets. See "Item 3D.1a If the structural separation provisions which apply to Bezeq are not enforced or are removed (in part or in whole) before we have established ourselves in the fixed-line and TV markets, this would adversely affect our business and results of operations."
The Cellcom Group. Cellcom provides landline telephony, transmission, PRI, ISP and data services through inland fiber-optic transmission and complementary microwave links to business customers and private sectors. Since February 2015, Cellcom began marketing an ADSL infrastructure product (wholesale Bit Stream Access service provided over Bezeq's network). During 2015, Cellcom entered the television market using hybrid OTT-DTT television services which may be bundled with additional IP TV or over the top (OTT) offerings. In August 2020, Cellcom completed the purchase of Golan Telecom's entire share capital.
In the ILD services market, we compete with Netvision from the Cellcom Group, Bezeq International, Xfone, Hashikma Communications Marketing Ltd., Telzar 019 International Telecommunication Service Ltd, Golan Telecom International Ltd. and HOT Mobile International Telecommunications Ltd.
In the ISP services market, we compete with Netvision, Bezeq International, HOT Net from the HOT Group, Xfone, Triple C Cloud Computing Company Ltd., Telzar 019 International Telecommunication Service Ltd, Qwick linq 011 International Ltd., and 099 Primo Communications Ltd.
In the TV services market, we compete with Yes, a subsidiary of Bezeq, which offers TV services provided via satellite and via OTT; In 2019 Bezeq announced that Yes will migrate its satellite based broadcasting TV services to OTT, HOT that offers TV services provided via cable and via OTT, Cellcom that offers hybrid OTT-DTT TV services and Triple C Cloud Computing Company Ltd. that offers TV services via OTT. In addition, there are international VOD content providers that offer complementary TV content. See also "Item 4B.2 Special characteristics of the Fixed-Line Telecommunications Industry in Israel".
Israel Broadband Company (IBC). IBC received a general license for the provision of fixed-line telecom services (infrastructure) and for the establishment of a nationwide fiber-optic network using the Israeli Electric Company's infrastructure in August 2013. Although IBC is in principle permitted to provide its services only to other telecommunications licensees on a wholesale basis, IBC has introduced a new business model which enables it to reach the retail market through the services of ISPs who sign agreements with them. Initially, IBC had agreements with the relatively small ISPs, however in March 2019, Cellcom reported entering into definitive agreements for investment in IBC and indefeasible right of use in IBC's fiber-optic infrastructure and a term sheet for the sale of fiber-optic infrastructure in residential areas to IBC, which was completed in July 2019. In August 2018, the MoC announced its decision to allow IBC to apply for a new license, thereby replacing its universal deployment obligation with an obligation to reach only 40% of Israel's households within 10 years from the grant of such license. In January 2020, the MOC published a consultation in which it proposed that IBC would be allowed to offer its infrastructure services directly to end-users in bundles which include the ISP services of other suppliers. The MOC also proposed that IBC would be allowed to offer its infrastructure services and ISP services directly to the business segment. However, the MOC did not cancel IBC's exclusive right to use the Israeli Electric Company's infrastructure nor did it require IBC to pay back the NIS 150 million grant which it received from the State. In January 2021, the Competition Authority approved HOT's acquisition of a 23.3% stake in IBC which was approved by the MoC in February 2021 and which will require IBC among other things to expand its universal deployment obligation to reach 68% of Israel's households within 5 years from the grant of its license. See "Item 4B.12e - ix Approval of the HOT-IBC Merger".
We depend upon a wide range of information technology systems to support network management, subscriber registration and billing, customer service, marketing and management functions. These systems execute critical tasks for our business, from rating and billing of calls, to monitoring our points of sale and network sites, to managing highly segmented marketing campaigns. We have devoted resources to expanding and enhancing our information technology systems, including Customer Relations Management ("CRM") systems, which have contributed to our customers' satisfaction with our service, as well as updating our financial management and accounting system. We believe these systems are an important factor in our business success.
While many of our systems have been developed by third-party vendors, all of them have been modified and refined to suit our particular needs. In certain instances, we have developed critical information technology capabilities internally to meet our specific requirements. In connection with our transformation into a diversified multi-service communications provider, we have completed significant milestones in our CRM upgrade project. In addition, the Company invested resources to improve the quality of the IT processes and billing accuracy.
We are the registered owners of the trademark "Partner" in Israel with respect to telecommunications-related devices and services, as well as additional trademarks. We have also registered several internet Web domain names, including, among others: www.partner.co.il. 012 Smile is the registered owner of several trademarks in Israel with respect to telecommunications-related services that include the numbers "012". In addition, 012 Smile has registered several internet Web domain names, including, among others, www.012.net and www.012.net.il. Partner is the assignee in a patent application filed in 2012 that claims a method for delivering short messages originated by roaming prepaid subscribers. A Notice of Allowance was issued for the application in 2013 and a patent was issued in 2014.
In addition, we are a full member of the GSMA Association. In conjunction with the promotion and operation of our GSM network, we have the right to use their relevant intellectual property, such as the GSM trademark and logo, security algorithms, roaming agreement templates, and billing transfer information file formats. We are eligible to remain a member of the GSMA Association for as long as we are licensed to provide GSM service.
We operate within Israel primarily under the Telecommunications Law, the Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance (New Version), 1972 (the "Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance"), the regulations promulgated by the Ministry of Communications and our telecommunication licenses. The Ministry of Communications issues the licenses which grant the right to establish and operate mobile telephone and other telecommunication services in Israel, and sets the terms by which such services are provided. The regulatory framework under which we operate consists also of the Companies Law, the Securities Law, the Planning and Building Law, the Consumer Protection Law, 1981, and the Non-Ionizing Radiation Law. Additional areas of Israeli law may be relevant to our operations, including antitrust law, specifically the Economic Competition Law, 1988 (previously titled the Restrictive Trade Practices Law, 1988) the Class Actions Law, 2006, the Centralization Law, 2013 and administrative law.
The principal law governing telecommunications in Israel is the Telecommunications Law and related regulations. The Telecommunications Law prohibits any entity, other than the State of Israel, from providing public telecommunications services without a license issued by the Ministry of Communications.
General licenses, which relate to telecommunications activities over a public network or for the granting of nationwide services or international telecommunications services, have been awarded to the Bezeq Group, to the HOT Group, to other cellular operators besides Partner and to the international operators. In addition, the Ministry of Communications has granted MVNO licenses to a number of companies. During 2015 and 2016, the Ministry of Communications substituted almost all of the MVNO licenses and all general licenses for ILD services and unique-general licenses for fixed line services, with a single type of general unified license which governs all the services regulated under all of such licenses.
The Ministry of Communications has the authority to amend the terms of any license. The grounds to be considered in connection with such an amendment are government telecommunications policy, public interest, the suitability of the licensee to perform the relevant services, the promotion of competition in the telecommunications market, the level of service and changes in technology. The Ministry of Communications may also make the award of certain benefits, such as new spectrum, conditional upon the licensee's consent to a license amendment. The Ministry of Communications also has the authority to revoke, limit or suspend a license at the request of the licensee or when the licensee is in breach of a fundamental condition of the license, when the licensee is not granting services under the license or is not granting services at the appropriate grade of service or when the licensee has been declared bankrupt or an order of liquidation has been issued with respect to the licensee. Public interest may also be grounds for the rescission or suspension of a license.
The Ministry of Communications, with the consent of the Ministry of Finance, may also promulgate regulations to determine interconnect tariffs, or formulae for calculating such tariffs. Moreover, the Ministry of Communications may, if interconnecting parties fail to agree on tariffs, or if regulations have not been promulgated, set the interconnect tariff based on cost plus a reasonable profit, a benchmark (derived from relevant retail prices in Israel or abroad), or based on each of the interconnecting networks bearing its own costs.
The Telecommunications Law also includes certain provisions which may be applied by the Ministry of Communications to general licensees, including rights of way which may be accorded to general licensees to facilitate the building of telecommunications networks or systems and a partial immunity against civil liability which may be granted to a general licensee, exempting the licensee, among others, from tort liability with the exception of direct damage caused by the suspension of a telecommunications service and damage stemming from intentional or grossly negligent acts or omissions of the licensee. The Ministry of Communications has applied the partial immunity provisions to us, including immunity in the event that we cause a mistake or change in a telecommunication message, unless resulting from our intentional act or gross negligence. The Ministry of Communications initiated a review to re-evaluate the scope of the immunity provisions.
The Ministry of Communications is authorized to impose significant monetary sanctions on a license holder that breaches a provision of the Telecommunications Law or of its license.
Frequency Fees. In August 2020, the Ministry of Communications informed the Company of the results of the frequencies tender published by the MoC and the award of 10 MHz in the 700 MHz frequency band, 20 MHz in the 2600 MHz frequency band and 100 MHz in the 3500 MHz frequency band to the Company and HOT Mobile, at a total price of NIS 62.38 million which shall be paid equally by the Company and HOT Mobile in September 2022. The frequencies were received in September 2020, and as a result, the Company recognized an intangible asset at a discounted amount of NIS 30 million against other non-current liabilities. The tender documents entitled the Company to a grant of NIS 37 million which is expected to be received in October 2022. As of December 31, 2020, an immaterial amount was recognized thereof in non-current prepaid expenses and other assets against property and equipment. Under the Telegraph Regulations, the Company is committed to pay an annual fixed fee for each frequency used. Following the above mentioned tender completion, the Telegraph Regulations were amended, reducing the frequency fees for existing frequencies, subject to certain conditions, and establishing fees for the new frequencies received. Under the above regulations should the Company choose to return a frequency, such payment is no longer due. For the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, the Company recorded frequency fee expenses in a total amount of approximately NIS 76 million, NIS 79 million and NIS 75 million, respectively.The total amount of frequency fees of both the Company and HOT Mobile under the regulations are divided between the Company and HOT Mobile, through PHI, according to the OPEX-CAPEX mechanism (see also note 9 to the consolidated financial statements).
Royalties. Pursuant to the Communications Regulations (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) (Royalties), 2001, royalties may be payable to the State of Israel calculated as a percentage of relevant revenues. However, since 2013 the royalty rate has been set at 0%.
Provisions prohibiting Partner from engaging in anti-competitive practices can be found in our license and in the licenses of the other telecommunications operators, in the various telecommunications regulations and in the Economic Competition Law. Our license emphasizes the principle of granting users equal access to the systems of each of the operators upon equitable terms. The Telecommunications Law also provides certain protection against disruption of telecommunications services.
The Economic Competition Law is the principal statute concerning restrictive practices, mergers and monopolies. This law prohibits a monopoly from abusing its market position in a manner that might reduce competition in the market or negatively affect the public. The law empowers the Director General of the Competition Authority to instruct a monopoly abusing its market power to perform certain acts or to refrain from certain acts in order to prevent the abuse. Bezeq has been declared a monopoly in certain markets. HOT has been declared a monopoly in the multi-channel television market.
The Israeli Securities Authority, or ISA may impose various civil enforcement measures, including financial sanctions, payment to the harmed party, prohibition of the violator from serving as an executive officer for a certain period of time, annulment or suspension of licenses, approvals and permits granted under securities and securities-related laws and adopt an agreed settlement mechanism as an alternative for a criminal or administrative proceeding. In case of a violation by a corporation, the Israeli Securities laws provide for additional responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer in some cases, unless certain conditions have been met, including the existence of procedures for the prevention of the violation, as part of an internal enforcement plan. The Company is prohibited from insuring, paying or indemnifying directors or senior officers for financial sanctions imposed on them subject to certain exemptions set forth in the law.

The Company has implemented an internal enforcement plan and has implemented an internal antitrust enforcement plan intended to ensure that all relevant parties in the Company comply with antitrust laws and regulations. The Company provides ongoing guidance and training to the Company's directors, office holders and relevant employees.
See also "Item 3D.1 RISKS RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF OUR INDUSTRY" for a discussion of how recent regulatory developments create risks for our financial condition, business and results of operations.
In August 2020, the MoC informed the Company of the results of the frequencies tender and the award of 10 MHz in the 700 MHz frequency band, 20 MHz in the 2600 MHz frequency band and 100 MHz in the 3500 MHz frequency band to the Company and HOT Mobile, at a total price of NIS 62,380,000 million which shall be paid in equal parts by the Company and HOT Mobile. The tender documents entitled the Company to a grant of NIS 37 million which is expected to be received in October 2022 subject to the approval of the MoC. Partner operates a joint radio network with Hot Mobile., through the joint venture P.H.I. Networks (2015) LP, in accordance with the network sharing agreement between the two companies.
In December 2020, the MoC published an update to Bezeq's wholesale tariffs applicable to the BSA (bit stream access) service provided over its existing copper network. The tariffs for this service are composed of a fixed monthly per-line tariff and a variable monthly tariff (which depends on the cumulative peak capacity of data consumed by the relevant subscribers during said month). In its update of these tariffs, the MoC reduced the fixed per-line tariff from 36 NIS per month to 30.6 NIS per month, and substantially reduced the capacity tariff from 10.2 NIS per Mbps per month to 6.5 NIS per Mbps per month.
In August 2020, the MoC published its decision regarding the maximum tariff that Bezeq will be allowed to charge for access to the BSA (Bitstream Access) service over Bezeq's fiber-optic network. The maximum tariffs have been set as follows - for a line with a speed of up to 550 Mbps the maximum tariff will be NIS 71 per month (excluding VAT) and for a line with a speed of up to 1,100 Mbps the maximum tariff will be NIS 79 per month (excluding VAT). These tariffs shall not include installation fees. These tariffs mark a decrease from the initial tariffs proposed by the MoC in its hearing on this matter (71 NIS for a speed of up to 400 Mbps, and 85 NIS for a speed of up to 1,100 Mbps), however, the initial tariffs proposed were meant to include installation costs.
In July 2020, Bezeq reported that the MoC has allowed it make use of VDSL35b Technology, According to Bezeq's report, this technology will allow it to substantially improve internet connection speeds and will allow it to market connections of up to 200 Mbps. Bezeq's report states that the rollout of this new technology is expected to be limited to approximately 230,000 subscribers. According to the MoC's approval, the relevant retail offering may be launched four months after the update to the existing interface with wholesale providers is published by Bezeq. Bezeq launched the VDSL35b Technology during November 2020. The launch of this technology allows Bezeq to better respond to FTTH (Fiber to the Home) services offered by the Company, but would also allow the Company to improve the speed of the wholesale infrastructure services it offers, thus improving its TV services.
In July 2020, the MoC published its decision on the joint use and deployment of fiber-optic infrastructure in existing residential buildings. The decision stipulates that the first operator to deploy fiber-optic cables in an existing residential building (with more than 4 apartments) will be required to offer other operators to jointly use those cables in return for them taking part in the costs involved plus a reasonable premium. The first operator to deploy in such buildings will also be required to deploy the infrastructure in such a way as to enable at least one more operator to jointly use such infrastructure (in addition to the operator/operators who have agreed to joint use of the infrastructure).The implementation of this decision involves an agreement between the relevant operators. As of date, the Company has yet to reach an agreement on such joint use with another operator.
In December 2019, the MoC published a hearing suggesting a substantial reduction to the wholesale BSA (bit stream access) services on HOT Telecom's network. The MoC based its suggested tariffs on a benchmark of HOT Telecom's existing retail offerings and deducted the estimated retail costs involved in providing these services (a "retail minus" pricing approach). The Company filed its position regarding this hearing and argued for lower tariffs.
In July 2020, the MoC published a decision in which it adopted HOT Telecom's voluntary proposal for a reduction in its BSA tariffs (in place of the tariffs initially suggested in the MoC's hearing). For example, the new voluntary tariffs include a reduction in the fixed monthly per-line tariff for a 200 Mbps line (from 55.8 NIS per line to 39 NIS) and a reduction in the variable monthly tariff (from 15.6 NIS per Mbps to 12.5 NIS). The new voluntary tariffs came into effect on July 15, 2020.
Following the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial team on the deployment of ultra-wide band communications infrastructures and the Minister's decision regarding these recommendations, in December 2020, an amendment to the Communications Law was published. This amendment lays out the framework and incentives for the deployment of fiber-optic communication infrastructures in Israel and includes the following:
Bezeq will be allowed to choose in which statistical areas it will roll out its fiber-optic network. Within such areas, Bezeq will be required to connect 100% of households to its fiber-optic network within six years. Bezeq is obliges to announce the areas in which it intends to deploy by the end of May 2021 (this period may be extended by the Minister by up to two months) (the "Announcement");
In the areas where Bezeq decides not to lay a fiber-optic network, another operator will be chosen (by a reverse tender process) to deploy a fiber-optic network to all households in said area. Such operator will receive an incentive for such deployment from a universal service fund and will enjoy exclusivity in deploying a fiber-optic network in this area (but will be obliged to provide other operators with a wholesale BSA (bit stream access) service provided over their fiber-optic network;

The universal service fund incentive plan will be funded by a tax on all relevant telecommunications operators (including Bezeq and Partner) at an annual rate of 0.5% of income (deducting Interconnection fees and fees paid for use of another operators' network);
In the areas where Bezeq decides not to lay a fiber-optic network, it and its subsidiaries will not be allowed to deploy a fiber-optic network. This prohibition does not apply to business subscribers. Furthermore, the Minister may allow Bezeq to deploy a fiber-optic network to households in such areas provided the number of households in such areas does not exceed 10% of the number of households Bezeq has committed to deploying in its Announcement.
In June 2020, the MoC published the report of the inter-departmental team ("the Team") tasked with examining the structural separation provisions applicable to the Bezeq and Hot Telecom groups. After weighing the alternatives, and considering the ramifications of canceling the current provisions – the Team recommended not to cancel the current structural separation provisions at this time. The Team's MoC members were of the opinion that the current provisions applicable to Bezeq have been effective thus far and cancelling them would severely harm competition and the welfare of consumers.
In February 2019, Bezeq filed a petition with the High Court of Justice against the MoC for immediate cancellation of the structural separation within the Bezeq Group. In February 2021, following the recommendation of the Court, Bezeq withdrew its petition.
In September 2020, Cellcom announced that it, together with the Israel Infrastructure Fund, entered into an investment transaction with Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd ("HOT") in IBC Israel Broadband (2013) Ltd ("IBC"). According to Cellcom's announcement, HOT shall become an equal partner in IBC, and hold indirectly 23.3% of IBC's share capital. In January 2021, the Competition Commissioner granted its approval for the transaction. In February 2021, The Minister of Communications granted its approval for the transaction under the following conditions, among others:
The Ministry of Communications and other regulators have also conducted hearings and examinations on various matters related to our business, such as:
• Hearings regarding a reform in the structure of the Internet Market. The fixed internet access market in Israel was historically divided into two tiers of services: infrastructure services and ISP (internet service provider) service. This split was intended to allow entry of new competitors, which provide services over Bezeq's infrastructure. On October 4, 2020, the MoC published a hearing regarding a reform in the structure of the Internet Market (the "First Hearing"). The First Hearing was aimed at ending the split of this segment into two tiers and allowing Bezeq and Hot Telecom to market a unified product (comprised of both infrastructure and ISP components). This proposed reform was not intended to apply to the business sector. According to the First Hearing, the proposed reform was meant to enter into force on January 1, 2022 allowing ISPs to prepare for the change in the structure of this market. The Company has filed its position regarding this hearing. The Company agreed with the consumer need for a unified service but has argued that Bezeq and HOT should not be allowed to market the unified product before competition (via the wholesale market) has been based.
After considering the various positions filed in the First Hearing, On February 23, 2021, the MoC published a secondary hearing regarding its proposed reform in the structure of the Internet Market (the "Secondary Hearing").
In its Secondary Hearing, the MoC focused on improving the mechanisms of the wholesale market as the primary tool for leveling the playing field between the infrastructure owners (Bezeq and Hot Telecom) and their competitors, the service providers. The MoC proposed several key performance indicators ("KPIs") that would indicate whether a competitively effective wholesale market has been established. In addition, the MoC suggested that compensation mechanisms for breach of theses KPI's would be established in order to balance-out any harm to the competitiveness of the service providers caused by discriminatory acts of the Infrastructure owners. The Secondary Hearing proposed a process for establishing enforceable KPIs on the infrastructure owners that would link the successful implementation of these KPIs with the approval for the marketing of a unified product by the infrastructure owners.

Pursuant to the Israeli Economics Competition Law, if the Competition Commissioner decides that the Israeli cellular market is oligopolistic, the Director General will have the authority to give instructions to all or some of the participants in our market, in order to, among other objectives, maintain or increase the competition level among the participants, the Director General's authority would include the ability to issue orders to remove or to ease entry or transfer barriers, to terminate a participant's activity, or otherwise to regulate the activities of the market. Additionally, the Competition Commissioner authorized to give instructions to a monopoly which is a firm holding over 50% of market share or holding significant market stakes that are not temporary and short term.
On April 7, 1998, the Ministry of Communications granted to us a general license to establish and operate a mobile telephone network in Israel as well as offer roaming services outside the State of Israel.
Under the terms of the license, we have provided a NIS 5 million (US\$ 2 million) guarantee to the State of Israel to secure the Company's adherence to the terms of the license.
Our license allocates to us specified frequencies and telephone numbers.
Term. Our license was originally valid for a period of ten years (until April 2008), but has been extended until 2022. At the end of this period, the license may be extended for additional ten-year periods upon our request to the Ministry of Communications, and a confirmation from the MoC that we have met the following performance requirements:
We believe that we will be able to receive an extension to the license upon request.
Our license may also be revoked, limited or altered by the Ministry of Communications if we have failed to uphold our obligations under the Telecommunications Law, the Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance or the regulations, or have committed a substantial breach of the license conditions. Examples of the principal undertakings identified in our license in this connection are:
Any means of control in Partner or control of Partner has been transferred in contravention of our license;
We fail to invest the required amounts in the establishment and operation of the mobile radio telephone system in accordance with our undertakings to the Ministry of Communications;
Our license authorizes us on a non-exclusive basis to establish and operate a mobile telephone network in Israel. The Ministry of Communications amended our license in August 2020 to include the provision of 4G and 5G services in the 700, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600 and 3500 MHZ spectrum and to allow us access network sharing with HOT Mobile, another cellular operator.
License Conditions. Our license imposes many conditions on our conduct.
Contracting with Customers. Pursuant to our license, we have submitted our standard agreement with customers to the Ministry of Communications for their examination. To date, we have not received any comments from the Ministry of Communications regarding this agreement.
Tariffs. Our license requires us to submit to the Ministry of Communications our tariffs (and any changes in our tariffs) before they enter into effect. Our license allows us to set and change our tariffs for outgoing calls and any other service without approval of the Ministry of Communications. However, the Ministry of Communications may intervene in our tariffs if it finds that our tariffs unreasonably harm consumers or competition.
Payments. Our license specifies the payments we may charge our subscribers. These include one-time installation fees, one-time SIM card payments, fixed monthly payments, airtime fees, payments for the use of other telecommunication systems, payments for handset maintenance and payments for additional services. In some of our tariff plans we have chosen to charge only for airtime and use of services. See "Item 4B.5c Tariff Plans."
Interconnection. Like the licenses of Pelephone, Cellcom and HOT Mobile, our license requires that we interconnect our mobile telephone network to other telecommunications networks operating in Israel, including that of Bezeq and other domestic fixed-line operators, the other mobile telephone operators and the international operators.
Conversely, we must allow other network operators to interconnect to our network. See "Item 4B.6h Interconnection".
Service Approval. The Ministry of Communications has the authority to require us to submit for approval details of any of our services (including details concerning tariffs). In addition, we are required to inform the Ministry of Communications prior to the activation of any service on a specified list of services.
Access to Infrastructure. The Ministry of Communications has the power to require us, like the other telephone operators in Israel, to offer access to our network infrastructure to other operators. We may also be required to permit other operators to provide value-added services using our network.
Universal Service. We are required to provide any service with the same coverage as our existing network. According to our license, we are required to meet certain coverage requirements for our 3G, 4G and 5G services.
Territory of License. In May 2000, we were also granted a license from the Israeli Civil Administration, to provide mobile services to the Israeli populated areas in the West Bank. The license is effective until February 1, 2022. The provisions of the general license described above, including as to its extension, generally apply to this license, subject to certain modifications. We believe that that we will be able to receive an extension to this license upon request.
Transfer of license, assets and means of control. Our license may not be transferred, mortgaged or attached without the prior approval of the Ministry of Communications.
We may not sell, lease or mortgage any of the assets which serve for the implementation of our license without the prior approval of the Ministry of Communications, other than in favor of a banking corporation which is legally active in Israel, and in accordance with the conditions of our license.
Our license provides that no direct or indirect control of Partner may be acquired, at one time or through a series of transactions, and no means of control may be transferred in a manner which results in a transfer of control, without the consent of the Ministry of Communications. Furthermore, no direct or indirect holding of 10% or more of any means of control may be transferred or acquired at one time or through a series of transactions, without the consent of the Ministry of Communications. In addition, no shareholder of Partner may permit a lien to be placed on shares of Partner if the foreclosure on such lien would cause a change in the ownership of 10% or more of any of Partner's means of control unless such foreclosure is made subject to the consent of the Ministry of Communications. For purposes of our license, "means of control" means any of:
Each of our ordinary shares and ADSs is considered a means of control in Partner.
In addition, Partner, any entity in which Partner is an Interested Party, as defined below, an Office Holder, as defined below, in Partner or an Interested Party in Partner or an Office Holder in an Interested Party in Partner may not be a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding which may reduce or harm competition in the area of mobile telephone services or any other telecommunications services.
In connection with our initial public offering, our license was amended to provide that our entering into an underwriting agreement for the offering and sale of shares to the public, listing the shares for trading, and depositing shares with the depositary or custodian will not be considered a transfer of any means of control, as defined below. Pursuant to the amendment, if the ADSs (or other "traded means of control," that is, means of control which have been listed for trade or offered through a prospectus and are held by the public) are transferred or acquired in breach of the restrictions imposed by the license with respect to transfer or acquisition of 10% or more of any means of control, we must notify the Ministry of Communications and request the Ministry's consent within 21 days of learning of the breach. In addition, should a shareholder, other than a founding shareholder, breach these ownership restrictions, or provisions regarding acquisition of control or cross-ownership or cross-control with other mobile telephone operators or shareholdings or agreements which may reduce or harm competition, its shareholdings will be marked as exceptional shares and will be converted into dormant shares, as long as the Ministry's consent is required but not obtained, with no rights other than the right to receive dividends and other distributions to shareholders, and to participate in rights offerings.
The dormant shares must be registered as dormant shares in our share registry. Any shareholder seeking to vote at a general meeting of our shareholders must notify us prior to the vote, or, if the vote is by deed of vote, must so indicate on the deed of vote, whether or not the shareholder's holdings in Partner or the shareholder's vote requires the consent of the Ministry of Communications due to the restrictions on transfer or acquisition of means of control, or provisions regarding cross-ownership or cross-control with other mobile telephone operators or shareholders. If the shareholder does not provide such certification, his instructions shall be invalid and his vote not counted.
The existence of shareholdings which breach the restrictions of our license in a manner which could cause them to be converted into dormant shares and may otherwise provide grounds for the revocation of our license will not serve in and of themselves as the basis for the revocation of our license so long as:
The dormant share mechanism does not apply to our founding shareholders.
The provisions contained in our license are also contained in our Articles of Association. In addition, our Articles of Association contain similar provisions in the event the holdings of shares by a shareholder breaches ownership limits contained in our license.
Revoking, limiting or altering our license. Our license contains several qualifications that we are required to meet. These conditions are designed primarily to ensure that we maintain at least a specified minimum connection to Israel. Other eligibility requirements address potential conflicts of interest and cross-ownership with other Israeli telecommunications operators. The major eligibility requirements are set forth below. A failure to meet these eligibility requirements may lead the Ministry of Communications to revoke, limit or alter our license, after we have been given an opportunity and have failed to remedy it.
• Founding shareholders or their approved substitutes must hold at least 26% of the means of control of Partner.
Change in license conditions. Under our license, the Ministry of Communications may change, add to, or remove conditions of our license if certain conditions exist, including:
During an emergency period, control of Partner's mobile radio telephone system may be assumed by any lawfully authorized person for the security of the State of Israel to ensure the provisions of necessary service to the public, and some of the spectrum granted to us may be withdrawn. In addition, our license requires us to supply certain services to the Israeli defense and security forces. Furthermore, certain of our senior officers are required to obtain security clearance from Israeli authorities.
For the purposes of this discussion, the following definitions apply:
Our license generally prohibits cross-control or cross-ownership among competing mobile telephone operators without a permit from the Ministry of Communications. In particular, Partner, an Office Holder or an Interested Party in Partner, as well as an Office Holder in an Interested Party in Partner may not control or hold, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of any means of control of a competing mobile radio telephone operator. Our license also prohibits any competing mobile radio telephone operator or an Office Holder or an Interested Party in a competing mobile radio telephone operator, or an Office Holder in an Interested Party in a competing mobile radio telephone operator or a person or corporation that controls a competing mobile radio telephone operator from either controlling, or being an Interested Party in us.
However, our license, also provides that the Ministry of Communications may permit an Interested Party in Partner to hold, either directly or indirectly, 5% or more in any of the means of control of a competing mobile radio telephone operator if the Ministry of Communications is satisfied that competition will not be harmed, and on the condition that the Interested Party is an Interested Party in Partner only by virtue of a special calculation described in the license and relating to attributed holdings of shareholders deemed to be in control of a corporation.
Unified License. Partner Land-Line, which is fully owned by the Company, was granted a general-unified license in 2016 for the provision of domestic fixed-line telecommunications services, including VoB services using the infrastructure of Bezeq and HOT Telecom to access customers as well as ILD services, ISP services and end-point services. See Exhibit 4.(a).2.1, which is incorporated herein by reference. The license expires in 2027 but may be extended by the Ministry of Communications for successive periods of ten years provided that the licensee has complied with the terms of the license and has acted consistently for the enhancement of telecom services and their enhancement. The general conditions of the mobile telephone license described above, generally apply to this license, subject to certain modifications.
We also have a general-unified license to provide fixed-line services to the Israeli populated areas in the West Bank which is valid until January 2027. The general conditions of the general-unified license granted to Partner Land-Line by the MoC, generally apply to this license, subject to certain modifications.
ISP License. In March 2001, we received a special license granted by the Ministry of Communications, allowing us through our own facilities to provide internet access to fixed-line network customers. The license is valid until March 2023. We began supplying commercial ISP services beginning in January 2009. We were also granted a special license to provide ISP services to the Israeli populated areas in the West Bank which is valid until March 2023.
PHI License. In 2015, P.H.I Networks (2015) Limited Partnership, the limited partnership that we entered into with Hot Mobile received a special license for the provision of radio cellular infrastructure services to other licensees which is valid until August 2025.The license enables PHI to operate the joint network. PHI was also granted a special license to provide these services to the Israeli populated areas in the West Bank which is valid until August 2025.
Other Licenses. The Ministry of Communications has granted us a trade license pursuant to the Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance. This license regulates issues of servicing and trading in equipment, infrastructure and auxiliary equipment for our network. We have also been granted a number of encryption licenses that permit us to deal with means of encryption, as provided in the aforementioned licenses, within the framework of providing mobile radio telephone services to the public.
On January 1, 2006, the Non-Ionizing Radiation Law (5766-2006), which replaced the Pharmacists (Radioactive Elements and Products) Regulations, 1980 regarding matters that pertain to radiation from cellular sites, was enacted. This law defines the various powers of the Ministry of Environmental Protection as they relate, among others, to the grant of permits for network sites and sets standards for permitted levels of non-ionizing radiation emissions and reporting procedures. Pursuant to this law, most of which entered into effect on January 1, 2007, a request for an operating permit from the Ministry of Environmental Protection with respect to either new sites or existing sites would require a building permit for such site(s). The Ministry of Environmental Protection has adopted the International Radiation Protection Agency's standard as a basis for the consents it gives for the erection and operation of our antennas. This standard is an international standard based upon a number of years of scientific study.
If we continue to face difficulties in obtaining building permits from the local planning and building committee, we may fail to obtain also operation permits from the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Operation of a network site without a permit from the Ministry of Environmental Protection may result in criminal and civil liability to us or to our officers and directors.
The Planning and Building Law requires that we receive a building permit for the construction of most of our antennas. The local committee or local licensing authority in each local authority is authorized to grant building permits, provided such permits are in accordance with National Building Plan No. 36 which came into effect on June 15, 2002. The local committee is made up of members of the local municipal council. The local committee is authorized to delegate certain of its powers to subcommittees on which senior members of the local authority may sit.
The local committee examines the manner in which an application for a building permit conforms to the plans applying to the parcel of land that is the subject of the application, and the extent to which the applicant meets the requirements set forth in the Planning and Building Law. The local committee is authorized to employ technical, vista, and aesthetic considerations in its decision-making process. The local committee may grant building permits that are conditioned upon the quality of the construction of the structure, the safety of flight over the structure, and the external appearance of the structure. Every structure located on a certain parcel of land must satisfy the requirements and definitions set forth in the building plan applicable to such parcel.
On January 3, 2006, the National Council for Planning and Building added a new requirement for obtaining a building permit for network sites: the submission of an undertaking to indemnify the local committee for claims relating to the depreciation of the surrounding property value as a result of the construction or existence of the antenna.
A decision by a local committee not to grant a building permit may be appealed to the District Appeals Committee. A person harmed by the ruling of the District Appeals Committee may have such ruling examined judicially by means of an administrative petition to the District Court sitting as an Administrative Affairs Tribunal.
National Building Plan No. 36 which came into effect on June 15, 2002 regulates the growth of telecommunications infrastructure in Israel. Chapter A of National Building Plan No. 36 sets forth the licensing requirements for the construction of mobile radio telephone infrastructure. National Building Plan No. 36 also adopts the radiation emission standards set by the International Radiation Protection Agency which were also previously adopted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. We believe that we currently comply with these standards regarding our sites. National Building Plan No. 36 is in the process of being changed. On June 1, 2010, the National Council for Planning and Building approved the National Building Plan No. 36/A/1 version that incorporates all of the amendments to National Building Plan No. 36 ("the Amended Plan").
Current proposed changes impose additional restrictions and/or requirements on the construction and operation of network sites, however the Supreme Court accepted the position of the cellular companies and ruled that in accordance with the Amended Plan, network sites may be approved even if these sites are operating in frequencies not specifically detailed in the frequency charts attached to the Amended Plan.
Under the Non-Ionizing Radiation Law, the National Council for Planning and Building was granted the power to determine the level of indemnification for reduction of property value to be undertaken as a precondition for a cellular company to obtain a building permit for a new or existing network site. As a result, the National Council for Planning and Building has decided that until National Building Plan 36 is amended to reflect a different indemnification amount, cellular companies will be required to undertake to indemnify the building and planning committee for 100% of all losses resulting from claims against the committee. Thus, at present, in order to obtain a building permit for a new or existing network site, we must provide full indemnification for the reduction of property value.
The Amended Plan sets forth the indemnification amounts as a percentage of the value of the depreciated property claims in accordance with the manner in which the licenses were granted as follows: If the license was granted in an expedited licensing route, which is intended for installations that are relatively small in accordance with the Amended Plan criteria, then the cellular companies will be required to compensate the local planning committees in an amount of 100% of the value of the depreciated property claim. If the license was granted in a regular licensing route, which is intended for larger installations in accordance with the Amended Plan criteria, then the cellular companies will be required to compensate the local planning committees in an amount of 80% of the value of the depreciated property claim. The Amended Plan is subject to governmental approval, in accordance with the Planning and Building Law. It is unknown when the government intends to approve the Amended Plan.
We have set up several hundred small communications devices, called wireless access devices, pursuant to a provision in the Telecommunications Law which we and other participants in cellular telecommunications, believe exempts such devices from the need to obtain a building permit. Beginning in 2008, following the filing of a claim that the exemption does not apply to cellular communications devices, the Attorney General filed an opinion regarding this matter stating that the exemption does apply to wireless radio access devices under certain conditions. Two petitions were filed with the High Court of Justice in opposition to the Attorney General's opinion. On October 25, 2018, the Attorney General submitted a request to dismiss the petitions on the grounds that the matter of network sites has been regulated by regulations. On December 23, 2018, the Supreme Court and the High Court of Justice dismissed the two petitions and accepted the appeal filed by us as well as our competitors against the district court ruling. In May 2018, the Economics Committee approved the new regulations which were published in October 2018. According to the provisions of the regulations that were approved, in order to establish a new wireless access device, a short process of licensing is required before the committee engineer, which constitutes a significant obstacle to obtaining such approval.
The construction of our antennas may be subject to the approval of the Civil Aviation Administration which is authorized to ensure that the construction of our antennas does not interfere with air traffic, depending on the height and location of such antennas. The approval of the Israeli Defense Forces is required in order to coordinate site frequencies so that our transmissions do not interfere with the communications of the Israel Defense Forces.
We, like other cellular operators in Israel, provide repeaters, also known as bi-directional amplifiers, to subscribers seeking an interim solution to weak signal reception within specific indoor locations. In light of the lack of a clear policy of the local planning and building authorities, and in light of the practice of the other cellular operators, we have not requested permits under the Planning and Building Law for the repeaters. However, we have received from the Ministry of Communications an approval to connect the repeaters to our communications network. We have also received from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the permits that are necessary for the repeaters.
In addition, we construct and operate microwave links as part of our transmission network. The various types of microwave links receive permits from the Ministry of Environmental Protection in respect of their radiation level. Based on an exemption in the Telecommunications Law, we believe that building permits are not required for the installation of most of these microwave links on rooftops, but if in the future the courts or the relevant regulator determine that building permits are necessary for the installation of these sites, it could have a negative impact on our ability to deploy additional microwave links, and could hinder the coverage, quality and capacity of our transmission network and our ability to continue to market our Fixed-Line Services effectively.
We have received approval from the MoC for selling and distributing all of the handsets and other terminal equipment we sell. The Ministry of Environmental Protection also has authority to regulate the sale of handsets in Israel, and under the Non-Ionizing Radiation Law, certain types of devices, which are radiation sources, including cellular handsets, have been exempted from requiring an approval from the Ministry of Environmental Protection so long as the radiation level emitted during the use of such handsets does not exceed the radiation level permitted under the Non-Ionizing Radiation Law. Since June 2002, we have been required to provide information to purchasers of handsets on the Specific Absorption Rate ("SAR") levels of the handsets as well as its compliance with certain standards pursuant to a regulation under the Consumer Protection Law. We attach a brochure to each handset that is sold that includes the SAR level of the specific handset. Such brochures are also available at our service centers and the information is also available on the Company's website. SAR levels are a measurement of non-ionizing radiation that is emitted by a hand-held cellular telephone at its specific rate of absorption by living tissue. While, to the best of our knowledge, the handsets that we market comply with the applicable laws that relate to acceptable SAR levels, we rely on the SAR published by the manufacturer of these handsets and do not perform independent inspections of the SAR levels of these handsets. As the manufacturers' approvals refer to a prototype handset and not for each and every handset, we have no information as to the actual SAR level of each specific handset and throughout its lifecycle, including in the case of equipment repair.
Under a December 2005 amendment to this procedure, in the event that the SAR level is not measured after the repair of a handset, the repairing entity is required to notify the customer by means of a label affixed to the handset that the SAR may have been altered following the repair, in accordance with the provisions relating to the form of such label set forth in the procedure. A consultant had been retained by the MoC to formulate a recommendation regarding the appropriate manner to implement the procedure for repairing handsets but to date the MoC has not yet issued any guidelines and given the continued delay we inform our customers that there may be changes in the SAR levels.
In November 2005, a procedure was adopted by the MoC with regard to the importation, marketing, and approval for 2G and 2.5G handsets. Prior to the implementation of the procedure, suppliers of 2G and 2.5G handsets in Israel were required to obtain an interim, non-binding approval of the handset type from the relevant cellular operators before receiving final approval from the MoC to supply such handsets in Israel to such operators. Under the procedure, handsets that have already received international certification, such as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declaration of conformity and the Conformité Européene (CE), prior to their importation into Israel are now exempt from the requirement of receiving an interim, non-binding approval from the relevant cellular operators in Israel. This could expose us to the risk that handsets not reviewed and approved by us may interfere with the operation of our network.
In addition, this procedure also called for repaired handsets to comply with all applicable standards required for obtaining handset type approval, including standards relating to the safety, electromagnetic levels, and SAR levels.
We currently have (i) five directly held wholly-owned subsidiaries, Partner Future Communications 2000 Ltd., an Israeli corporation; Partner Land-Line Communications Solutions LP, an Israeli limited partnership; Partner Business Communications Solutions, LP, an Israeli limited partnership; Get Cell Communication Products LP (formerly Partner Communication Products 2016 LP); 012 Smile; and Iconz Holdings Ltd; (ii) 012 Smile's wholly-owned subsidiary, 012 Telecom Ltd.; and (iii) a 50% interest in PHI. Partner Future Communications 2000 Ltd. serves as the general partner and the Company serves as the limited partner of each of the limited partnerships.
In 2013, the Company entered into a 15-year Network Sharing Agreement with HOT Mobile. Pursuant to the Network Sharing Agreement, the parties created a 50-50 limited partnership - P.H.I. Networks (2015) Limited Partnership, which will operate and develop a cellular network to be shared by both parties, starting with a pooling of both parties' radio access network infrastructures to create a single shared radio access network. The parties have also established a 50-50 company under the name Net 4 P.H.I Ltd. to be the general partner of the limited partnership. See "Item 4B.8 Our Network".
We lease our headquarter facilities in Rosh Ha-ayin, Israel, with a total of approximately 51,177 gross square meters (including parking lots). A recent amendment to the lease agreements for its headquarters facility in Rosh Ha'ayin was signed, according to which the lease term is extended until the end of 2034. The rental payments are linked to the Israeli CPI. We also lease call centers in several cities. The leases for each site have different lengths and specific terms. We believe that our current call center facilities are adequate for the foreseeable future, and that we will be able to extend the leases or obtain alternate or additional facilities, if needed, on acceptable commercial terms.
For a description of our telecommunications network, see "Item 4B.8 Our Network" above.
We lease most of the sites where our mobile telecommunications network equipment is installed throughout Israel. At December 31, 2020, we had 3,044 network sites (including micro-sites). The lease agreements relating to our network sites are generally for periods of two to ten years. We have the option to extend the lease periods up to ten years (including the original lease period).
The erection and operation of most of these network sites requires building permits from local or regional zoning authorities, as well as a number of additional permits from governmental and regulatory authorities, and we have had difficulties in obtaining some of these permits.
Difficulties obtaining required permits could continue and therefore affect our ability to maintain cell network sites. In addition, as we grow our subscriber base and seek to improve the range and quality of our services, we need to further expand our network, and difficulties in obtaining required permits may delay, increase the costs or prevent us from achieving these goals in full. See "Item 3D.1j We have had difficulties obtaining some of the building and environmental permits required for the erection and operation of our cellular network sites, and some building permits have not been applied for or may not be fully complied with. These difficulties could have an adverse effect on the coverage, quality and capacity of our network. Operating network sites without building or other required permits, or in a manner that deviates from the applicable permit, may result in criminal or civil liability to us or to our officers and directors." and "Item 4B.12 Regulation".
In November 2013, the Company entered into a 15-year Network Sharing Agreement with HOT Mobile. Pursuant to the Network Sharing Agreement, the parties created a 50-50 limited partnership, which is intended to operate and develop a cellular network to be shared by both companies, starting with a pooling of both companies' radio access network infrastructures to create a single shared pooled radio access network. See "Item 4B.8 Our Network".
Lease agreements for our retail stores and service centers are for periods of two to ten years. We have the option to extend the lease agreements for different periods of up to ten additional years (including the original lease period). The average size of our retail stores and service center is approximately 250 square meters. See also note 19 to the consolidated financial statements.
Not applicable.
The following operating and financial review and prospects is based upon and should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and selected financial data, which appear elsewhere in this report. You should also read the risk factors appearing in Item 3D of this Annual Report for a discussion of a number of factors that affect and could affect our financial condition and results of operations.
The table below sets forth a summary of selected financial and operating data for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020.
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | ||
| Revenues (NIS million) | 3,234 | 3,189 | |
| Operating profit (NIS million) | 87 | 96 | |
| Profit before income taxes (NIS million) | 19 | 27 | |
| Profit for the year (NIS million) | 19 | 17 | |
| Capital expenditures (additions) (NIS million) | 578 | 595 | |
| Net cash provided by operating activities (NIS million) | 837 | 786 | |
| Net cash used in investing activities (NIS million) | (1,181) | (581) | |
| Cellular Subscribers (end of period, thousands) | 2,657 | 2,836 | |
| Annual cellular churn rate (%) | 31% | 30% | |
| Average monthly revenue per cellular subscriber (ARPU) (NIS) | 57 | 51 | |
| TV subscribers (end of period, thousands) | 188 | 232 | |
| Infrastructure-based internet subscribers (end of period, thousands) | 268 | 329 | |
| Fiber-optic subscribers (end of period, thousands) | 76 | 139 | |
| Homes Connected (HC) to the fiber-optic infrastructure (end of period, thousands) | 324 | 465 |
The following non-GAAP measures are used in this report. These measures are not financial measures under IFRS and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures for other companies. Further, the measures may not be indicative of the Company's historic operating results nor are they meant to be predictive of potential future results.
| Non-GAAP Measure | Calculation | Most Comparable IFRS Financial Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA | Profit add Income tax expenses, Finance costs, net, Depreciation and amortization expenses (including amortization of intangible assets, deferred expenses-right of use and impairment charges), Other expenses (mainly amortization of share-based compensation). |
Profit |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin (%) | Adjusted EBITDA divided by Total revenues |
|
| Adjusted Free Cash Flow | Net cash provided by operating activities add Net cash used in investing activities deduct Proceeds from (investment in) deposits, net deduct Lease principal payments deduct Lease interest payments |
Net cash provided by operating activities add Net cash used in investing activities |
| Total Operating Expenses (OPEX) | Cost of service revenues add Selling and marketing expenses add General and administrative expenses add Credit losses deduct Depreciation and amortization expenses deduct Other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation) |
Sum of: Cost of service revenues, Selling and marketing expenses, General and administrative expenses, Credit losses |
| Net Debt | Current maturities of notes payable and borrowings | Sum of: |
|---|---|---|
| add | Current maturities of notes payable and borrowings, | |
| Notes payable | Notes payable, | |
| add | Borrowings from banks, | |
| Borrowings from banks | Financial liability at fair value | |
| add | Less | |
| Financial liability at fair value | Sum of: | |
| deduct | Cash and cash equivalents, | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | Short-term deposits, | |
| deduct | Long-term deposits | |
| Short-term and long-term deposits | ||
| Various line items excluding the impact | Line item less the amount of the impact of IFRS 16 | The corresponding line item as reported in the Company's financial statements |
of the implementation of IFRS 16
The results of the year 2020 were materially negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis which caused a very significant reduction in revenues from roaming services and also negatively affected equipment sales due to the closure of sales points at certain times during the year. Whilst the Company succeeded in mitigating a proportion of the aforementioned effects through proactive cost-cutting measures as well as adjustments in a variety of business areas, including capitalizing on the increase in demand for some of the Company's services as a result of the crisis and shifting our focus towards alternative sales channels, the overall net impact remained materially negative.
Competition in the Israeli telecommunications market remained intense, across both cellular segment services and fixed-line segment services, as well as in the market for equipment and device sales, although the level of intensity across cellular segment services declined compared with the previous year. As a result, the continued price erosion in our principal markets had a further significant negative impact on the Company's business results.
Cellular market. As an illustration of the level of competition in the cellular market, approximately 1.9 million cellular subscribers are estimated to have switched operators within the Israeli market (with number porting) during 2020; approximately 2.2 million subscribers switched in 2019 and approximately 2.4 million switched in 2018. While our annual churn rate for cellular subscribers decreased marginally in 2020 to 30% compared with 31% in 2019 and 35% in 2018, competition in the cellular subscriber market remained intense. Significant price erosion continued to be caused by the number of cellular subscribers who moved between different rate plans or airtime packages (generally with a lower monthly fee) within the Company.
Over 2020, the Company's cellular subscriber base increased net, by approximately 179,000. The pre-paid subscriber base increased by approximately 50,000, compared with an increase of approximately 6,000 in 2019, while the post-paid subscriber base increased by approximately 129,000, compared with an approximately 5,000 in 2019. The increase in the post-paid subscriber base included approximately 25,000 subscribers to a twelve-month data package for modems provided to students by the Ministry of Education as part of their COVID-19 crisis program. As part of the same program, a further approximate 42,000 subscribers are expected to join the post-paid subscriber base during the first half of 2021.
At the end of December 2020, the Company's cellular subscriber base (including cellular data, 012 Mobile subscribers and M2M subscriptions) was approximately 2.84 million, including approximately 2.5 million post-paid subscribers or 88% of the base, and approximately 341,000 pre-paid subscribers, or 12% of the subscriber base. Total cellular market share in Israel (based on the number of subscribers) at the end of 2020 was estimated to be approximately 27%, compared with 25% in 2019.
The monthly Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for cellular subscribers for the year 2020 was NIS 51 (US\$ 16), a decrease of approximately 11% from NIS 57 in 2019. The decrease mainly reflected the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on roaming service revenues and the continued price erosion of cellular services due to the continued competitive market conditions, which were partially offset by an increase in interconnect revenues due to the significant increase in incoming call volumes related to the COVID-19 crisis and the contribution of Partner's value strategy, 'Partner More'. Overall, cellular service revenues decreased by 8% in 2020 compared with 2019.
Fixed line market. Total fixed line segment service revenues increased by 7% in 2020, largely as a result of increased revenues from TV and internet services. Over 2020, the Company's TV subscriber base increased, net, by approximately 44,000 from approximately 188,000 subscribers at the end of December 2019 to approximately 232,000 subscribers at the end of December 2020. In addition, the number of infrastructure-based internet subscribers increased, net, by approximately 61,000 from approximately 268,000 subscribers at the end of December 2019 to approximately 329,000 subscribers at the end of December 2020, within which the number of fiber-optic subscribers increased net, by approximately 63,000 from approximately 76,000 subscribers at the end of December 2019 to approximately 139,000 subscribers at the end of December 2020. The increase in revenues from TV and internet services was partially offset by the continued decrease in revenues from international calling services (including the market for wholesale international traffic) which continue to be adversely affected by the increased penetration of internet-based solutions.
Equipment sales. Revenues from equipment sales increased in 2020 by 1%, principally reflecting significant increases in sales to wholesale customers and in sales of fixed-line equipment for both business and private customers, partially offset by lower volumes of retail sales reflecting the closure of sales points during certain COVID-19-related lockdown periods during the year.
Total operating expenses. Total operating expenses decreased by NIS 14 million, or one percent, in 2020 compared with 2019 to a total of NIS 1,871 million (US\$ 582 million) (including cost of service revenues (NIS 2,128 million in 2020) and selling, marketing, administrative expenses and credit losses (NIS 459 million in 2020), and excluding depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation) (NIS 716 million in 2020); this measure is not a financial measure under IFRS and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures for other companies. The decrease mainly reflected a decrease in workforce expenses as part of the cost-cutting measures taken to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on revenues, and a decrease in wholesale internet infrastructure access expenses following receipt of a government-mandated refund from Bezeq of approximately NIS 20 million of payments for access to the wholesale internet infrastructure in previous years. The decreases in these expenses were partially offet by increases in interconnect expenses due to the significant increase in outgoing call volumes related to the COVID-19 crisis (in parallel to the increase in incoming call volumes discussed above). See also Items 5A.2a and 5A.2b for a breakdown of total operating expenses by segment.
Profitability. Profit for the year 2020 was NIS 17 million (US\$ 5 million), a decrease of 11% compared with NIS 19 million in 2019. Adjusted EBITDA in 2020 totaled NIS 822 million (US\$ 256 million), a decrease of 4% from NIS 853 million in 2019, primarily reflecting the material negative impact of the COVID-19 on revenues, partially offset by the decrease in total operating expenses.
In June 2015, the Company announced that it had entered into a settlement agreement with Orange Brand Services Ltd ("Orange") which created a new framework for their relationship and provided both Partner and Orange the right to terminate the brand license agreement which had been in force since 1998. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, the Company received advance payments in a total of €90 million during 2015: €40 million of which was received between the signing of the agreement and the completion of a market study to assess the Company's position within the dynamics of the Israeli telecommunications services market; and €50 million of which was received in the fourth quarter of 2015, following the Company's notice to Orange of its decision to terminate the brand license agreement.
As set forth in the settlement agreement, the advance payments were recognized and reconciled evenly on a quarterly basis over a period until the second quarter of 2017, against contingent marketing, sales, customer services and other expenses to be incurred over this period. The income was recorded in the Company's income statement under "Income with respect to settlement agreement with Orange" during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively as follows: NIS 61 million, NIS 217 million and NIS 108 million.

In November 2013, the Company entered into a 15-year Network Sharing Agreement with HOT Mobile. Pursuant to the Network Sharing Agreement, the parties created a 50-50 limited partnership - P.H.I. Networks (2015) Limited Partnership, which operates and develops a radio access network shared by both parties, starting with a pooling of both parties' radio access network infrastructures creating a single shared pooled radio access network. See "4B.8 OUR NETWORK."
In February 2016, HOT Mobile exercised its option under the Network Sharing Agreement ("NSA") to advance the payment date of a onetime amount of NIS 250 million ("Lump Sum"), which was received in 2016. Therefore according to the NSA from April 2016 onward (i) each party bears half of the expenditures relating to the Shared Network, and (ii) the operating costs of the Shared Network are borne according to a pre-determined apportionment mechanism, according to which one half of the operating costs is shared equally by the parties, and one half is divided between the parties according to the relative volume of their respective traffic consumption in the Shared Network ("Capex-Opex Mechanism").
The Lump Sum is recognized as deferred revenue for the cellular segment amortized quarterly in the income statement over a period of eight years, starting with the second quarter of 2016. Eight years has been determined to be the shorter of the expected period of the arrangement or the expected life of the related assets. Accordingly, approximately NIS 23 million was amortized to revenues in the income statement during 2016, and approximately NIS 31 million (US\$ 10 million) was amortized to revenues in the income statement for each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The Network Sharing Agreement provides material financial benefits to Partner in terms of both recognition of the amortized Lump Sum payments and savings in operational expenses and capital investments; however, such financial benefits are dependent on factors set forth in the related risk factor. See "Item 3D.2l If the network sharing agreement entered into with HOT Mobile is unilaterally terminated by HOT Mobile earlier than we expect, we will be required to split the shared network with HOT Mobile and the resources, time and expense it may take us to have our own network in a nationwide coverage, would be substantial and could also materially harm our business and the results of operations at such time."
At the beginning of January 2019, an amendment to the NSA between the Company and Hot Mobile was signed and communicated to the MoC and Anti-trust regulator which, among other things, cancelled the position of the independent director mentioned above who acted as a chairman, and no consideration was transferred between the parties in relation to this matter. The amendment did not change ownership shares, nor the CAPEX-OPEX mechanism described above. As a result of the amendment, the control over PHI thereafter is borne 50-50 by the Company and Hot Mobile (the "Parties"), and each nominates an equal number of directors (3 directors). Since, thereafter, decisions about the relevant activities of PHI require the unanimous consent of both Parties, PHI is considered a joint arrangement controlled by the Parties (joint control).
The activities of the joint arrangement are primarily designed for the provision of output to the Parties. The joint arrangement terms give the Parties rights to the assets, and obligations for the liabilities and expenses of PHI. Furthermore the Parties have rights to substantially all of the economic benefits of PHI's assets. PHI's liabilities are in substance satisfied by the cash flows received from the Parties, as the Parties are substantially the source of cash flows contributing to the continuity of the operations of PHI. Starting January 1, 2019, the Company accounts for its rights in the assets of PHI and obligations for the liabilities and expenses of PHI as a joint operation, recognizing its share in the assets, liabilities, and expenses of PHI, instead of the equity method. Starting January 1, 2019 payments with respect to rights to use PHI's fixed assets are presented in the statement of cash flows as cash used in investing activities instead of cash payments for deferred expenses used in operating activities. For the years 2016 to 2018, costs of Right of Use (ROU) in PHI's shared network were presented as deferred expenses. As a result, these costs were included in the cash flows statement under cash flows from operating activities rather than under cash flows used in investing activities. See also notes 2(g) and 9 to the financial statements.
Starting January 1, 2019, payments with respect to rights to use PHI's fixed assets have been presented in the statement of cash flows as cash used in investing activities.
The following table presents the Company's share (50%) in PHI's statement of financial position items that are consolidated to the financial statements as the Company's share in a joint operation.
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2019 | ||||
| Company's share (50%) in PHI's accounts** |
Intercompany elimination |
Total | ||
| CURRENT ASSETS | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | * | * | ||
| Current assets | 69 | (62) | 7 | |
| NON CURRENT ASSETS | ||||
| Property and equipment and intangible assets | 142 | 142 | ||
| Lease-right of use | 355 | 355 | ||
| CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||
| Current borrowings from banks | 13 | 13 | ||
| Trade payables and other current liabilities | 55 | 55 | ||
| Other current liabilities | 65 | 65 | ||
| NON CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||
| Lease liabilities | 290 | 290 | ||
| Deferred revenues | 142 | (142) | ||
| EQUITY | 1 | (1) | - |
* Representing an amount of less than NIS 1 million.
** Certain intercompany balances were eliminated in the presentation of Company's share in PHI's accounts.
Annual goodwill impairment test in the Fixed-Line segment
Goodwill in the fixed-line segment is allocated to a single group of CGUs which constitute all the operations of the fixed-line segment, in an amount of NIS 407 million.
For the purpose of the goodwill impairment tests in the fixed-line segment as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, the recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.) based on value-in-use calculations. The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business. The key assumptions used are as follows:
| As of December 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Terminal growth rate | 0.9% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| After-tax discount rate | 9.3% | 9.5% | 8.0% | 7.5% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 11.2% | 11.5% | 9.6% | 9.0% |
The impairment tests in the fixed-line segment as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, were based on assessments of financial performance and future strategies in light of current and expected market and economic conditions. Trends in the economic and financial environment, competition and regulatory authorities' decisions, or changes in competitors' behavior in response to the economic environment may affect the estimate of recoverable amounts.
As a result of the impairment tests, the Group determined that no goodwill impairment existed as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. See also note 4(3) and note 2(h) to our consolidated financial statements.
The headroom of the fixed line segment recoverable amount over the carrying amount as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 was approximately 21%, 42% and 37% respectively. Sensitivity analysis was performed for the recoverable amount as of December 31, 2020 for a change of the after-tax discount rate within the range of ± 10% multiplied by the variable 7.5% (6.75% to 8.25%), assuming all other variables constant. Sensitivity analysis was also performed for a change of the terminal permanent growth rate within the range of ± 1% of the variable 1.0% (0% to 2%), assuming all other variables constant. Results showed that no impairment charge is required for both analyses.
The economic slowdown in the markets triggered in March 2020 the identification of indicators for impairment of non-financial assets. In particular, the significant fall in the volume of international travel by the Company's customers has caused a significant decrease in revenues from roaming services, which affected the cellular segment. In addition, the temporary closures of shopping malls and changes in general consumer behavior adversely affected the volume of sales of equipment, which affected the cellular and the fixed-line segments.
The Company tested the recoverable amount of the fixed line segment as of March 31, 2020, based on value-in-use calculations. The recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.). The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business. The key assumptions used are as follows:
| March 31, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Terminal growth rate | 1.0% |
| After-tax discount rate | 8.25% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 9.9% |
As a result of the impairment test, the Group determined that no impairment existed as of March 31, 2020.
The Company tested as of March 2020 the impairment of the cellular segment assets with the assistance of an external expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.), using a reasonable approximation of its fair value less costs of selling as its recoverable amount, and determined that no impairment was required. No other adverse changes have been identified since March 2020 with the continuation of the crisis and therefore the Company determined that no impairment indicators existed in respect of the cellular segment assets as of December 31, 2020.
For information regarding developments which have had and may have a significant impact on our operating results, see "Item 3D.1 RISKS RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF OUR INDUSTRY" and "Item 4B.12 REGULATION".

We derive revenues from both providing services and selling equipment.
Our principal source of revenues is the cellular segment, deriving from the provision of cellular communications services such as airtime calls, international roaming services, text messaging, internet browsing, value-added and content services, handset repair services and services provided to other operators that use the Company's cellular network.
The fixed-line business segment derives revenues from a variety of fixed-line services that include internet services, ILD services, transmission services, telephony services (including SIP services) and, from 2017, TV services.
Equipment revenues are derived from the sale and leasing of a variety of communications, digital audio visual and internet-related equipment and other related equipment, including cellular handsets and related cellular devices and accessories, business communications equipment, modems, domestic routers, servers and related equipment and more. See also "Item 4B.5 SERVICES AND PRODUCTS".
In the third quarter of 2017, the Group early adopted with a date of initial application of January 1, 2017 (the "transition date") IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and its clarifications ("IFRS 15", "The Standard") using the cumulative effect approach, which effect was immaterial as of the transition date.
The revenue recognition standard IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and its clarifications outlines a single comprehensive model of accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The model includes five steps for analyzing transactions so as to determine when to recognize revenue and at what amount:
Two or more contracts entered into at or near the same time with the same customer (or related parties of the customer) are accounted for as a single contract if one or more of the following criteria are met:
Additions of distinct goods or services at their stand-alone sale price are treated as separate contracts.
The Group assesses the goods or services promised in the contract with the customer and identifies as performance obligation any promise to transfer to the customer one of the following:
(a) Goods or services (or a bundle of goods or services) that are distinct; or
(b) A series of distinct goods or services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer.
Goods or services are identified as being distinct when the customer can benefit from the good or service on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer and the Group's promise to transfer the good or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. An option that grants the customer the right to purchase additional goods or services constitutes a separate performance obligation in the contract only if the options grant the customer a material right it would not have received without the original contract.
The performance obligations are mainly services, equipment and options to purchase additional goods or services that provide a material right to the customer.
The transaction price is the amount of consideration that the Group expects to receive for the transfer of the goods or services specified in a contract with the customer, taking into account rebates and discounts, excluding amounts collected on behalf of third parties, such as value added taxes.
The transaction price is also adjusted for the effects of the time value of money if the contract includes a significant financing component (such as sales of equipment with non-current credit arrangements, mainly in 36 monthly installments) and for any consideration payable to the customer. The Group applies a practical expedient in the standard and does not adjust the transaction price for the effects of a significant financing component if, at contract inception, the Group expects the period between customer payment and the transfer of goods or services to be one year or less. The financing component is recognized in other income-net over the period which is calculated according to the effective interest method. See also notes 23 – unwinding of trade receivables and 7(a) to the consolidated financial statements.
In a transaction that constitutes a revenue arrangement with multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated to separate performance obligations based of their relative stand-alone selling prices.
A discount is allocated to one or more, but not all, performance obligations in the contract if (a) the Group regularly sells each distinct good or service (or each bundle of distinct goods or services) in the contract on a stand-alone basis, (b) the Group also regularly sells on a stand-alone basis a bundle (or bundles) of some of those distinct goods or services at a discount to the stand-alone selling prices of the goods or services in each bundle; and (c) the discount attributable to each bundle in 'b' above is substantially the same as the discount in the contract and an analysis of the goods or services in each bundle provides observable evidence of the performance obligation (or performance obligations) to which the entire discount in the contract belongs.
The Group recognizes revenue when it satisfies performance obligations by transferring control over the goods or services to the customers.
Revenues from services and from providing rights to use the Group's assets, (either month-by-month or long term arrangements) are recognized over time, as the services are rendered to the customers, since the customer receives and uses the benefits simultaneously, and provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met.
Revenue from sale of equipment is recognized at a point of time when the control over the equipment is transferred to the customer (mainly upon delivery) and all other revenue recognition criteria are met.
The Group determines whether it is acting as a principal or as an agent for each performance obligation. The Group is acting as a principal if it controls a promised good or service before they are transferred to a customer. Indicators for acting as a principal include: (1) the Group is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the specified good or service, (2) the Group has inventory risk in the specified good or service and (3) the Group has discretion in establishing the price for the specified good or service. On the other hand, the Group is acting as an agent or an intermediary, if these criteria are not met. When the Group is acting as an agent, revenue is recognized in the amount of any fee or commission to which the Group expects to be entitled in exchange for arranging for the other party to provide its goods or services. A Group's fee or commission might be the net amount of consideration that the Group retains after paying the other party the consideration received in exchange for the goods or services to be provided by that party. The Group determined that it is acting as an agent in respect of certain content services provided by third parties to customers; therefore the revenues recognized from these services are presented on a net basis in the statement of income.

Trade receivables are amounts due from customers for goods sold or services performed in the ordinary course of business. Trade receivables are recognized when the control over the goods or services is transferred to the customer, and at the amount that is unconditional because only the passage of time is required before the payment is due. The Group holds the trade receivables with the objective to collect the contractual cash flows, and the contractual terms give rise to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest. Therefore they are subsequently measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method. See also note 7 and also note 6(a)(3) to the consolidated financial statements regarding trade receivables credit risk.
A contract asset is a Group's right to consideration in exchange for goods or services that the entity has transferred to a customer when that right is conditioned on something other than the passage of time (for example, the Group's future performance).
A contract liability is a Group's obligation to transfer goods or services to a customer for which the entity has received consideration (or the amount is due) from the customer; therefore the Group records contract liabilities for payments received in advance for services, such as transmission services and pre-paid calling cards, as deferred revenues until such related services are provided.
Contract assets and contract liabilities arising from the same contract are offset and presented as a single asset or liability.
The Group applies IFRS 15 practical expedient to the revenue model to a portfolio of contracts with similar characteristics if the Group reasonably expects that the financial statement effects of applying the model to the individual contracts within the portfolio would not differ materially.
The Group applies a practical expedient in the standard and measures progress toward completing satisfaction of a performance obligation and recognizes revenue based on billed amounts if the Group has a right to invoice a customer at an amount that corresponds directly with its performance to date; for which, or where the original expected duration of the contract is one year or less, the Group also applies the practical expedient in the standard and does not disclose the transaction price allocated to unsatisfied, or partially unsatisfied, performance obligations, such as constrained variable consideration.
The Group applies in certain circumstances where the customer has a material right to acquire future goods or services and those goods or services are similar to the original goods or services in the contract and are provided in accordance with the same terms of the original contract, a practical alternative to estimating the stand-alone selling price of the customer option, and instead allocates the transaction price to the optional goods or services by reference to the goods or services expected to be provided and the corresponding expected consideration.
The main effect of the Group's application of IFRS 15 is the accounting treatment for the incremental costs of obtaining contracts with customers, which in accordance with IFRS 15, are recognized as assets under certain conditions, see notes 2(f)(4) and 11 to the consolidated financial statements. Contract costs that were recognized as assets are presented in the statements of cash flows as part of cash flows used in investing activities.
See additional information with respect to revenues in note 22(a) to the consolidated financial statements.
Through December 31, 2018 the Group applied IAS 17 to account for leases whereby a significant portion of the risks and rewards of ownership were retained by the lessor were classified as operating leases. Therefore the Group's leases were primarily operating leases which were charged to income statements on a straight-line basis over the lease term, including extending options which were reasonably certain.
The Group applied IFRS 16 Leases from its mandatory adoption date January 1, 2019. The Group applied the simplified transition approach and did not restate comparative amounts for the year prior to first adoption. Right-of-use assets for certain property leases were measured on transition as if the new rules had always been applied. All other right-of-use assets were measured at the amount equal to the lease liability on adoption (adjusted for any prepaid or accrued lease expenses, dismantling and restoring obligations). The reclassifications and the adjustments arising from the new leasing rules are therefore recognized in the opening balance sheet on January 1, 2019.
On adoption of IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019, the Group recognized lease liabilities in relation to leases which had previously been classified as 'operating leases' and corresponding right-of-use assets. These liabilities were measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the lessee's incremental borrowing rate as of January 1, 2019.
The Group applied the following practical expedients:
• Non-lease components: practical expedient by class of underlying asset not to separate non-lease components (services) from lease components and, instead, account for each lease component and any associated non lease components as a single lease component.
• Discount rate: The lease payments are discounted using the lessee's incremental borrowing rate, since the interest rate implicit in the lease cannot be readily determined. The lessee's incremental borrowing rate is the rate that the individual lessee would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an asset of similar value to the right-of-use asset in a similar economic environment with similar terms, security and conditions. However, the Group is using the practical expedient of accounting together a portfolio of leases with similar characteristics provided that it is reasonably expected that the effects on the financial statements of applying this standard to the portfolio would not differ materially from applying this Standard to the individual leases within that portfolio. And using a single discount rate to a portfolio of leases with reasonably similar characteristics (such as leases with a similar remaining lease term for a similar class of underlying asset in a similar economic environment). The discount rates were estimated by management with the assistance of an independent external expert.
• Low-value leases: The low-value leases practical expedient is applied and these leases are recognized on a straight-line basis as expense in profit or loss.
The practical expedient for short-term leases is not applied.
Lease liabilities were initially measured on a present value basis of the following lease payments:
The lease liability is subsequently measured according to the effective interest method, with interest costs recognized in the statement of income as incurred. The amount of lease liabilities is increased to reflect the accretion of interest and reduced for the lease payments made. In addition, the carrying amount of lease liabilities is remeasured if there is a modification, a change in the lease term, a change in the lease payments (e.g., changes to future payments resulting from a change in an index or rate used to determine such lease payments) or a change in the assessment of an option to purchase the underlying asset.
The Group is exposed to potential future changes in lease payments based on linkage to the CPI index, which are not included in the lease liability until they take effect. When adjustments to lease payments based on an index or rate take effect, the lease liability is reassessed and adjusted against the right-of-use asset.
Lease payments are presented in the statement of cash flows under the cash used in financing activities. Lease payments are allocated between principal and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to the statement of income over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period.
Right-of-use assets were measured at cost comprising the following:
In May 2020, the IASB amended IFRS 16 Leases which provides lessees with an option to treat qualifying rent concessions in the same way as they would if they were not lease modifications. This resulted in accounting for concessions received in an immaterial amount as variable lease payments in the period in which they are granted. The expedient was applied to all qualifying rent concessions.
The cellular segment and the fixed-line segment also include leasing of telecommunications, audio visual and related devices. Leases in which the Group does not transfer substantially all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of an asset are classified as operating leases. Lease income from operating leases where the Group is a lessor is recognized in income on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The respective leased assets are included in the balance sheet based on their nature. The Group did not need to make any adjustments to the accounting for assets held as lessor as a result of adopting IFRS 16.
It results in almost all leases, where the Group is the lessee, being recognized on the balance sheet, as the distinction between operating and finance leases is removed for lessees. Under the new standard, an asset (the right to use the leased item) and a financial liability to pay lease payments are recognized on the statement of financial position. The only exceptions for lessees are short-term (not applied) and lowvalue leases (applied) which are recognized on a straight-line basis as expense in profit or loss. The statement of income is also affected because operating expense is replaced with interest and depreciation. Operating cash flows is higher as cash payments of the lease liability are classified within financing activities. The accounting for lessors did significantly change and therefore the Group did not need to make any adjustments to the accounting for assets held as lessor under operating leases as a result of the adoption of IFRS 16. The main lease contracts that affected the financial statements are operating leases where the Group leases offices, retail stores and service centers, cell sites, and vehicles, see also notes 2(o), 4(b)(3) and 19 to the consolidated financial statements.
The Group applied the standard from its mandatory adoption date January 1, 2019. The Group applied the simplified transition approach and did not restate comparative amounts for the year prior to first adoption. Right-of-use assets for certain property leases were measured on transition as if the new rules had always been applied. All other right-of-use assets were measured at the amount equal to the lease liability on adoption (adjusted for any prepaid or accrued lease expenses, dismantling and restoring obligations).

As of the transition date, the group applied the following practical expedients:
Quantitative information with respect to transition to IFRS16:
The tables below summarize the effects of IFRS 16 on the consolidated statement of financial position as at January 1, 2019 and on the consolidated statements of income and cash flows for the year for the year ended December 31, 2019.
| New Israeli Shekels in millions As at January 1, 2019 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previous | According to | |||
| accounting policy | Effect of change | IFRS16 as reported | ||
| Non-current assets - Lease – right of use | - | 656 | 656 | |
| Non-current assets - Deferred income tax asset | 38 | 6 | 44 | |
| Current liabilities - Lease liabilities | - | 137 | 137 | |
| Non-current liabilities - Lease liabilities | - | 546 | 546 | |
| Equity | 1,406 | (21) | 1,385 |
| New Israeli Shekels | |
|---|---|
| in millions | |
| Operating lease commitments (undiscounted) disclosed as at December 31, 2018 | 372 |
| Discounted using the lessee's incremental borrowing rate as of the date of initial application | 328 |
| Group's share in PHI's lease liability | 355 |
| Lease liability recognized as at January 1, 2019 | 683 |
| Of which are: | |
| Current lease liabilities | 137 |
| Non-current liabilities | 546 |
The principal components of our cost of revenues are:
The principal components of our selling and marketing expenses are:
The principal components of our general and administrative expenses are:
Credit losses are equivalent to net impairment losses on financial and contract assets under IAS1(82).
The principal component of our other income, net, is:
• Unwinding of trade receivables
The principal components of our finance expenses are:
The principal components of our finance income are:
Our primary key business indicators for the cellular segment are as follows. These indicators are widely used in the cellular telephone service industry to evaluate performance.
Our primary key business indicators for the fixed-line segment are as follows:
Estimates and judgments are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, seldom equal actual results. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are addressed below. See also note 4 to the consolidated financial statements.
(1) Assessing the useful lives of non-financial assets:
The useful economic lives of the Group's property and equipment are an estimate determined by management. The Group defines useful economic life of its assets in terms of the assets' expected utility to the Group. This estimation is based on assumptions of future changes in technology or changes in the Group's intended use of these assets, experience of the Group with similar assets, and legal or contract periods where relevant. The useful economic lives of the Group's intangible assets are an estimate determined by management based on assumptions of future changes in technology, legal rights, experience of customer's behavior, and experience of the Group with similar assets where relevant. The assets estimated economic useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at least annually. See also note 2(e) and note 2(f) to the financial statements.

The Company expected in 2019 that the license would be renewed at a high level of certainty: the Company estimated in 2019 that based on its experience and acquaintance with the communications market in Israel, if current conditions continue, there is a high probability that the license will be extended for the additional term of 6 years. Following this examination, the estimated useful life of the 2G and 3G frequencies was re-evaluated for an additional period of 6 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2028. The effect of these changes on the consolidated financial statements were as follows: the amortization expenses of the cellular license were reduced by NIS 15 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, by NIS 60 million in 2020 and are expected to be reduced in 2021 by approximately NIS 60 million.
On September 29, 2020 the Company's cellular license was amended (amendment number 107), whereby the Company is entitled to request an extension of the license for additional periods of ten years instead of six years, at the discretion of the MoC and the Israeli Civil Administration. See information with respect to the extension provisions in note 1 (c) to the financial statements. On receipt of the license amendment, and with respect to the high probability judgement that remained the same, the estimated life of the 2G and 3G frequencies were re-valuated for an additional period of 4 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2032. The effect of these changes on the consolidated financial statements (in addition to the 2019 abovementioned change in estimate) were as follows: the amortization expenses of the cellular license were reduced in the fourth quarter of 2020 by NIS 2 million, and are expected to be reduced by an annual amount of approximately NIS 8 million in 2021. See also note 2(f)(1) and note 11 to the financial statements.
The Group is required to determine at the end of each reporting period whether there is any indication that an asset may be impaired. If indicators for impairment are identified the Group estimates the assets' recoverable amount, which is the higher of an asset's fair value less costs to sell and value in use. The value-in-use calculations require management to make estimates of the projected future cash flows. Determining the estimates of the future cash flows is based on management past experience and best estimate for the economic conditions that will exist over the remaining useful economic life of the Cash Generating Unit ("CGU"). See also note 2(i) to our consolidated financial statements.
The economic slowdown in the markets triggered in March 2020 the identification of indicators for impairment of non-financial assets. In particular, the significant fall in the volume of international travel by the Company's customers has caused a significant decrease in revenues from roaming services, which affected the cellular segment. In addition, the temporary closures of shopping malls and changes in general consumer behavior adversely affected the volume of sales of equipment, which affected the cellular and the fixed-line segments.
The Company tested the recoverable amount of the fixed line segment as of March 31, 2020, based on value-in-use calculations. The recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.). The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business. The key assumptions used are as follows:
| March 31, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Terminal growth rate | 1.0% |
| After-tax discount rate | 8.25% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 9.9% |
As a result of the impairment test, the Group determined that no impairment existed as of March 31, 2020.
The Company tested as of March 2020 the impairment of the cellular segment assets with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.), using a reasonable approximation of its fair value less costs of selling as its recoverable amount, and determined that no impairment was required. No other adverse changes have been identified since March 2020 with the continuation of the crisis and therefore the Company determined that no impairment indicators existed in respect of the cellular segment assets as of December 31, 2020.
Trends in the economic and financial environment, competition and regulatory authorities' decisions, or changes in competitors' behavior in response to the economic environment may affect the estimate of recoverable amounts in future periods. See also note 2(i) to our consolidated financial statements.
Continued increases in the level of competition for cellular and fixed-line services may bring further downward pressure on prices which may require us to perform further impairment tests of our assets. Such impairment tests may lead to recording additional significant impairment charges, which could have a material negative impact on our operating and profit.
Goodwill impairment reviews are undertaken annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset's fair value less costs to sell and value in use. The recoverable amount of the fixed line segment to which goodwill has been allocated to have been determined based on value-in-use calculations. For the purpose of the goodwill impairment tests as of December 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 the recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of external independent experts (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.) based on value-in-use calculations. The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business.
The key assumptions used in the December, 31, 2020 test were as follows:
| Terminal growth rate | 1.0% |
|---|---|
| After-tax discount rate | 7.5% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 9.0% |
The impairment test as of December 31, 2020 was based on assessments of financial performance and future strategies in light of current and expected market and economic conditions. Trends in the economic and financial environment, competition and regulatory authorities' decisions, or changes in competitors' behavior in response to the economic environment may affect the estimate of recoverable amounts. See also note 13(1) and note 2(h) to the consolidated financial statements. No impairment charges were recognized in with respect to goodwill through the years 2017-2020.
The headroom of the fixed line segment recoverable amount over the carrying amount as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 was approximately 21%, 42% and 37% respectively. Sensitivity analysis was performed for the recoverable amount as of December 31, 2020 for a change of the after-tax discount rate within the range of ± 10% multiplied by the variable 7.5% (6.75% to 8.25%), assuming all other variables constant. Sensitivity analysis was also performed for a change of the terminal permanent growth rate within the range of ± 1% of the variable 1.0% (0% to 2%), assuming all other variables constant. Results showed that no impairment charge is required for both analyses.
The allowance for credit losses for financial assets is based on assumptions about risk of default and expected loss rates. The Group uses judgment in making these assumptions and selecting the inputs to the impairment calculation, based on the Group's past history, existing market conditions as well as forward-looking estimates at the end of each reporting period. Individual receivables which are known to be uncollectable are written off by reducing the carrying amount directly. The other receivables are assessed collectively, grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and the days past due.
The Group assesses on a forward-looking basis the expected credit losses associated with its debt instruments carried at amortized cost. The impairment methodology applied depends on whether there has been a significant increase in credit risk. For trade receivables and contract assets with and without significant financing components, the Group applies IFRS 9 simplified approach to measuring expected credit losses which uses a lifetime expected loss allowance. To measure the expected credit losses, trade receivables have been grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and period past due. The expected loss rates are based on the payment profiles of sales, and the corresponding historical credit losses experienced. The historical loss rates are adjusted to reflect current and forward-looking information on factors affecting the ability of the customers to settle the receivables. See notes 7, 6(a)(3), 2(j) to the financial statements.
Provisions are recorded when a loss is considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. Judgment is necessary in assessing the likelihood that a pending claim or litigation against the Group will succeed, or a liability will arise, quantifying the best estimate of final settlement. These judgments are made by management with the support of internal specialists, or with the support of outside consultants such as legal counsel. Because of the inherent uncertainties in this evaluation process, actual results may be different from these estimates. See notes 2(m), 14 and 20 to the financial statements.
| New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, 2020 In millions |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | |
| Segment revenue – Services | 1,647 | 861 | 2,508 | |
| Inter-segment revenue – Services | 16 | 132 | (148) | |
| Segment revenue – Equipment | 545 | 136 | 681 | |
| Total revenues | 2,208 | 1,129 | (148) | 3,189 |
| Segment cost of revenues – Services | 1,272 | 856 | 2,128 | |
| Inter-segment cost of revenues - Services | 131 | 17 | (148) | |
| Segment cost of revenues – Equipment | 451 | 85 | 536 | |
| Cost of revenues | 1,854 | 958 | (148) | 2,664 |
| Gross profit | 354 | 171 | 525 | |
| Operating expenses (1) | 300 | 159 | 459 | |
| Other income, net | 19 | 11 | 30 | |
| Operating profit | 73 | 23 | 96 | |
| Adjustments to presentation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA |
||||
| –Depreciation and amortization | 450 | 264 | 714 | |
| –Other (2) | 10 | 2 | 12 | |
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA (3) | 533 | 289 | 822 | |
| Reconciliation of profit for the year to Adjusted EBITDA | ||||
| Profit for the year | 17 | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | 714 | |||
| Finance costs, net | 69 | |||
| Income tax expenses | 10 | |||
| Other (2) | 12 | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA (3) | 822 | |||
| New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, 2019 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | |||||
| Cellular segment | Fixed line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | ||
| Segment revenue - Services |
1,783 | 777 | 2,560 | ||
| Inter -segment revenue - Services |
15 | 148 | (163 ) |
||
| Segment revenue - Equipment |
571 | 103 | 674 | ||
| Total revenues | 2,369 | 1,028 | (163 ) |
3,234 | |
| Segment cost of revenues - Services |
1,367 | 810 | 2,177 | ||
| Inter -segment cost of revenues - Services |
147 | 16 | (163 ) |
||
| Segment cost of revenues - Equipment |
464 | 66 | 530 | ||
| Cost of revenues | 1,978 | 892 | (163 ) |
2,707 | |
| Gross profit | 391 | 136 | 527 | ||
| Operating expenses (1) | 334 | 134 | 468 | ||
| Other income, net | 20 | 8 | 28 | ||
| Operating profit | 77 | 10 | 87 | ||
| Adjustments to presentation of segment Adjusted EBITDA |
|||||
| –Depreciation and amortization | 542 | 209 | 751 | ||
| –Other (2) | 16 | (1 ) |
15 | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA (3) | 635 | 218 | 853 | ||
| Reconciliation of profit for the year to Adjusted EBITDA |
|||||
| Profit for the year | 19 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 751 | ||||
| Finance costs, net | 68 | ||||
| Income tax expenses | * | ||||
| Other (2) | 15 | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA (3) | 853 | ||||
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
(1) Operating expenses include selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses and credit losses.
(2) Mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation.
(3) Adjusted EBITDA as reviewed by the CODM represents Earnings Before Interest (finance costs, net), Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (including amortization of intangible assets, deferred expenses-right of use and impairment charges) and Other expenses (mainly amortization of share-based compensation). Adjusted EBITDA is not a financial measure under IFRS and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures for other companies. Adjusted EBITDA may not be indicative of the Group's historic operating results nor is it meant to be predictive of potential future results. See "Item 5A.1a - NON-GAAP MEASURES" above. The usage of the term "Adjusted EBITDA" is to highlight the fact that the Amortization includes amortization of deferred expenses – right of use and amortization of employee sharebased compensation and impairment charges.
Total revenues. In 2020, total revenues were NIS 3,189 million (US\$ 992 million), a decrease of 1% from NIS 3,234 million in 2019.
Revenues from services. Service revenues in 2020 totaled NIS 2,508 million (US\$ 780 million), a decrease of 2% from NIS 2,560 million in 2019.
Revenues from equipment. Equipment revenues in 2020 totaled NIS 681 million (US\$ 212 million), an increase of 1% from NIS 674 million in 2019, principally reflecting significant increases in sales of cellular equipment to wholesale customers and of fixed-line equipment for both business and private customers. These increases in sales were partially offset by lower volumes of retail sales of cellular equipment following the closure of some sales points during certain COVID-19-related lockdown periods during the year.
Gross profit from service revenues. The gross profit from service revenues in 2020 was NIS 380 million (US\$ 118 million), compared with NIS 383 million in 2019, a decrease of 1%. This decrease largely reflected the negative impact of the COVID-19 on revenues from roaming services, which was partially offset by the positive contribution from the growth in internet and TV services. In addition, the decrease in revenues was partially offset by a decrease in depreciation and amortization expenses, the cost-cutting measures taken to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and the receipt in 2020 of a governmentmandated refund from Bezeq of approximately NIS 20 million of payments for access to the wholesale internet infrastructure in previous years. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements.
Gross profit from equipment sales. Gross profit from equipment sales in 2020 was NIS 145 million (US\$ 45 million), compared with NIS 144 million in 2019, an increase of 1%. The increase mainly reflected an increase in gross profit from sales of fixed-line equipment, partially offset by a decrease in gross profit from sales of cellular equipment.
Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses. Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses totaled NIS 459 million (US\$ 142 million) in 2020, a decrease of 2% compared with NIS 468 million in 2019. This decrease mainly reflected the cost-cutting measures on workforce expenses, whose effect was partially offset by an increase in amortization expenses related to the costs of obtaining contracts with customers under IFRS 15 and an immaterial increase in credit losses reflecting an increase in the provision for expected credit losses as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
Total operating expenses ("OPEX"). Total operating expenses amounted to NIS 1,871 million (US\$ 582 million) in 2020, a decrease of 1%, or NIS 14 million, from 2019 (OPEX is not a financial measure under IFRS and not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures for other companies. It includes cost of service revenues (NIS 2,128 million in 2020) and selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses (NIS 459 million in 2020), and excludes depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation) (NIS 716 million in 2020)). The decrease mainly reflected a decrease in workforce and related expenses as part of the cost-cutting measures taken to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on revenues, and a decrease in wholesale internet infrastructure access expenses following receipt of a government-mandated refund from Bezeq of approximately NIS 20 million of payments for access to the wholesale internet infrastructure in previous years and a decrease in international calling services expenses. The decreases in these expenses were partially offet by increases in interconnect expenses due to the significant increase in outgoing call volumes related to the COVID-19 crisis. See also Items 5A.2a and 5A.2b for a breakdown of total operating expenses by segment.
Including depreciation, amortization and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation), total operating expenses in 2020 amounted to NIS 2,587 million (US\$ 805 million), a decrease of 2%, or NIS 58 million, compared with NIS 2,645 million in 2019. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements.
Other income, net. Other income, net, totaled NIS 30 million (US\$ 9 million) in 2020, an increase of 7% compared with NIS 28 million in 2019. See also note 23 to our consolidated financial statements.
Operating profit. Operating profit for 2020 was NIS 96 million (US\$ 30 million), an increase of 10% compared with operating profit of NIS 87 million in 2019. The increase in operating profit mainly reflected the decrease in operating expenses including depreciation and amortization expenses, which more than offset the decrease in service revenues.
Finance costs, net. Finance costs, net in 2020 were NIS 69 million (US\$ 22 million), an increase of 1% compared with NIS 68 million in 2019. The increase mainly reflected the one-time expense of approximately NIS 7 million relating to the partial early repayment of the Company's Notes Series F during the year, partially offset by a decrease in lease interest and an increase in interest from cash and deposits. See also "Item 5B Liquidity and Capital Resources."
Profit before income tax. Profit before income taxes for 2020 was NIS 27 million (US\$ 8 million), an increase of 42% compared with NIS 19 million in 2019, reflecting the increase in operating profit.
Income taxes on profit. The Company recorded income tax expenses of NIS 10 million (US\$ 3 million) for 2020, compared with no income tax expenses for 2019.
In 2019, the Company recorded a one-time income of NIS 6 million in income tax expenses.
The effective tax rate of the Company was 37% in 2020 compared with 0% in 2019, and compared with the regular corporate tax rate in Israel of 23% for 2019 and 2020, largely as a result of non-deductible expenses and the one-time factor in 2019 described immediately above.
Excluding the one-time factor in 2019, the effective tax rate of the Company in 2019 would have been 32%.
The Company's effective tax rate is expected to continue to be higher than the general Israeli corporate tax rate (excluding one-time effects) mainly due to nondeductible expenses. See also note 25 to our consolidated financial statements.
Profit. Profit in 2020 was NIS 17 million (US\$ 5 million), a decrease of 11% compared with NIS 19 million in 2019. Based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during 2020, basic earnings per share or ADS was NIS 0.09 (US\$ 0.03), compared with NIS 0.12 in 2019.
For information regarding potential downward impacts on profits in 2021, see "Item 5D.2 Outlook."
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA in 2020 totaled NIS 822 million (US\$ 256 million), a decrease of 4% or NIS 31 million from NIS 853 million in 2019. As a percentage of total revenues, Adjusted EBITDA in 2020 was 26%, unchanged from 2019.
Total revenues. Total revenues for the cellular segment in 2020 were NIS 2,208 million (US\$ 687 million), a decrease of 7% from NIS 2,369 million in 2019.
Revenues from services. Service revenues for the cellular segment in 2020 totaled NIS 1,663 million (US\$ 517 million), a decrease of 8% from NIS 1,798 million in 2019. The decrease was mainly the result of the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis, which caused a very significant reduction in revenues from roaming services, and the continued price erosion of cellular services due to on-going competitive market conditions. These decreases in service revenues were partially offset by an increase in interconnect revenues due to the significant increase in incoming call volumes related to the COVID-19 crisis and an increase in revenues due to the growth of the cellular subscriber base.
As an illustration of the level of competition in the cellular market, approximately 1.9 million cellular subscribers are estimated to have switched operators within the Israeli market (with number porting) during 2020; similarly, approximately 2.2 million subscribers switched in 2019 and approximately 2.4 million in 2018. While our annual churn rate for cellular subscribers decreased marginally in 2020 to 30% compared with 31% in 2019 and 35% in 2018, competition in the cellular subscriber market remained intense. Significant price erosion continued to be caused by the number of cellular subscribers who moved between different rateplans or airtime packages (generally with a lower monthly fee) within the Company.
Revenues from equipment. Revenues from equipment sales for the cellular segment in 2020 totaled NIS 545 million (US\$ 170 million), a decrease of 5% from NIS 571 million in 2019, mainly reflecting a decrease in the volume of retail sales of cellular equipment following the closure of some sales points during certain COVID-19-related lockdown periods during the year, partially offset by a significant increase in cellular equipment sales to wholesale customers.
Gross profit from equipment sales. The gross profit from equipment sales for the cellular segment in 2020 was NIS 94 million (US\$ 29 million), compared with NIS 107 million in 2019, a decrease of 12%. This decrease mainly reflected the decrease in the volume of equipment sales, as described above, in addition to a decrease in profit margins from sales due to a change in the product mix.
Cost of service revenues. The cost of service revenues for the cellular segment decreased by 7% from NIS 1,514 million in 2019 to NIS 1,403 million (US\$ 436 million) in 2020. This decrease mainly reflected the decrease in depreciation and amortization expenses related to the cellular network, as well as the decrease in workforce and related expenses and in roaming expenses, partially offset by the increase in interconnect expenses due to the significant increase in outgoing call volumes related to the COVID-19 crisis (in parallel to the increase in incoming call volumes discussed above). See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements.
Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses. Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses for the cellular segment in 2020 amounted to NIS 300 million (US\$ 93 million), a decrease of 10% from NIS 334 million in 2019. The decrease mainly reflected the decrease in workforce and related expenses, which were partially offset by increases in amortization expenses and credit losses. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements.
Total operating expenses ("OPEX"). Total operating expenses (OPEX is not a financial measure under IFRS and not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures for other companies; see "Item 5A.2" for reconciliation on a consolidated basis) for the cellular segment totaled NIS 1,253 million (US\$ 390 million) in 2020, a decrease of 4% or NIS 45 million from NIS 1,298 million in 2019, principally due to the decrease in workforce and related expenses, partially offset by the increase in interconnect expenses discussed above. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements. Including depreciation and amortization expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation), total operating expenses totaled NIS 1,703 million (US\$ 530 million), a decrease of 8% compared with NIS 1,848 million in 2019.
Operating profit. Overall, operating profit for the cellular segment in 2020 was NIS 73 million (US\$ 23 million), a decrease of 5% compared with NIS 77 million in 2019, mainly reflecting the decrease in cellular segment service revenues and the decrease in gross profit from equipment sales which were partially offset by the decrease in operating expenses including depreciation and amortization expenses and other expenses.
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA for the cellular segment was NIS 533 million (US\$ 166 million) in 2020, a decrease of 16% from NIS 635 million in 2019, largely for the same reasons as the decrease in operating profit (excluding depreciation and amortization expenses and other expenses). As a percentage of total cellular revenues, Adjusted EBITDA for the cellular segment in 2020 was 24% compared with 27% in 2019.
Total revenues. Total revenues in 2020 for the fixed-line segment were NIS 1,129 million (US\$ 351 million), an increase of 10% compared with NIS 1,028 million in 2019.
Revenues from services. Service revenues for the fixed-line segment totaled NIS 993 million (US\$ 309 million) in 2020, an increase of 7% compared with NIS 925 million in 2019. This increase mainly reflected the increase in revenues resulting from the growth in internet and TV services, which was partially offset by a decline in revenues from international calling services (including the market for wholesale international traffic) which continue to be adversely affected by the increased penetration of internet-based solutions. See also "Item 3D.2o The telecommunications industry is subject to rapid and significant changes in technology and industry structure which could reduce demand for our services."
Revenues from equipment. Revenues from equipment sales for the fixed-line segment in 2020 totaled NIS 136 million (US\$ 42 million), an increase of 32% compared with NIS 103 million in 2019, mainly reflecting an increase in the volume of sales of fixed-line equipment for both business and private customers.
Gross profit from equipment sales. The gross profit from equipment sales for the fixed-line segment in 2020 was NIS 51 million (US\$ 16 million), compared with NIS 37 million in 2019, an increase of 38%, again largely a reflection of the impact of an increase in sales recorded from sales of internet-related equipment and devices.
Cost of service revenues. The cost of service revenues for the fixed-line segment increased by 6% from NIS 826 million in 2019 to NIS 873 million (US\$ 272 million) in 2020. This increase mainly reflected increased expenses related to the growth in fixed-line segment services (including workforce and related expenses and depreciation and amortization expenses) and an increase in interconnect expenses (in parallel to the increase in incoming call volumes discussed in the cellular segment above), partially offset by receipt of a government-mandated refund from Bezeq of approximately NIS 20 million of payments for access to the wholesale internet infrastructure in previous years and a decrease in international calling services expenses. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements.
Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses. Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses for the fixed-line segment in 2020 amounted to NIS 159 million (US\$ 49 million), an increase of 19% from NIS 134 million in 2019. The increase mainly reflected increased workforce and related expenses and depreciation and amortization expenses related to the growth in fixed-line segment services. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements.
Total operating expenses ("OPEX"). Total operating expenses (OPEX is not a financial measure under IFRS and not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures for other companies; see "Item 5A.2 for reconciliation on a consolidated basis) for the fixed-line segment totaled NIS 766 million (US\$ 238 million) in 2020, an increase of 2% or NIS 16 million from NIS 750 million in 2019. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements. Including depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation), total operating expenses for the fixed-line segment totaled NIS 1,032 million (US\$ 321 million), an increase of 8% compared with NIS 960 million in 2019.
Operating profit. Operating profit for the fixed-line segment was NIS 23 million (US\$ 7 million) in 2020, an increase of 130% compared to NIS 10 million in 2019, mainly reflecting the impact of the growth in TV and internet services and the increase in gross profit from fixed-line segment equipment sales, which more than offset the increase in total operating expenses including depreciation, amortization expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation).
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA for the fixed-line segment was NIS 289 million (US\$ 90 million) in 2020, an increase of 33% from NIS 218 million in 2019. The increase resulted from the growth in TV and internet services and the increase in gross profit from fixed-line equipment sales, which were partially offset by the increase in total operating expenses (excluding depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation)). As a percentage of total fixed-line revenues, Adjusted EBITDA for the fixed-line segment in 2020 was 26%, compared with 21% in 2019.
| New Israeli Shekels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31, 2018* In millions |
||||
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | |
| Segment revenue – Services | 1,827 | 697 | 2,524 | |
| Inter-segment revenue – Services | 16 | 155 | (171) | |
| Segment revenue – Equipment | 643 | 92 | 735 | |
| Total revenues | 2,486 | 944 | (171) | 3,259 |
| Segment cost of revenues – Services | 1,435 | 696 | 2,131 | |
| Inter-segment cost of revenues - Services | 154 | 17 | (171) | |
| Segment cost of revenues – Equipment | 509 | 60 | 569 | |
| Cost of revenues | 2,098 | 773 | (171) | 2,700 |
| Gross profit | 388 | 171 | 559 | |
| Operating expenses (1) | 343 | 128 | 471 | |
| Other income, net | 23 | 5 | 28 | |
| Operating profit | 68 | 48 | 116 | |
| Adjustments to presentation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA |
||||
| –Depreciation and amortization | 442 | 150 | 592 | |
| –Other (2) | 14 | 14 | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA (3) | 524 | 198 | 722 | |
| Reconciliation of profit for the year to Adjusted EBITDA |
||||
| Profit for the year | 56 | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | 592 | |||
| Finance costs, net | 53 | |||
| Income tax expenses | 7 | |||
| Other (2) | 14 | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA (3) | 722 |
* The results for the year ended December 31, 2019 include the impact of IFRS 16 with effect as of January 1, 2019. See "Item 5A.1i IFRS 16 Leases."
(1) Operating expenses include selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses and credit losses.
(2) Mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation.
(3) Adjusted EBITDA as reviewed by the CODM represents Earnings Before Interest (finance costs, net), Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (including amortization of intangible assets, deferred expenses-right of use and impairment charges) and Other expenses (mainly amortization of share-based compensation). Adjusted EBITDA is not a financial measure under IFRS and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures for other companies. Adjusted EBITDA may not be indicative of the Group's historic operating results nor is it meant to be predictive of potential future results. See "Item 5A.1a - NON-GAAP MEASURES" above. The usage of the term "Adjusted EBITDA" is to highlight the fact that the Amortization includes amortization of deferred expenses – right of use and amortization of employee sharebased compensation and impairment charges.
Total revenues. In 2019, total revenues were NIS 3,234 million, a decrease of 1% from NIS 3,259 million in 2018.
Revenues from services. Service revenues in 2019 totaled NIS 2,560 million, an increase of 1% from NIS 2,524 million in 2018.
Revenues from equipment. Equipment revenues in 2019 totaled NIS 674 million, a decrease of 8% from NIS 735 million in 2018, principally reflecting the lower sales volumes of both cellular devices and other non-core equipment.
Gross profit from service revenues. The gross profit from service revenues in 2019 was NIS 383 million, compared with NIS 393 million in 2018, a decrease of 3%. This decrease reflected the increase in the cost of service revenues, largely a result of increased expenses related to the growth in TV and internet services revenues, which more than offset the increase in service revenues.
Gross profit from equipment sales. Gross profit from equipment sales in 2019 was NIS 144 million, compared with NIS 166 million in 2018, a decrease of 13%. This decrease mainly reflected the lower sales volumes, as well a decrease in profit margins for equipment sales due to a change in the product mix.
Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses. Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses totaled NIS 468 million in 2019, a decrease of 1% compared with NIS 471 million in 2018. This decrease mainly reflected the decrease in credit losses, which was principally due to the impact of the tightening of the Company's customer credit policy for handset sales since 2017 and the decrease in equipment sales in 2019, which were partially offset by increased depreciation and amortization expenses, mainly related to the capitalization of contract costs under IFRS 15.
Total operating expenses ("OPEX"). Total operating expenses amounted to NIS 1,885 million in 2019, a decrease of 6%, or NIS 111 million, from 2018 (not a financial measure under IFRS and not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures for other companies) includes cost of service revenues (NIS 2,177 million in 2019) and selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses (NIS 468 million in 2019), and excludes depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation) (NIS 760 million in 2019). The decrease was explained principally by the impact of the implementation of IFRS 16 in 2019 which reduced total operating expenses by NIS 157 million since lease expenses under the standard were replaced by interest and depreciation expenses. Excluding the impact of the implementation of IFRS 16, total operating expenses would have increased by NIS 46 million, primarily reflecting the increase in expenses related to the growth in TV and internet services, including content rights and distribution expenses, wholesale internet infrastructure access expenses and workforce expenses. These increases were partially offet by decreases in other expenses including in credit losses and in international calling services expenses. See also Items 5A.3a and 5A.3b for a breakdown of total operating expenses by segment.
Including depreciation, amortization and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation), total operating expenses in 2019 amounted to NIS 2,645 million, an increase of 2%, or NIS 43 million, compared with NIS 2,602 million in 2018.
Other income, net. Other income, net, totaled NIS 28 million in 2019, unchanged from 2018, as a result of there being no change in income from the unwinding of trade receivables.
Operating profit. Operating profit for 2019 was NIS 87 million, a decrease of 25% compared with operating profit of NIS 116 million in 2018. The impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 on operating profit in 2019 was an increase of NIS 11 million. The decrease in operating profit mainly reflected the increase in operating expenses including depreciation and amortization expenses and the decrease in gross profit from equipment sales, which more than offset the increase in service revenues.
Finance costs, net. Finance costs, net in 2019 were NIS 68 million, an increase of 28% compared with NIS 53 million in 2018. The increase largely reflected the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16, which resulted in an increase of NIS 20 million in finance expenses, partially offset by an income from foreign exchange linkage. The negative impact on interest expenses of the increase in the average level of debt in 2019 compared with the average debt in 2018 was offset by the lower average debt interest rate. See also "Item 5B Liquidity and Capital Resources."
Profit before income tax. Profit before income taxes for 2019 was NIS 19 million, a decrease of 70% compared with NIS 63 million in 2018, reflecting both the decrease in operating profit as well as the increase in finance costs, net.
Income taxes on profit. The Company did not record income tax expenses for 2019, compared with income tax expenses of NIS 7 million in 2018.
In 2019, a one-time income of NIS 6 million was recorded in income tax expenses. In 2018, the Company recorded a one-time income of NIS 16 million in income tax expenses, mainly due to an income tax audit of the Company's subsidiary.
The effective tax rate of the Company was 0% in 2019 compared with 11% in 2018, compared with the regular corporate tax rate in Israel of 23% for 2018 and 2019, largely as a result of the one-time factors described above. Excluding the one-time factors, the effective tax rate of the Company in 2018 and 2019 would have been 37% and 32%, respectively.
Profit. Profit in 2019 was NIS 19 million, a decrease of 66% compared with NIS 56 million in 2018. The impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 on profit in 2019 was a decrease of NIS 9 million. Based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during 2019, basic earnings per share or ADS was NIS 0.12, compared with NIS 0.34 in 2018.
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA in 2019 totaled NIS 853 million, an increase of 18% or NIS 131 million from NIS 722 million in 2018. The impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 on Adjusted EBITDA in 2019 was an increase of NIS 157 million. As a percentage of total revenues, Adjusted EBITDA in 2019 was 26% compared with 22% in 2018.
Total revenues. Total revenues for the cellular segment in 2019 were NIS 2,369 million, a decrease of 5% from NIS 2,486 million in 2018.
Revenues from services. Service revenues for the cellular segment in 2019 totaled NIS 1,798 million, a decrease of 2% from NIS 1,843 million in 2018. The decrease was mainly a result of the continued downward pressures on the prices of cellular services as a result of the continued competition in the cellular market. As an illustration of the continuing high level of competition in the cellular market, approximately 2.2 million cellular subscribers are estimated to have switched operators within the Israeli market (with number porting) in 2019; approximately 2.4 million subscribers switched in 2018 and approximately 2.5 million switched in 2017. Significant price erosion continued to be caused by the number of cellular subscribers who moved between different rateplans or airtime packages (generally with a lower monthly fee) within the Company.
Revenues from equipment. Revenues from equipment sales for the cellular segment in 2019 totaled NIS 571 million, a decrease of 11% from NIS 643 million in 2018, mainly reflecting a decrease in the volume of sales.
Gross profit from equipment sales. The gross profit from equipment sales for the cellular segment in 2019 was NIS 107 million, compared with NIS 134 million in 2018, a decrease of 20%. This decrease mainly reflected the decrease in the volume of equipment sales, as described above, in addition to a decrease in profit margins from sales due to a change in the product mix.
Cost of service revenues. The cost of service revenues for the cellular segment decreased by 5% from NIS 1,589 million in 2018 to NIS 1,514 million in 2019. This decrease mainly reflected the decrease in depreciation and amortization expenses related to the cellular network, as well as decreases in payments to communications provider expenses and other expenses.
Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses. Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses for the cellular segment in 2019 amounted to NIS 334 million, a decrease of 3% from NIS 343 million in 2018. The decrease mainly reflected the decrease in credit losses which was principally due to the impact of the tightening of the Company's customer credit policy for handset sales since 2017, and the decrease in equipment sales in 2019, as well as decreases in workforce expenses and in other expense items, which were partially offset by increases in amortization expenses related to the capitalization of contract costs under IFRS 15, and in advertising and marketing expenses.
Total operating expenses ("OPEX"). Total operating expenses (not a financial measure under IFRS and not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures for other companies; see Item 5A.3 for reconciliation on a consolidated basis) for the cellular segment totaled NIS 1,298 million in 2019, a decrease of 12% or NIS 178 million from NIS 1,476 million in 2018, principally due to the impact of the implementation of IFRS 16 in 2019 which reduced total operating expenses for the cellular segment by NIS 141 million and the decrease in workforce expenses and in credit losses as described above. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements. Including depreciation and amortization expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation), total operating expenses totaled NIS 1,848 million, a decrease of 4% compared with NIS 1,932 million in 2018.
Operating profit. Overall, operating profit for the cellular segment in 2019 was NIS 77 million, an increase of 13% compared with NIS 68 million in 2018, mainly reflecting reflecting the decreases in total operating expenses and in depreciation and amortization expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation) (excluding the impact of the implementation of IFRS 16 on depreciation and amortization expenses), which were partially offset by the decreases in cellular segment service revenues and in gross profit from cellular segment equipment sales. The overall impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 on operating profit for the cellular segment in 2019 was an increase of NIS 10 million.
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA for the cellular segment was NIS 635 million in 2019, an increase of 21% from NIS 524 million in 2018, reflecting the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 which increased Adjusted EBITDA for the cellular segment by NIS 141 million, as well as the decrease in other total operating expenses, which were partially offset by the decreases in service revenues and in gross profit from cellular segment equipment sales. As a percentage of total cellular revenues, Adjusted EBITDA for the cellular segment in 2019 was 27% compared with 21% in 2018.
Total revenues. Total revenues in 2019 for the fixed-line segment were NIS 1,028 million, an increase of 9% compared with NIS 944 million in 2018.
Revenues from services. Service revenues for the fixed-line segment totaled NIS 925 million in 2019, an increase of 9% compared with NIS 852 million in 2018. This increase mainly reflected an increase in revenues from TV and internet services, partially offset by a decrease in revenues from international calling services (including the market for wholesale international traffic) which continue to be adversely affected by the increased penetration of internet-based solutions.
Revenues from equipment. Revenues from equipment sales for the fixed-line segment in 2019 totaled NIS 103 million, an increase of 12% compared with NIS 92 million in 2018, mainly reflecting an increase in revenues recorded from sales of internet-related equipment and devices, mainly as a result of the growth in internet services.
Gross profit from equipment sales. The gross profit from equipment sales for the fixed-line segment in 2019 was NIS 37 million, compared with NIS 32 million in 2018, an increase of 16%, again largely a reflection of the impact of an increase in sales recorded from sales of internet-related equipment and devices.
Cost of service revenues. The cost of service revenues for the fixed-line segment increased by 16% from NIS 713 million in 2018 to NIS 826 million in 2019. This increase mainly reflected increased expenses related to TV and internet services (including content expenses, wholesale internet infrastructure access expenses, workforce expenses and depreciation and amortization expenses).
Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses. Selling, marketing, general and administrative expenses and credit losses for the fixed-line segment in 2019 amounted to NIS 134 million, an increase of 5% from NIS 128 million in 2018. The increase mainly reflected increased workforce expenses related to the growth in fixed-line segment services, partially offset by a decrease in advertising and marketing expenses.
Total operating expenses ("OPEX"). Total operating expenses (not a financial measure under IFRS and not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures for other companies; see "Item 5A.23" for reconciliation on a consolidated basis) for the fixed-line segment totaled NIS 750 million in 2019, an increase of 9% or NIS 61 million from NIS 691 million in 2018. The impact of the implementation of IFRS 16 in 2019 reduced total operating expenses for the fixed-line segment by NIS 16 million. See also note 22 to our consolidated financial statements. Including depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation), total operating expenses for the fixed-line segment totaled NIS 960 million, an increase of 14% compared with NIS 841 million in 2018.
Operating profit. Operating profit for the fixed-line segment was NIS 10 million in 2019, a decrease of 79% compared to NIS 48 million in 2018, mainly reflecting the increase in total operating expenses including depreciation, amortization expenses and other expenses (mainly amortization of employee share-based compensation), as well as the impact of the decrease in revenues from international calling services, which more than offset the impact of the growth in TV and internet services and the increase in gross profit from fixed-line segment equipment sales. The impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 on operating profit for the fixed-line segment in 2019 was an increase of NIS 1 million.
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA for the fixed-line segment was NIS 218 million in 2019, an increase of 10% from NIS 198 million in 2018. The impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 on Adjusted EBITDA for the fixed-line segment in 2019 was an increase of NIS 16 million. Adjusted EBITDA excluding the impact of IFRS 16 was NIS 202 million, an increase of 2% from 2018, which resulted from the growth in TV and internet services and the increase in gross profit from fixed-line equipment sales, which were partially offset by the negative impact from the decline in international calling services. As a percentage of total fixedline revenues, Adjusted EBITDA for the fixed-line segment in 2019 was 21%, unchanged from 2018.
Historically, our cellular service revenues and profitability tend to show some seasonal trends over the year, resulting mainly from revenues from roaming services which tend to increase during Jewish holiday periods and during the summer months. These seasonal trends did not materialize in the year 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis.
There is no assurance that these trends will continue in the future.
| Three months ended | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIS in millions | March 31 | June 30 | Sept. 30 | Dec. 31 | |
| (Unaudited) | |||||
| Service Revenues | |||||
| 2018 | 625 | 620 | 654 | 625 | |
| 2019 | 624 | 642 | 658 | 636 | |
| 2020 | 629 | 616 | 631 | 632 | |
Substantially all of our revenues and a majority of our operating expenses are denominated in shekels. However, in recent years, approximately one quarter of our operating expenses (excluding depreciation), including a substantial majority of our device and equipment purchases related to end sales to customers, were linked to non-NIS currencies, mainly the US dollar. In addition, part of our capital expenditures are incurred in, or linked to, non-NIS currencies, mainly the US dollar. See "ITEM 11 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK".
The discussion below first describes our financial indebtedness (Notes payable, long-term borrowings and total financial debt) and capital expenditures, then our dividend payments, and finally our main sources of liquidity.
As further described below, we have over the years issued a number of series of Notes payable, which we have occasionally repurchased.
According to agreements the Company entered into in December 2017 and January 2018, the Company issued in December 2019, in a framework of a private placement, an aggregate principal amount of NIS 226.75 million of additional Series F Notes to certain Israeli institutional investors.
In January 2019, the Company issued a new Series G Notes, in a principal amount of NIS 225 million, payable as follows: 4 annual installments of NIS 22.5 million each, payable in June of each of the years 2022 through 2025, NIS 45 million payable in June 2026 and NIS 90 million payable in June 2027. The principal bears fixed annual interest of 4%, payable annually on June 25 of each year.
In 2019 and 2020, following partial exercises of option warrants exercisable for Series G Notes (see also "Private placement of option warrants" below), the Company issued Series G Notes in a total principal amount of NIS 125 million and NIS 174.3 million respectively.
In July 2020, the Company issued in a private placement (not related to the option warrants mentioned above) additional Series G Notes in a principal amount of NIS 300 million, under the same conditions as the original series.
In July 2020, the Company also executed a partial early redemption of Series F Notes in a total principal amount of NIS 305 million. The total amount paid was NIS 313 million. The early redemption resulted in additional finance costs of NIS 7 million recorded in July 2020.
All Series Notes payable are unsecured non-convertible and listed for trading on the TASE.
All Series Notes payable have been rated ilA+, on a local scale, by Standard & Poor's Maalot.
Members of our Board of Directors and senior management may have purchased a portion of the various Series Notes through stock exchange transactions.
The table below sets forth the composition and terms of the Notes payable issued by the Company and outstanding at December 31, 2020:
| Principal amount | Annual interest rate | Interest payment terms | Original issuance date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes payable series D | 109 | 'Makam'(**) plus 1.2% | Quarterly | April 2010 |
| Notes payable series F | 512 | 2.16% fixed | Semi-annual | July 2017 |
| Notes payable series G(*) | 824 | 4% fixed | Annual | January 2019 |
(*) Includes Series G Notes issued pursuant to option warrants described below.
(**) 'Makam' is a variable interest that is based on the yield of 12 month government bonds issued by the Government of Israel. The interest is updated on a quarterly basis. The interest rates paid (in annual terms, and including the additional interest of 1.2%) during 2020 are set forth in the table below:
| Period | Interest rate (Makam+1.2%) |
|---|---|
| October 1, 2020 to December 30, 2020 | 1.25% |
| July 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 | 1.23% |
| March 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020 | 1.41% |
| December 31, 2019 to March 30, 2020 | 1.34% |
The table below sets forth the payments of principal to be made on our Notes payable at December 31, 2020 (for payments including interest payments, see "Item 5F Aggregate Contractual Obligations"):
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 to 2025 New Israeli Shekels in millions |
2026 and thereafter |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal payments of long-term indebtedness: | ||||||
| Notes payable series D | 109 | 109 | ||||
| Notes payable series F | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 | 512 | |
| Notes payable series G | 82 | 82 | 165 | 495 | 824 | |
| Total | 237 | 210 | 210 | 293 | 495 | 1,445 |
In April 2019, the Company issued in a private placement 2 series of untradeable option warrants that are exercisable for the Company's Series G Notes. The exercise period of the first series was between July 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 and of the second series is between July 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. The exercise price is NIS 88 for each Series G notes principal amount of NIS 100. The Series G Notes allotted upon the exercise of an option warrant will be identical in all their rights to the Company's Series G Notes immediately upon their allotment, and will be entitled to any payment of interest or other benefit, the effective date of which is due after the allotment date. The Notes allotted as a result of the exercise of option warrants will be registered on the TASE. The total amount received by the Company on the allotment date of the option warrants (in April 2019) was NIS 37 million.
In 2019 and 2020, following partial exercises of option warrants which are exercisable for Series G Notes, the Company issued Series G Notes in a total principal amount of NIS 125 million and NIS 174.3 million, respectively.
As of the date of approval of these financial statements, the total remaining consideration expected to be received (after the exercises described above), excluding consideration already received for the allotment of the options, in respect of full exercise of remaining option warrants (and assuming that there will be no change to the exercise price) is approximately NIS 23 million.
The Company has received borrowings from leading Israeli commercial banks. The Company may, at its discretion, prepay the borrowings, subject to certain conditions, including that the Company shall reimburse the lenders for losses sustained by the lenders as a result of the prepayment. The reimbursement is mainly based on the difference between the interest rate that the Company would otherwise pay and the current market interest rate on the prepayment date.
Borrowings as of December 31, 2020 are set forth below:
| Annual interest rate | Interest payment terms | Original reception date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borrowing P | 2.38% fixed | Quarterly | December 2017 |
| Borrowing Q | 2.5% fixed | Quarterly | December 2017 |
The table below sets forth the payments of principal to be made on our borrowings, as of December 31, 2020 (for payments including interest payments see "Item 5F Aggregate Contractual Obligations"):
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||||
| Borrowing P | 30 | 29 | 59 | ||
| Borrowing Q | 23 | 23 | 23 | 10 | 79 |
| 53 | 52 | 23 | 10 | 138 | |
Borrowing P: In December 2017, the Company received a long-term borrowing from a commercial bank in the principal amount of NIS 125 million. The borrowing bears unlinked interest at the rate of 2.38% per annum and is paid in quarterly payments over 5 years. The principal is paid in quarterly equal payments commencing in December 2018.
Borrowing Q: In December 2017, the Company received a long-term borrowing from a commercial bank in the principal amount of NIS 125 million. The borrowing bears unlinked interest at the rate of 2.5% per annum and is paid in quarterly payments over 6.5 years. The principal is paid in quarterly equal payments commencing March 2019.
The Company did not receive new long-term borrowings in the years 2018 through 2020.
Regarding Series F Notes, Series G Notes, and borrowings P and Q, the Company is required to comply with financial covenants that the ratio of Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA shall not exceed 5. Compliance will be examined and reported on a quarterly basis. For the purpose of the covenants, Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as the sum total for the last 12 month period, excluding adjustable one-time items. As of December 31, 2020, the ratio of Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA was 0.8.
Additional stipulations mainly include: Shareholders' equity shall not decrease below NIS 400 million and no dividends will be declared if shareholders' equity will be below NIS 650 million regarding Series F notes and borrowing P. Shareholders' equity shall not decrease below NIS 600 million and no dividends will be declared if shareholders' equity will be below NIS 750 million regarding Series G notes. The Company shall not create floating liens subject to certain terms. The Company has the right for early redemption under certain conditions. With respect to notes payable series F and series G: the Company shall pay additional annual interest of 0.5% in the case of a two-notch downgrade in the Notes rating and an additional annual interest of 0.25% for each further single-notch downgrade, up to a maximum additional interest of 1%; the Company shall pay additional annual interest of 0.25% during a period in which there is a breach of the financial covenants; debt rating will not decrease below BBB- for a certain period. In any case, the total maximum additional interest for Series F and G, shall not exceed 1.25% or 1%, respectively. The Group was in compliance with the financial covenants and the additional stipulations for the year 2020.
At December 31, 2020, total net financial debt (the sum total of current notes payable and borrowings (NIS 290 million) and non-current borrowings and notes payable (NIS 1,305 million) and financial liability at fair value (NIS 4 million) less cash and cash equivalents (NIS 376 million) and less short-term and long-term deposits (NIS 566 million)) amounted to NIS 657 million, compared to NIS 957 million (the sum total of current notes payable and borrowings (NIS 367 million) and non-current borrowings and notes payable (NIS 1,413 million) and financial liability at fair value (NIS 28 million) less cash and cash equivalents (NIS 299 million) and less short-term deposits (NIS 552 million)) at December 31, 2019.
At December 31, 2020, the current portion of our total financial debt (including future interest payments during 2021) amounted to NIS 337 million, as compared to NIS 407 million at December 31, 2019, and was composed of the amounts set forth in the table below. We intend to fund the repayment of the current portion of our Notes payable, borrowings and interest in 2021, through available cash or operational cash flow, issuance of deferred notes payable, new borrowings, issuance or sale of corporate notes, issuance of shares or a combination of one or more of these resources.
| Current Portion Payable in 2021 as of December 31, 2020 | NIS in millions |
|---|---|
| Principal on notes payable | 237 |
| Principal on borrowings | 53 |
| Accrued interest on notes payable | 44 |
| Accrued interest on borrowings | 3 |
| Total | 337 |
Capital Expenditures. The communications business is highly capital intensive, requiring significant capital to acquire licenses, to construct and maintain communications networks and to purchase and install subscriber-end equipment. In 2020, capital expenditures also included expenditures on fiber-optics and related assets, subscriber equipment and installation, licenses, computer and information systems, property, leasehold improvements, furniture and equipment, costs of obtaining contracts with customers (under IFRS 15), and computer software.
For the years 2016 to 2018, costs of Right of Use (ROU) in PHI's shared network were presented as deferred expenses, and included in the cash flows statement under cash flows from operating activities. See also notes 2(g) and 9 to the financial statements. From January 1, 2019 these investmants are included mainly in cash flows from investing activity.
In the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, our capital expenditures as represented by additions to property and equipment and intangible assets, amounted to NIS 499 million, NIS 578 million and NIS 595 million, respectively. The increase in capital expenditures from 2019 to 2020 mainly reflected the increased investment in the fiber-optic infrastructure, the increase in the costs of licenses including the cost of the new 5G frequencies following receipt of the frequencies during the year and the increase in the costs of obtaining contracts with customers.
During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, the capital expenditures noted above included NIS 237 million and NIS 251 million (US\$78 million), respectively, in our network infrastructure, including in our fiber-optic infrastructure.
At December 31, 2020, our capital expenditure commitments totaled NIS 64 million, and were related almost entirely to our cellular and fixed-line networks and IT systems. For further information regarding our capital expenditure commitments at December 31, 2020, see "Item 5F Aggregate Contractual Obligations".
Dividend payments. For the year ending December 31, 2020, the Company did not distribute any dividends.
Cash on hand. At December 31, 2020, we had NIS 376 million in cash on hand, compared to NIS 299 million at December 31, 2019.
Short-term deposits. At December 31, 2020, we had short-term deposits in an amount of NIS 411 million, compared to NIS 552 million at December 31, 2019.
Long-term deposits. At December 31, 2020, we had long-term deposits for a period ending in June 2022, in an amount of NIS 155 million. We did not have long-term deposits at December 31, 2019.
Cash flows from operating activities. Cash flows from operating activities totaled NIS 786 million (US\$ 244 million) in 2020, a decrease of 6% compared to NIS 837 million in 2019. The decrease mainly reflected the decrease in Adjusted EBITDA.
Adjusted Free Cash Flow for 2020 was NIS 72 million (US\$ 22 million), an increase of 47% compared to NIS 49 million for 2019 (Adjusted Free Cash Flow is calculated as cash flows from operating activities, net of cash flows from investment activities less proceeds from (investment in) deposits, net of lease principal payments and lease interest payments; Adjusted Free Cash Flow is not a financial measure under IFRS and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures for other companies).
| 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| NIS in millions | ||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 837 | 786 |
| Net cash used in investing activities | (1,181) | (581) |
| Less investment in deposits, net | 552 | 14 |
| Lease principal payments | (139) | (129) |
| Lease interest payments | (20) | (18) |
| Adjusted Free Cash Flow | 49 | 72 |
Existing credit facilities. As of December 31, 2020, PHI had a short-term credit facility with a leading Israeli commercial bank in the amount of NIS 100 million. The Group's share in this facility is 50%. The facility is restricted for use by PHI only. As of December 31, 2020 no funds were drawn from this facility.
Notes payable issuance commitments. In April 2019, the Company issued in a private placement two series of untradeable option warrants that are exercisable for the Company's Series G Notes. The exercise period of the first series was between July 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 and of the second series is between July 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. The Series G Notes allotted upon the exercise of an option warrant will be identical in all their rights to the Company's Series G Notes immediately upon their allotment, and will be entitled to any payment of interest or other benefit, the effective date of which is due after the allotment date. The Notes allotted as a result of the exercise of option warrants will be registered on the TASE. The total amount received by the Company on the allotment date of the option warrants was NIS 37 million.
In 2019 and 2020 and February 2021, following partial exercises of option warrants exercisable for Series G Notes, the Company issued Series G Notes in a total principal amount of NIS 125 million and NIS 174.3 million, respectively.
As of the date of approval of these financial statements, the total remaining consideration expected to be received (after the exercises described above), excluding consideration already received for the allotment of the options, in respect of full exercise of remaining option warrants (and assuming that there will be no change to the exercise price) is approximately NIS 23 million.
Share issuance. In January 2020, the Company issued 19,330,183 shares of the Company to institutional investors, following a tender under a shelf offering, and by way of a private placement. The total net consideration received was approximately NIS 276 million and was used for general corporate purposes. The offering expenses totaled NIS 10 million.
We believe that cash flows from our operations, together with our cash on hand, and our short-term deposits, will provide us with enough liquidity and resources to fund our on-going operations, expected capital expenditure needs, payment of amounts due on our notes and borrowings, as well as other material commitments, at least for the next 12 months (see also "Item 5F Aggregate Contractual Obligations"). However, the actual amount and timing of our future requirements may differ materially from our current estimates. See also "Item 5D.2 Outlook".
We are primarily a user rather than a developer of technology. Accordingly, we did not engage in any significant research and development activities during the past three years.
See "Item 5D.2 Outlook". See also recent regulatory developments in "Item 4B.12e Regulatory Developments" and "Item 3D.1 RISKS RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF OUR INDUSTRY".
In 2020, we earned profits of NIS 17 million (US\$ 5 million) compared with profits of NIS 19 million for 2019 and compared with over NIS 50 million for each of the years between 2016 and 2018. Should existing trends continue, our operating results may continue to decline in 2021 and possibly beyond, and may also result in losses, which would adversely affect our financial condition, in particular operating profit and Adjusted Free Cash Flow. See also "Item 3D.2a Largely as a result of substantial and continuing changes in our regulatory and business environment, our operating financial results, profitability and cash flows have declined significantly in recent years, including a loss for the year 2015. In 2020 we earned profits of NIS 17 million (US\$ 5 million) compared with profits of NIS 19 million for 2019 and over NIS 50 million for each of the years between 2016 and 2018. Should existing trends continue, our operating results may continue to decline in 2021 and possibly beyond, and may also result in losses, which would adversely affect our financial condition."
In addition, as for other companies in Israel and around the world, the novel COVID-19 disease continues to pose an unquantifiable threat to our business, results of operations and financial position. See also "Item 3D.2d The Coronavirus ("COVID-19") crisis had a material harmful effect on the Company's business in 2020. As of the date of this Annual Report, revenues from roaming services continue to be significantly restrained. Should existing trends continue or worsen, this may have a material harmful effect on our results of operations and financial position for 2021." For the first quarter of 2021, COVID-19 is expected to continue to have a negative impact on our results as a result of continued near-complete cessation of international travel and the effects of the lockdown in part of the quarter; however, the impact is not expected to differ materially from that in the final quarter of 2020.
Capital expenditures in 2021 are expected to continue to include significant investments in our fiber-optic infrastructure and our TV and internet services, and may be higher than in 2020. Investment in the new 5G cellular network is not expected to have a significant impact on capital expenditures in 2021. The Company's intention is to complete the major phase of deployment of our fiber-optic infrastructure during the year 2023.
Adjusted Free Cash Flow for 2020 was NIS 72 million (US\$ 22 million), an increase of 47% compared to NIS 49 million for 2019 (as shown in "Item 5B.5 MAIN SOURCES OF LIQUIDITY" is calculated as the sum of net cash provided by operating activities and net cash used in investing activities less proceeds from (investment in) deposits, lease principal payments and lease interest payments; Adjusted Free Cash Flow is not a financial measure under IFRS and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures for other companies).
Depending on regulatory and other developments in the market as well as the impact of the COVID-19 disease crisis on our business and operations, Adjusted Free Cash Flow for 2021 may decline further from the level in 2020 and may also be negative. However, we believe that cash flows from our operations, together with our cash on hand and our short-term deposits totaling nearly NIS 800 million as of December 31, 2020, will provide us with enough liquidity and resources to fund our on-going operations, expected capital expenditure needs, payment of interest and principal due on our notes and borrowings, as well as other material commitments, at least for the next twelve months. However, the actual amount and timing of our future requirements may differ materially from our current estimates.
The statements above under this section regarding trends are "forward-looking" statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current knowledge and our present beliefs and expectations regarding possible future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Partner, consumer habits and preferences in mobile telephone usage, trends in the Israeli telecommunications industry in general, possible regulatory and legal developments and trends in general economic conditions. For a description of some of the risks we face, see "Item 3D. Key Information – Risk Factors", "Item 4. Information on the Company", "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" and "Item 8A. Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information – Legal and Administrative Proceedings". In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed above might not occur, and actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company provided bank guarantees in a total amount of NIS 51 million. In addition, the Company provided a guarantee to PHI's debt in an amount of NIS 50 million. For further details, see note 17 to the consolidated financial statements.
Other than the aforementioned guarantees, there are no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors. See also "Item 5F Aggregate Contractual Obligations".

Set forth below are our contractual obligations and other commercial commitments (undiscounted) as of December 31, 2020:
| Payments due by period (NIS in millions) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractual Obligations | Total | 2021 | 2022-2023 | 2024-2025 | 2026 and thereafter | |
| Notes Series D* | 110 | 110 | ||||
| Notes Series F* | 534 | 138 | 267 | 129 | ||
| Notes Series G* | 1,003 | 33 | 227 | 215 | 528 | |
| Long term borrowings* | 143 | 56 | 77 | 10 | ||
| Lease liabilities | 786 | 135 | 206 | 149 | 296 | |
| Trade payables | 666 | 666 | ||||
| Payables in respect of employees | 38 | 38 | ||||
| Other payables | 12 | 12 | ||||
| Other non-current liabilities | 32 | 32 | ||||
| Contribution to defined benefit plan | 7 | 7 | ||||
| Commitments to pay for inventory purchases** | 265 | 265 | ||||
| Commitments to pay for property, equipment purchases and software elements | ||||||
| purchases (capital expenditures)** | 64 | 64 | ||||
| Commitments to pay for rights of use of capacities** | 119 | 51 | 63 | 5 | ||
| Commitment to pay for capacities maintenance** | 13 | 4 | 9 | |||
| Total Contractual Cash Obligations | 3,792 | 1,579 | 881 | 508 | 824 |
* The figures include expected payments of interest on our long-term debt (borrowings and notes payable).
** See note 17 to the consolidated financial statements
Below is a list of the directors of the Company as of the date of this Annual Report.
| Name of Director | Age | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Osnat Ronen (5) (6) | 58 | Chairman of the Board of Directors |
| Barry Ben Zeev (1)(2)(3)(4) | 69 | Director |
| Richard Hunter | 51 | Director |
| Roly Klinger(1)(2)(3)(4) | 61 | Director |
| Jonathan Kolodny(1)(2)(3)(4) | 51 | Director |
| Michal Maron-Brikman(1)(2)(3)(4) | 51 | Director |
| Yehuda Saban | 41 | Director |
| Yossi Shachak | 75 | Director |
| Ori Yaron | 55 | Director |
| Shlomo Zohar(4) | 69 | Director |
(1) Member of the Audit Committee
(2) Member of the Compensation Committee
(3) External Director under the Israeli Companies Law (See "Item 6C Board Practices")
(4) Independent Director under NASDAQ rules and under the Israeli Companies Law
(5) Independent Director under NASDAQ rules
(6) Appointed by the Israeli founding shareholders
Osnat Ronen has been a director in the Company since December 2009 and was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors in November 2019. She is also a member of the Security Committee. Ms. Ronen currently serves on the Board of Directors of Discount Capital Underwriters. She also volunteers as a director of the College for Management (Michlala Le-Minhal). Ms. Ronen serves as one of the founders of Wecheck Ltd. and serves on the Board of Directors and as President. Ms. Ronen founded FireWind 01 GP in 2015 and has since served as its general partner until 2019. Ms. Ronen has also served as an advisor to Liquidnet, Inc. from 2013 to 2015. Until March 20, 2021 Ms. Ronen served on the Board of Directors of Fox-Wizel Ltd. Between 2013 and 2018, Ms. Ronen served on the Board of Directors of Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd. as Head of the Audit Committee. Ms. Ronen also served on the Board of Directors of Perion Networks Ltd. during 2016-2017. Ms. Ronen also served as a volunteer on the Board of Directors of Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem until December 2018. Previously she served as a General Partner of Viola Private Equity from 2008 until 2013. From 1994 to 2007, Ms. Ronen served in various positions at Bank Leumi Le Israel BM, including as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Leumi Partners Ltd. from 2001 to 2007 and as Deputy Head of the Subsidiaries Division of the Leumi Group from 1999 to 2001. Between 2004 and 2007, Ms. Ronen also led the strategic planning, deployment and execution of the Bachar Reform, one of Israel's largest financial reforms, at Leumi Group. As part of the implementation, Ms. Ronen managed the sale of Leumi's holdings in mutual, provident and training funds. Ms. Ronen served on the Board of Directors of several portfolio companies of Viola including: Amiad Water Systems Ltd., Orad Hi-tech Ltd., Aeronautics Ltd., Degania Medical Ltd. and Matomy Media Group Ltd. Ms. Ronen holds a B.Sc. in mathematics and computer science from Tel Aviv University and an M.B.A. from the Recanati School of Business Administration at Tel Aviv University.
Barry Ben Zeev (Woolfson) was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner in October 2009. He has been providing strategic business consulting services since 2009. Mr. Ben Zeev served as the Deputy-Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer of Bank Hapoalim in 2008. He joined the bank in 1976 and served in a variety of senior positions in the branch system and the international division including New York. Mr. Ben Zeev served in the following executive positions prior to becoming Deputy-Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer of Bank Hapoalim: Executive Vice President & Head of International Operations during the years 2001-2002, Deputy-Chief Executive Officer & Head of International Private Banking during the years 2002-2006, Chairman of Poalim Asset Management in the UK and Ireland during the years 2001-2006, Chairman of Bank Hapoalim Switzerland during the years 2002-2006, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Signature Bank in New York during the years 2001-2002 and Deputy-Chief Executive Officer and Head of Client Asset Management during the years 2006-2007. Mr. Ben Zeev serves on the Board of Directors of the following companies: Ben Zeev (Woolfson) Consultants Ltd., Kali Pension Administration Management Ltd. and Altshuler Provident and Pension Ltd., as an independent director and head of the investment committee. In addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the College for Management (Michlala Le-Minhal).He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange during the years 2006-2007 and on the Board of Directors of Ellomay Capital Ltd., as a member of the investment committee of Manof Bereshit during the years 2009-2013 and as an independent director of Poalim Asset Management UK Ltd. during the years 2011-2018. Mr. Ben Zeev holds a B.A. in economics and an M.B.A both from Tel-Aviv University.
Richard Hunter was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner in November 2019. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Holmes Place International Ltd., serves on the Board of Directors of Delta Galil Industries Ltd., Samelt MCA Ltd. and Trigo Vision, and served as a director at SodaStream International Ltd. until their sale to Pepsi Co. Currently Mr. Hunter is a founding partner in Green Lantern, a private equity fund. Previously he served as CEO of McCann Erickson Israel from 2012 until 2016. During the years 2010 until 2012, Mr. Hunter served as Chief Operating Officer of Shufersal Ltd. and as CEO of 013 Netvision from 2007 until 2010. Mr. Hunter is an accounting and financial expert, holds an LL.B from the College of Management, Tel-Aviv and an M.B.A from INSEAD Business School.
Roly Klinger was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner in October 2020. She has served since 2018 as an External Director in Delek Royalties (2012) Ltd., as Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee and a member of the finance committee. Ms. Klinger served from 2017 until 2019 as the Director of Refinance, Vice President Legal Counsel and Company Secretary of IBC Israel Broadband Company (2013) Ltd. Ms. Klinger served as Partner's Chief Legal Counsel and Company Secretary from 1998 until 2012 and in 2012 was appointed as Vice President, Legal & Regulatory Affairs, Business Development and Corporate Secretary until 2015. Ms. Klinger holds an LL.B degree from Tel Aviv University, M.A. in Conflict Research Management and Resolution (Research Track), graduated with honors, from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ms. Klinger attended the Advanced Management Program (AMP).
Jonathan Kolodny was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner effective May 6, 2018. Dr. Kolodny is a General Partner in ION Crossover Partners, a late-stage technology investment fund, which he joined in March of 2018. He also serves on the Board of Directors of BlueVine Capital, Inc. since 2019, and the Board of Directors of Resident Home, Inc. since 2020. Dr. Kolodny served as the CEO of the Keter Group from 2016 to February 2018. Prior to that, he served from 2013 until 2016 as the CEO of Jardin International Holding. During the years 1994 until 2013, Dr. Kolodny served in various senior positions at McKinsey & Company in their overseas as well as local offices founding their office in Israel in 2000 and elected as a Director (senior Partner) of the Firm in 2007. He also served on the Board of Directors of Sodastream International Ltd. from 2015 until its sale to Pepsico at the end of 2018. Dr. Kolodny received a B.A. in Computer Science summa cum laude from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge.
Michal Marom-Brikman was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner effective January 2021. She serves on the Board of Directors of a variety of companies traded both in Israel as well as abroad including, Halman Aldubi Investment House Ltd,, OPC Energy Ltd., Panaxia Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Dan Transportation and The Moinian Group. Ms. Marom-Brikman served in the past as a director in various companies including: Israel Union Bank Ltd., Arko Holdings Ltd., BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd., and Electreon Wireless Ltd. Ms. Marom-Brikman is a certified public accountant in Israel. Ms. Marom-Brikman holds a B.A in Business Management and Economics specializing in accounting from the College of Management Academic Studies and an M.A in Finance from the Baruch College of Management, NYU.
Yehuda Saban was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner in April 2015. Mr. Saban served between 2011- mid 2015 as Vice President Economics & Regulation and FLNG (Floating Liquefied Natural Gas) manager at Delek Drilling & Avner oil exploration. Previously, Mr. Saban served over 6 years in various capacities with the budget department of the Ministry of Finance as Manager of the Telecommunications and Tourism Unit, Manager of the Budget and Macroeconomics unit and as an economist in the Energy unit. During those years, Mr. Saban was also an active partner in a number of committees and authorities in the energy, telecommunications and infrastructure fields. Mr. Saban serves on the Board of Directors of Israel Opportunity Energy Resources LP and as Chairman of its Compensation and Audit Committee as of June 2015. Mr. Saban also serves as manager of Israeli operations and EVP of Business Development at Ellomay Capital Ltd. Mr. Saban holds a B.A. in Economics & Business Management (graduated with honors) and an M.B.A specializing in Financing, both from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Yossi Shachak was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner in November 2019. Mr. Shachak is a consultant to boards of directors, and a board member of public and private companies including, the Azrieli Group Ltd., Tefron Ltd., Southern Properties Ltd. and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Emilia Development (O.F.G) Ltd. Mr. Shachak served as President of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants from 1988 to 1992 and as a director on behalf of the public at the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange from 1980 to 1986 and from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Shachak is a certified public accountant and is a graduate of accounting from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Ori Yaron was appointed to the Board of Directors of Partner by S.B. Israel Telecom in May 2014. Mr. Yaron practices law and manages Ilan Yaron Law Offices that specializes in the areas of insurance and torts. Mr. Yaron served from 2010 until 2016 as a member of the Board of Directors of the Geophysics Institute and served from 2006 until 2007 as a member of the Board of Directors of Mekorot Development & Enterprise and from 2011 until 2014 as a member of the Board of Directors of Hozei Israel Ltd. Mr. Yaron holds a B.A. in economics and an LL.B. both from Tel-Aviv University and is a member of the Israeli Bar Association.
Below is a list of the Senior Management of the Company as of the date of this Annual Report:
| Name of Officer | Age | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Isaac Benbenisti | 56 | Chief Executive Officer |
| Yuval Keinan | 46 | Deputy Chief Executive Officer |
| Tamir Amar | 47 | Chief Financial Officer & VP Fiber-Optics |
| Liran Dan | 42 | Vice President Strategy & Business Development |
| Yaron Eisenstein | 48 | Vice President Technologies & IT Division |
| Snir Niv* | 34 | Vice President Regulations Division |
| Einat Rom | 55 | Vice President, Human Resources & Administration |
| Yakov Truzman | 50 | Vice President Business & Sales Division |
| Hadar Vismunski-Weinberg** | 47 | Vice President, Chief Legal Counsel & Corporate Secretary |
| Terry Yaskil | 47 | Vice President Marketing & Customer Service Division |
*Effective November 2020, Snir Niv replaced Noach Hacker as the Company's Vice President Regulation Division
** Hadar Vismunski-Weinberg is expected to be departing from the Company in the coming months.
Isaac Benbenisti was appointed as Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2015. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Benbenisti served from 2007 until 2014, as the CEO of Bezeq International Ltd. From 2003 through 2006, Mr. Benbenisti served as a director and C.E.O of the System Group and Distribution Channels Division at Hewlett-Packard (HP). Prior to that, he held a variety of managerial positions, including as the CEO of CMS Compucenter Ltd. Mr. Benbenisti holds a B.A. in economics and an M.B.A specializing in finance and marketing, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Yuval Keinan was appointed as Deputy CEO effective January 1, 2016, after having served from 2008 until 2015 as the Vice President and CTO of Bezeq, the Israel Telecommunications Corp., Ltd. Prior to that, he served for three years as Vice President technology division, engineering & IT and CTO of Bezeq International Ltd. Mr. Keinan holds a B.Sc. in computer science from Mercy College.
Tamir Amar was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Partner effective February 1, 2018 and in June 2020 also assumed the position of Vice President Fiber-Optics. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Amar served since 2013 as the CEO of Vaporjet ltd., a leading and global manufacturer of nonwoven hydroentangled spunlace goods. From 2005 until 2013 he served as the CFO of Raval ACS Ltd., a global public company that fully owns 12 subsidiaries in Israel and abroad and develops, manufactures and sells unique products for the global automotive industry. Mr. Amar holds a B.A. in Economics and Accounting and an M.B.A. specializing in finance from Ben Gurion University.
Liran Dan was appointed as Vice President Strategy and Business Development in October 2015, after having served from 2012 until 2015 as the Director of the Public Diplomacy and Media at the Prime Minister's office. Prior to that, he held a series of executive positions at Channel 2 News. In his last position, as the V.P. Digital Media, he established the digital desk of Channel 2 News. Mr. Dan holds an Executive M.B.A. degree from Tel-Aviv University, and a B.A. in political science and history from Bar-Ilan University.
Yaron Eisenstein was appointed as Vice President Information Technologies in August 2019 after having previously served as Head of the Digital and Products Department since joining the Company in 2017. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Eisenstein served from 2016 until 2017 as CTO and co-founder of binj.tv and led the creation of a video platform to create advanced live broadcasts. Previously, he served as Director of Services and Products department in the technologies division at Bezeq and was responsible for the advancement and development of the company's digital products, systems development and VoIP services and the BI and data worlds. Mr. Eisenstein has an M.B.A. from the Hebrew University and an M.A. from the Michlala l'Minhal, Rishon L'Zion and Baruch College, New York.
Einat Rom, was appointed as Vice President of Human Resources effective November 1, 2012 after having served as Vice President of Private Customers Division since December 1, 2010. Prior to joining Partner, Mrs. Rom served as Vice President of Service in Better Place Company and prior to that, she served as Vice President of Private Division in Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Corp. and as Vice President of Service in Pelephone Communications Ltd. Mrs. Rom holds a B.A. in social science from Haifa University.
Snir Niv was appointed as Vice President of Regulation in October 2020. Before joining Partner he lead for the past 7 years significant reforms in a variety of areas in the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance, such as, the reform of the ports, the dairy sector, the electricity sector and in the Mekorot company. In his last position, he was managing the country's budgets for transportation, energy, water and agriculture. Snir has a B.A in Economics with honors (Magna Cum Laude) and a M.B.A. with honors (Summa Cum Laude) in the excellence program at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Yakov Truzman was appointed in May 2019 as Vice President Business and Sales Division, after having served as Vice President Business Division from March 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Truzman served as Vice President Business Division at Bynet Data Communications from 2016 until joining the Company. Prior to that, Mr. Truzman served from 2011 until 2015 as the Vice President of Sales of the HOT Group. During the years 2001 until 2011, Mr. Truzman served in several managerial positions in the Cellcom Group, including department manager of business customers. Mr. Truzman holds a B.A. in behavioral sciences, management and economics from Ben Gurion University.
Hadar Vismunski-Weinberg was appointed as Vice President, Chief Legal Counsel and Corporate Secretary effective March 16, 2017. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Vismunski-Weinberg served since 2013 as Vice President and General Counsel- Global R&D of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. ("Teva"). Between 2007 and 2013 Ms. Vismunski-Weinberg served in other senior positions at Teva. Ms. Vismunski-Weinberg holds an LL.B from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Terry Yaskil was appointed as Vice President of Marketing and Customer Service Division effective June 2020, after having served as Vice President of Marketing since joining the Company in August 2017. Before joining Partner Ms. Terry Yaskil served as Deputy to the CEO of Zap. Terry managed the customer services division at the Zap Group which was responsible for service and sales, and led the group's entry into Big Data worlds. Prior to that, Ms. Yaskil served for four years as Vice President Marketing and Advertising for Psagot Investment House Ltd. During the years 2006-2011, Ms. Yaskil served in several senior positions in the Tnuva Group including Manager of the central marketing division of the food corporation and Head of the Group's headquarters. During the years 2001-2006, Ms. Yaskil served as manager of business marketing at Cellcom. Ms. Yaskil holds a B.A. in behavioral sciences and an M.A. in cognitive psychology, both from Ben Gurion University.
None of the above directors, has any family relationship with any other director or senior manager of the Company. None of the above members of senior management has any family relationship with any other director or senior manager of the Company.
Mr. Arik Steinberg resigned from our Board of Directors effective February 1, 2021.
The terms of employment of the CEO are approved by the compensation committee, the Board of Directors and the general meeting of shareholders (by a special majority) and must comply with the Company's Compensation Policy for Office Holders (as this term is defined in Item 6C.7 below) (except for certain exceptions, as set by the Israeli Companies Law). The "special majority" requires the approval of a majority of the Company's shareholders participating at the general meeting and voting on the matter and at least one of the following conditions: (i) such majority includes a majority of the votes cast by shareholders who are not controlling parties (as defined in the Israeli Companies Law) in the Company and who do not have a personal interest in the resolution, and who are present and voting (abstentions are disregarded), or (ii) the votes cast against the resolution by shareholders who are not controlling parties and who do not have a personal interest in the resolution, who are present and voting, constitute two percent or less of the outstanding voting power in the Company. The terms of employment of other senior management (Office Holders) are approved by the compensation committee and the Board of Directors, and must comply with the Company's Compensation Policy (except for certain exceptions, as set by the Israeli Companies Law). See "Item 6C.5c COMPENSATION COMMITTEE". Senior management is generally appointed by the CEO with the approval of the Board of Directors for an indefinite term of office and may be removed by the CEO with the approval of the Board of Directors at any time.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Israeli Companies Law, the compensation policy of a company shall be submitted for the approval of the general meeting of shareholders, at least once every three years. We first adopted a compensation policy that sets forth the guidelines and framework for the mode of compensation of the Company's Office Holders following the approval of the Company's shareholders, at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, held on October 17, 2013 (the "Former Compensation Policy"). A new Compensation Policy was approved by the Company's shareholders at the annual general meeting of shareholders ("AGM") held on October 29, 2019 and was amended by the extraordinary meeting of shareholders held on March 18, 2020 and by the annual general meeting of shareholders held on October 29, 2020 (the "Compensation Policy"). The Compensation Policy sets forth the principles and procedures for determining Office Holders' compensation, including ongoing remuneration, bonuses (including annual bonuses, severance bonuses and special bonuses), equity compensation, indemnification, insurance and release. The Compensation Policy revises the Former Compensation Policy with respect to various matters and issues that needed to be updated and amended since the adoption of the Former Compensation Policy, due to changes in market practices since then, as well as adaption to legislative changes. See Exhibit 15.(b).1.
According to the Compensation Policy, annual bonus payments for our senior management are determined with respect to a given year based on targets set for the Company as a whole, targets set for each of the Company divisions as well as on personal evaluations. The targets for the CEO and the senior management are set by the compensation committee and the Board of Directors generally in accordance with the overall Company objectives. Upon the approval of the Company's annual results, bonus payments are determined based on the extent to which the Company and division targets have been met, as well as on the personal evaluation of each Office Holder at the discretion of the compensation committee and the Board of Directors, in light of the recommendations made by the Chairman of the Board of Directors with respect to the CEO, and, in light of recommendations made by the CEO, with respect to senior management reporting to the CEO.
Compensation for senior management may also be provided in the form of equity-based compensation which includes stock options to purchase our ordinary shares and restricted shares. In 2020, options were granted to our senior management under the 2004 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (as this term is defined in Item 6E.2 below) to purchase up to 464,142 of our ordinary shares at a weighted average exercise price of NIS 13.94 (US\$ 4) per option with some of the options vesting at the earliest in February 2021. These options will expire at the latest by October 2026. In addition, in 2020, 180,873 restricted shares were granted to our senior management under the 2004 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan, with some of the restricted shares vesting at the earliest in January 2020. For more information, see "Item 6E.2 Equity Incentive Plan".
The aggregate compensation paid, and benefits in kind granted to or accrued on behalf of all our directors and senior management for their services in all capacities to the Company and its subsidiaries during the year ended December 31, 2020, was approximately NIS 31 million (US\$ 10 million). This amount included approximately NIS 3 million (US\$ 0.9 million) set aside or accrued to provide pension and retirement benefits on behalf of all our senior management during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Mr. Isaac Benbenisti has served as the CEO of the Company since July 1, 2015. The terms of his employment were approved by the Compensation Committee, the Board of Directors and the general meeting of shareholders of the Company. Until December 1, 2015, the CEO was employed though an agreement with a private company, fully owned by him, for the provision of management services to the Company. Following a resolution of the compensation committee to make an immaterial change to the CEO's terms of employment, the CEO's employment format was changed to that of a company employee ("Employment Agreement"). The engagement in the Employment Agreement is for an unlimited time period with the right of each party to terminate upon 6 months prior written notice. In addition to the advance notice period, upon termination, the CEO will be entitled to a 6-month period during which he will receive a salary without being required to provide services.
The CEO's monthly salary (gross) is in an amount of NIS 150 thousand, linked to the CPI as of the index June 2015 (at the end of 2020 the monthly salary (gross) was NIS 152.5 thousand). In addition, the CEO is entitled to reimbursement for the cost of vehicle use and maintenance as well as accepted related terms that are usually granted to the other office holders in the Company including telephone, food, cellular phone and other benefits in accordance with the Company's compensation policy and procedures (including indemnification, release and insurance arrangements as customary in the Company) and social benefits including sick days, vacation and allocations to plans and funds.
The annual bonus of the CEO is based on two elements: (a) 90% - Company targets (see below) while using the main performance indices determined by the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors after approval of the Company's annual budget, and (b) 10% - CEO performance evaluation for that year by the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors, based on qualitative and quantitative criteria.
The minimum criterion for receiving the annual financial bonus with respect to the CEO, as of the beginning of his said tenure as CEO, is that the Company achieved as least 80% of the Company's targets for the relevant year and in addition, that the total EBITDA shall not have decreased by more than 35% of the EBITDA for the year preceding the year in respect of which the bonus is payable.
With respect to the amount of the annual financial bonus, tiers were set to calculate the amount of the bonus according to the CEO's global achievement rate with respect to all of the elements of the annual bonus (a weighted score of the company targets and an evaluation of the CEO's performances), as follows: achievement at a rate lower than 80% will not entitle the CEO to an annual bonus; achievement at a rate between 80%-120% will entitle the CEO to 80%-120% of the annual bonus budget; achievement at a rate that exceed 120% will entitle the CEO to 120% of the annual bonus budget. For the year ending December 31, 2020, the annual bonus budget (100%) for the period during Mr. Benbenisti's tenure as CEO was approximately NIS 1,678 thousand. These sums are linked to the CPI.
The CEO's Company targets for the year 2020 were determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in February 2020 based on the annual work plan of the Company for the year. They included eight individual targets: (1) Company EBITDA target with a weight of 30% of the Company's targets (2020 achievement rate: 101%); (2) Free Cash flow target with a weight of 15% of the Company's targets (2020 achievement rate: 137%); (3) Cellular ARPU Base (2020 achievement rate: 79%) and subscriber target (2020 achievement rate: 200%) with a weight of 15% of the Company's targets; (4) Sale of equipment profits target with a weight of 5% of the Company's targets (2020 achievement rate: 91%); (5) Fixed line income target with a weight of 5% (2020 achievement rate: 99%); (6) TV combined index target ARPU (2020 achievement rate: 97%) and subscriber target (2020 achievement rate: 75%) with a weight of 10% of the Company's targets; (7) Fiber combined index ARPU (2020 achievement rate: 100%) and subscriber target with a weight of 10% of the Company's targets (2020 achievement rate: 105%); (8) Reducing customer complaint target with a weight of 10% of the Company's targets (2020 achievement rate: 79%).
With respect to the above Company targets, a threshold and upper limit for achieving the target were determined as follows: achievement at a rate lower than 20% of the target will not allow eligibility for a bonus for that criteria; achievement at a rate between 20% - 200% of the target will allow eligibility at a rate of 20% - 200% for that criteria; achievement at a rate above 200% will allow eligibility of 200% for that criteria.
On March 24, 2021, the Board of Directors examined the CEO's achievement of targets and in accordance with the achievement of the said targets, the bonus that will be granted to the CEO for 2020, is in the amount of NIS 1,707 thousand.
In accordance with the resolutions of the compensation committee, Board of Directors and annual meeting of shareholders, Mr. Benbenisti was granted in 2015, in accordance with the Company's Equity Incentive Plan, 1,471,971 options (non-tradeable) of the Company, at an exercise price of NIS 18.08, that constitutes a premium of 5% on the average share price of the Company on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, during the 30 days preceding the grant date. Mr. Benbenisti's granted options vested in three tranches: 33% of the entire amount of the options as of October 28, 2016, 33% of the entire amount of options as of October 28, 2017 and the balance of the options as of October 28, 2018. Mr. Benbenisti's eligibility to exercise each of the above detailed tranches will be available to him until October 27, 2021. The fair value of the options as of the grant date according to Black-Scholes model was NIS 8 million.
In addition, in accordance with the resolutions of the compensation committee, Board of Directors and annual meeting of shareholders, Mr. Benbenisti was granted in October 29, 2018, a new equity incentive grant at the value of NIS 6.8 million according to Black-Scholes model, comprised of 50% of the value in options of the Company (non-tradeable) (NIS 3.4 million) and 50% of the value in restricted shares (NIS 3.4 million).
The new equity incentive grant is be comprised of 4 tranches, for a vesting period of 4 years, 1 year for each tranche. The options will be exercisable during a 6-year period as of their vesting date, with an exercise price of NIS 18.86 that constitutes a premium of 5% on the average share price of the Company on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange during the 30 days preceding the date of approval by the AGM (October 28, 2018).
With respect to the restricted shares of the CEO's new equity incentive grant, pursuant to the requirement of the Company's Compensation Policy regarding restricted shares, in addition to the vesting period, performance targets were defined and constitute a precondition to vesting as follows ("Performance Targets"):
First tranche of the restricted shares - achievement of at least 80% of the Company targets in 2019;
Second tranche of the restricted shares - achievement of at least 80% of the Company targets in 2020;
Third tranche of the restricted shares - achievement of at least 80% of the Company targets in 2021;
Fourth tranche of the restricted shares - achievement of at least 80% of the Company targets in 2022.
The vesting conditions for the restricted shares with respect to the Performance Targets also include a mechanism for deferring vesting to the following years in the event of a failure to fulfill a criterion, provided that there is average achievement of the Performance Targets during the vesting period cumulatively.
If the Performance Targets are not achieved by the deadline defined for each tranche as stated above (including the deferred vesting), then the CEO will not be eligible for the restricted shares of that relevant tranche and they will be returned to the Company and classified as treasury shares.
During 2017, the Compensation Committee approved within its powers, in accordance with the Company's Compensation Policy for Office Holders, and the Companies Law, two immaterial amendments to the terms of employment of the CEO. These amendments included an amendment to the cost of the vehicle maintenance component and effective from the year 2018 thereafter, also an amendment to the annual bonus budget (100%), from NIS 1,503 thousand (10 monthly salaries) to NIS 1,653 thousand (11 monthly salaries). The cumulative annual cost of the change with respect to these amendments is 3.6% (in real terms) relative to the cost of all the terms of employment of the CEO for that reporting year.
In June 2019, the Compensation Committee approved within its powers, in accordance with the Company's Compensation Policy for Office Holders, and the Companies Law, an immaterial amendment to the terms of employment of the CEO. This amendment included an amendment to the vehicle class for the CEO.
| Details of the Compensation Recipient | Compensation for services (the compensation amounts are displayed in terms of cost for the Company) (NIS thousands) |
Other compensation & vehicle (the compensation amounts are displayed in terms of cost for the Company) (NIS thousands) |
Total (NIS thousands) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll & | |||||||||
| Related | Annual | Share-based | |||||||
| Name | Position | expenses | Bonus | payments | Other | ||||
| Isaac Benbenisti | Chief Executive Officer | 2,458 | 1,707 | 1,872(1) | 194(2) | 6,231(3) | |||
| Yuval Keinan | Deputy Chief Executive Officer | 1,818 | 1,200 | 766(4) | 128(2) | 3,912 | |||
| Tamir Amar | Chief Financial Officer&VP Fiber-Optics | 1,488 | 611 | 388(5)(8) | 194(2) | 2,681 | |||
| Yakov Truzman | Vice President Business & Sales Division | 1,306 | 515 | 424(6)(8) | 127(2) | 2,372 | |||
| Hadar Vismunski-Weinberg | Legal Counsel & Corporate Secretary | 1,092 | 413 | 734(7)(8) | 128 | 2,367 |
(1) In 2015, 1,471,971 share options were granted to Mr. Isaac Benbenisti, in his capacity as the Company's CEO with a vesting period of up to three years at an exercise price of NIS 18.08 that constitutes a premium of 5% on the average share price of the Company on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, during the 30 days preceding the grant date. The theoretical fair value of the share options (according to Black-Scholes model) as measured on the day of the grant was approximately NIS 8 million. Mr. Benbenisti's options vest in three tranches: 33% of the entire amount on October 28, 2016, 33% of the entire amount on October 28, 2017 and the balance on October 28, 2018. Mr. Benbenisti's eligibility to exercise each of the above detailed tranches will be available to him until October 27, 2021.
In 2018, 810,027 share options and 194,064 restricted shares were granted to Mr. Isaac Benbenisti, in his capacity as the Company's CEO with a vesting period of up to four years. The exercise price of the options is NIS 18.86 which constitutes a premium of 5% on the average share price of the Company on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, during the 30 days preceding the grant date. The theoretical fair value of the share options (according to Black-Scholes model) as measured on the day of the grant was approximately NIS 3.4 million and the fair value of the restricted shares was approximately NIS 3.4 million. Mr. Benbenisti's options and restricted shares vest in four tranches: 25% of the entire amount on October 28, 2019, 25% of the entire amount on October 28, 2020, 25% of the entire amount on October 28, 2021 and the balance on October 28, 2022. Mr. Benbenisti's eligibility to exercise each of the share options above detailed tranches will be available to him until October 27, 2024.
With respect to the restricted shares granted to the CEO in 2018, performance targets which constitute a precondition to vesting and a mechanism for deferring vesting were defined as further detailed above under CEO Equity Incentive Grant.
(2) "Other compensation" includes: expenses for retirement that were accumulated during the reporting period of this Annual Report and will be paid only upon retirement and vehicle expenses.
In 2019, 277,134 share options and 86,889 restricted shares were granted to Mr. Yuval Keinan with a vesting period of up to three years and subject to the fulfillment of performance targets. The theoretical fair value of the share options (according to Black-Scholes model) as measured on the day of the grant was approximately NIS 0.9 million and the fair value of the restricted shares was approximately NIS 1.4 million.
In 2020, 152,078 share options and 61,414 restricted shares were granted to Mrs. Hadar Vismunski-Weinberg with a vesting period of up to three years and subject to the fulfillment of performance targets. The theoretical fair value of the share options (according to Black-Scholes model) as measured on the day of the grant was approximately NIS 0.7 million and the fair value of the restricted shares was approximately NIS 1.0 million.
(8) These sums represent the relative portion of the expenses of all option and restricted share allocations recorded during the reported period and include expenses for the 2020 vesting period of options and restricted shares (including those which have not fully vested yet).
All options and restricted shares noted above were granted pursuant to the terms of the 2004 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan, among others, with respect to the exercise or earning periods and the expiration date of the options. See "Item 6E.2 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN ".
References in this Annual Report to "external directors" are to those directors who meet the definition of external directors under the Israeli Companies Law ("dahatz"), and references in this Annual Report to "US independent directors" are to those directors who meet the definition of independence under applicable listing requirements of NASDAQ. References in this Annual Report to "Israeli independent directors" are to any director who meets the definition of independence under the Israeli Companies Law ("bilty taluy").
Directors are generally elected by the annual general meeting of shareholders to serve (i) for three years, in the case of external directors under the Israeli Companies Law, or (ii) until the next annual general meeting of the shareholders (unless their office becomes vacant earlier, in accordance with the provisions of our Articles of Association). An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders may elect any person as a director, to fill an office which became vacant, or to serve as an additional member to the then existing Board of Directors, or to serve as an external director, or in any event in which the number of the members of the Board of Directors is less than the minimum set in the Articles of Association (seven directors), provided that the maximum number of seventeen directors is not exceeded. Any director elected in such manner (excluding an external director) shall serve in office until the coming annual general meeting of shareholders. The Articles of Association also provide that the Board of Directors, with the approval of a simple majority of the directors, may appoint an additional director to fill a vacancy or to serve as an additional member to the then existing Board of Directors, provided that the maximum number of seventeen directors is not exceeded. Any director elected in such manner shall serve in office until the coming annual general meeting of shareholders and may be re-elected.

Israeli directors are appointed by the Israeli founding shareholders, generally upon a written notice signed by at least two of the Israeli founding shareholders who are the record holders of (i) at least 50% of minimum Israeli holding shares or (ii), who hold in the aggregate the highest number of minimum Israeli holding shares among the Israeli founding shareholders. Any Israeli founding shareholders who have specified connections to a competing mobile radio telephone operator (as defined in the license) of the Company are prohibited from participation in any such appointment. The notice is addressed to our company secretary indicating the appointment until the appointee's successor is elected by a similar notice. See "10B.3 Rights Attached to Shares". In 2009, Ms. Osnat Ronen was appointed as a director on behalf of the Israeli founding shareholders.
No director has a service contract with the company or its wholly-owned subsidiaries providing for benefits upon termination of employment.
Our Office Holders (generally senior managers) serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors or until their successors are appointed. See "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License" for a description of additional requirements of the composition of our Board of Directors and the appointment of its members.
Our Articles of Association provide that a director may appoint an individual to serve as an alternate director. An alternate director may not serve as such unless such person is qualified to serve as a director. In addition, no person who already serves as a director or an alternate director on the Company's Board of Directors may serve as an alternate director of another director on the Company's Board of Directors. Under the Israeli Companies Law, an alternate director is generally treated as a director. Under our Articles of Association, an alternate director shall have all the authorities of the director appointing him. The alternate director may not vote at any meeting at which the director appointing him is present. Unless the time period or scope of any such appointment is limited by the appointing director, such appointment shall be effective for all purposes and for an indefinite time, but will expire upon the expiration of the appointing director's term.
The Israeli Companies Law generally requires that Partner shall have at least two external directors on its Board of Directors who meet the independence criteria set by the Israeli Companies Law. The appointment of an external director (for the initial term of three years) under the Israeli Companies Law must be approved by the general meeting of shareholders provided that either: (a) the majority of votes in favor of the appointment shall include at least a majority of the votes of shareholders not constituting controlling parties (as stated in the Israeli Companies Law) in the Company, or those having a personal interest (as defined in the Israeli Companies Law) (other than a personal interest not resulting from their relations with the controlling parties) in the approval of the appointment participating in the vote, which votes shall not include abstaining votes; or (b) the total number of objecting votes of the shareholders mentioned in clause (a) does not exceed 2% of the total voting rights in the company.
Mr. Barry Ben-Zeev, Ms. Roly Klinger, Dr. Jonathan Kolodny and Ms. Michal Marom-Brikman serve as our external directors under the Israeli Companies Law.
In general, external directors may be re-appointed for two additional three-year terms by one of the following mechanisms:
(i) the Board of Directors proposed the nominee and his appointment is approved by the shareholders in the manner required to appoint external directors for their initial term (described above);
(ii) one or more shareholders that hold at least 1% or more of the company's voting rights proposed the external director for re-appointment, and the nominee is approved by a majority of the votes cast at the shareholders meeting, provided that: (A) the total number of shareholders' votes at the shareholders meeting shall not include the votes of shareholders who are controlling parties and those having a personal interest in the appointment approval (other than a personal interest not resulting from their relations with the controlling parties) and abstaining votes; (B) the aggregate votes cast by shareholders who are not excluded under clause (A) above in favor of the appointment exceed 2% of the voting rights in the company; and (B) the external director (a) is not a related or competing shareholder, or the relative of such a shareholder, at the time of the appointment and (b) is not affiliated with a related or competing shareholder at the time of the appointment or the two years preceding the appointment (the term "related or competing shareholder" is defined as a shareholder who nominated the external director for reappointment or a material shareholder (a shareholder that holds more than 5% of the shares or voting rights in the company), if at the date of such appointment, any of either such shareholder, the controlling shareholder of such shareholder, or a company controlled by either of them, has business with the company or is a competitor of the company); and
(iii) the external director proposed himself or herself and is approved by the process under clause (ii) above.
Under regulations promulgated under the Israeli Companies Law, certain companies, including dual listed companies, like Partner, may re-appoint external directors for additional terms of up to three years each (beyond the three terms of three years each), provided that all of the following conditions are fulfilled: (1) the Audit Committee and, subsequently, the Board of Directors, approves that, considering the external director's expertise and special contribution to the work of the Board of Directors and its committees, his re-appointment for an additional term of office is in the best interest of the Company; (2) the reappointment for the additional term of office is done in conformity with one of the mechanisms described above; (3) prior to approving the re-appointment, the general meeting of shareholders is informed of the duration of the external director's service as an external director and is presented with the rationale of the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors for extending the external director's term of office.
The Israeli Companies Law requires that at least one external director has accounting and financial expertise, and that the other external director(s) have professional competence, as determined by the company's Board of Directors. Under promulgated regulations, a director having accounting and financial expertise is a person who, due to his education, experience and talents, is highly skilled in respect of, and understands, business-accounting matters and financial reports in a manner that enables him to understand in depth the company's financial statements and to stimulate discussion regarding the manner in which the financial data is presented. Under the regulations, a director having professional competence is a person who has an academic degree in either economics, business administration, accounting, law or public administration or has another academic degree or has other higher education, all in the main business sector of the company or in a relevant area for the Board of Directors position, or has at least five years' experience in one or more of the following (or a combined five years' experience in at least two or more of the following): a senior position in the business management of a corporation with a substantial scope of business, a senior public officer or a senior position in the public service or a senior position in the field of the company's business.
In accordance with the Israeli Companies Law, Partner's Board of Directors has determined that the minimum number of directors with "accounting and financial expertise" that Partner believes is appropriate, in light of the particulars of Partner and its activities, is three. Under the Israeli Companies Law, only one of such "experts" is required to be an external director. The Board of Directors has determined that eight of our current directors have "accounting and financial expertise": Ms. Osnat Ronen, Dr. Jonathan Kolodny, Mr. Barry Ben-Zeev (Woolfson), Mr. Richard Hunter, Ms. Michal Marom-Brikman, Mr. Yossi Shachak, Mr. Yehuda Saban and Mr. Shlomo Zohar.
Under NASDAQ Rule 5615(a)(3), a foreign private issuer such as the Company may follow its home country practice in lieu of the requirements of the NASDAQ Rule 5600 Series ("Corporate Governance Requirements"), with certain exceptions, provided that it discloses each requirement that it does not follow and describes the home country practice followed in lieu of such requirement. We describe below the areas where we follow our home country practice rather than the NASDAQ Corporate Governance Requirements:
The Company's Articles of Association provide that the Board of Directors may delegate its authorities or any part of them to committees of the Board of Directors as it deems appropriate, subject to the provisions of the Israeli Companies Law. Our Board of Directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee and a security committee.
Pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and the listing requirements of the NASDAQ Global Select Market, as a foreign private issuer, we are required to establish an audit committee consisting only of members who are U.S. "independent" directors as defined by SEC rules. In accordance with the Company's Audit Committee Charter, our audit committee is responsible among other things, for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process and the audits of the Company's financial statements, including monitoring the integrity of the Company's financial statements and the independence and performance of the Company's internal and external auditors. Our audit committee is also directly responsible for the appointment, remuneration and oversight of our independent auditor and for establishing procedures for receiving and handling complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal controls and audit matters. The Audit Committee also assists the Board in conducting periodic reviews of the Company's management of cyber risk.
The Israeli Companies Law requires public companies, including Partner, to appoint an audit committee comprised of at least three Board of Directors members, including all the company's external directors, the majority of whom must be Israeli independent directors and the chairman of the audit committee is required to be an external director. Under the Israeli Companies Law neither the controlling party or his relative, the chairman of the Board of Directors, any director employed by the company or by its controlling party or by an entity controlled by the controlling party, any director who regularly provides services to the company, to its controlling party or to an entity controlled by the controlling party, nor any director who derives most of its income from the controlling party, may be eligible to serve as a member of the audit committee.
The responsibilities of our audit committee under the Israeli Companies Law include, among others, identifying irregularities in the management of the company's business and approving related party transactions as required by law, determining whether certain related party actions and transactions are "material" or "extraordinary" in connection with their approval procedures (See 6C.8 APPROVAL OF RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS AND COMPENSATION), assessing the scope of work and remuneration of the company's independent auditor, assessing the company's internal audit system and the performance of its internal auditor and making arrangements regarding the handling of complaints by employees about company's business management deficiencies and regarding the protection given to employees who have made complaints.
The Company's audit committee was appointed by our Board of Directors to review our financial statements, in compliance with U.S. legal requirements (as described above) and in compliance with Israeli regulations (from which we are exempt).
Our audit committee is comprised of four Board of Directors members: Mr. Barry Ben Zeev (committee chairman; external director), Ms. Roly Klinger (external director), Dr. Jonathan Kolodny (external director) and Ms. Michal Marom-Brikman (external director). All of the audit committee members meet the SEC's definition of independent directors for the purpose of serving as audit committee members as well as the Israeli Companies Law's definition of Israeli independent directors. In accordance with the SEC definition of "independent" director, none of them is an affiliated person of Partner or any subsidiary of Partner.
The Board of Directors has determined that three of our four audit committee members are "audit committee financial experts" as defined by applicable SEC regulations. See "Item 16A Audit Committee Financial Expert" below.
The Israeli Companies Law requires public companies, including Partner, to appoint a compensation committee comprised of at least three Board of Directors members, including all the company's external directors who must constitute the majority of its members. Other members of the committee should be directors whose terms of compensation are the same as external directors and the chairman of the compensation committee is required to be an external director.
Under the Israeli Companies Law, the compensation committee's responsibilities include, among others, recommending to the Board of Directors, a compensation policy for office-holders to be approved by the shareholders of the Company, see "6B Compensation". The compensation committee also makes recommendations to the Board of Directors once every three years regarding the continuing effectiveness of the compensation policy, reviews modifications to the compensation policy from time to time and its implementation and approves the actual compensation terms of Office Holders which require the compensation committee's approval according to the relevant provisions of the Israeli Companies Law.
Our compensation committee is comprised of four Board of Directors members: Mr. Barry Ben Zeev (committee chairman; external director), Ms. Roly Klinger ((external director), Dr. Jonathan Kolodny (external director) and Ms. Michal Marom-Brikman (external director). All of the compensation committee members meet the SEC's definition of independent directors for the purpose of serving as the compensation committee members as well as the Israeli Companies Law's definition of Israeli independent directors. In accordance with the SEC definition of "independent" director, none of them is an affiliated person of Partner or any subsidiary of Partner.
Pursuant to an amendment to our license from April 2005, a Board of Directors committee has been formed to deal with security matters. Only directors with the required clearance and those deemed appropriate by Israel's General Security Service may be members of this committee. The committee must consist of at least four members, who are subject to the clearance required from the Israeli General Security Service and at least one external director. Where any matter requires a Board of Directors' resolution and it is a security matter, then the committee should be authorized to discuss and to resolve such security matter and the resolution should bind the Company. However, in cases where the security matter concerned requires review by the Board of Directors or the audit committee according to the Israeli Companies Law or other applicable law, such as a transaction with a related party, it should be submitted for approval in accordance with the requirements of the applicable U.S. law, the Israeli Companies Law and any other applicable laws, provided that, in any case, only directors with security clearance can participate in any forum which will deal with security matters. In April 2005, our Board of Directors approved the formation of the security committee to consist of four Israeli directors, who are subject to Israeli security clearance and security compatibility to be determined by the General Security Service. Currently, Dr. Jonathan Kolodny, Ms. Osnat Ronen, Mr. Richard Hunter and Mr. Ori Yaron are members of the security committee.
The Israeli Companies Law requires the Board of Directors of a public company to appoint an internal auditor nominated by the audit committee. A person who does not satisfy certain independence requirements may not be appointed as an internal auditor. The role of the internal auditor is to examine, among other things, the compliance of the company's conduct with applicable law and orderly business procedures. Our internal auditor is Mr. Yehuda Motro, formerly the internal auditor of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
The Israeli Companies Law governs the duty of care and duty of loyalty which an Office Holder owes to the company. An "Office Holder" is defined in the Israeli Companies Law as a director, general manager, chief executive officer, executive vice president, vice president, or any other person assuming the responsibilities of any of the foregoing positions without regard to such person's title and other managers directly subordinated to the general manager.
The duty of loyalty requires the Office Holder to act in good faith and in the company's favor and to avoid any conflict of interest between the Office Holder's position in the company and personal affairs, and proscribes any competition with the company or the exploitation of any business opportunity of the company in order to receive personal advantages for him or others. This duty also requires him to reveal to the company any information or documents relating to the company's affairs that the Office Holder has received due to his position as an Office Holder. The duty of care requires an Office Holder to act in a way that a reasonable Office Holder would have acted in the same position and under the same circumstances. This includes the duty to utilize reasonable means to obtain information regarding the advisability of a given action submitted for his approval or performed by virtue of his position and all other relevant information.

The Israeli Companies Law requires that a transaction between the company and its Office Holder, and also a transaction between the company and another person in which an Office Holder has a personal interest, requires the approval of the Board of Directors if such a transaction is not an "extraordinary transaction", although, as permitted by law and subject to any relevant stock exchange rule, our Articles of Association allow our audit committee to approve such a transaction, without the need for approval from the Board of Directors. If such a transaction is an extraordinary transaction (that is, a transaction not in the ordinary course of business, not on market terms, or that is likely to have a material impact on the company's profitability, assets or liabilities), generally in addition to audit committee approval, the transaction also must be approved by our Board of Directors, and, in certain circumstances, also by the general meeting of shareholders. Under the Israeli Companies Law, an extraordinary transaction between a public company and a controlling party of the company or an extraordinary transaction between a public company and another person, in which the controlling party has a personal interest (including a private placement), and a transaction between a public company and a controlling party or his relative, directly or indirectly, including, without limitation, via an entity controlled by the controlling party, for receiving services by the company (and if the controlling party is also an Office Holder in the company for his terms of service, and if he is an employee of the company (but not an Office Holder in it) his employment in the company) must be approved by the audit committee or the compensation committee if relates to terms of employment (as the case may be), the Board of Directors and the general meeting of shareholders, provided that either: (a) the majority of votes in favor of the transaction shall include at least a majority of the votes of shareholders who do not have a personal interest in approval of the transaction, who participate in the voting, or (b) the total number of objecting votes of the shareholders mentioned in clause (a) does not exceed 2% of the total voting rights in the company.
The audit committee is also authorized to determine, with respect to related party transactions with a controlling shareholder or in which the controlling shareholder has a personal interest, even if they are not extraordinary transactions, an obligation to conduct a competitive process (to be supervised by the audit committee, or any person authorized on its behalf or via any other method approved by the audit committee) or to determine that other processes will be conducted prior to the engagement in such transactions and all in accordance with the type of transaction. The specific criteria for such a process may be determined by the audit committee annually in advance. In addition, the audit committee is authorized to determine the approval process for transactions that are not negligible, as well as determine which types of said transactions would require the approval of the audit committee. "Non-negligible transactions" are defined as related party transactions with a controlling shareholder or in which the controlling shareholder has a personal interest, that the audit committee has deemed not to be an extraordinary transaction, but which have also been classified by the audit committee as a non-negligible transaction. Additionally, the audit committee may decide on such classifications for these types of transactions, based on criteria set annually in advance.
The Israeli Companies Law requires that an Office Holder or a controlling party promptly disclose any personal interest that he has and all related material information known to him, in connection with any existing or proposed transaction by the company. The company may then approve the transaction in accordance with the provisions of its Articles of Association and the Israeli Companies Law. Under the Israeli Companies Law, if the Office Holder or a controlling party has a personal interest in the transaction, an approval that the transaction is in the best interest of the company is required.
In most circumstances, the Israeli Companies Law restricts Office Holders who have a personal interest in a matter which is considered at a meeting of the Board of Directors or the audit committee from being present at such meeting, participating in the discussions or voting on any such matter. An exemption exists in the event that a majority of the directors in the meeting have a personal interest in the matter provided, that in case a majority of the Board of Directors has a personal interest in the matter, the transaction will require the approval of the general meeting of shareholders.
For information concerning the direct and indirect personal interests of certain of our Office Holders and principal shareholders in certain transactions, see "ITEM 7 MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS".

The terms of employment of Office Holders including compensation, equity awards, severance and other benefits, exemption from liability and indemnification require the approval of the compensation committee and the Board of Directors. The terms of employment of directors and the Chief Executive Officer must also be approved at the general meeting of shareholders by a majority of the Company's shareholders, provided that (i) such majority includes at least a majority of the shareholders who are not controlling shareholders and who do not have a personal interest in the matter, who participate in the voting (abstentions are disregarded), or (ii) the total number of objecting votes of the shareholders mentioned in clause (i) does not exceed 2% of the total voting rights in the company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a company may be exempted from receiving shareholder approval with respect to the terms of employment of a candidate for a Chief Executive Officer position, if such candidate meets certain independence criteria, the terms are in line with the Compensation Policy and the compensation committee has determined for specified reasons that shareholder approval would prevent the engagement. See "Item 6C.5c COMPENSATION COMMITTEE".
Changes to existing terms of employment of Office Holders (other than directors) can be made with the approval of the compensation committee only (following adoption of the Compensation Policy), if the committee determines that the change is not substantially different from the existing terms.
Under the Israeli Companies Law and related regulations, the compensation payable to external directors and Israeli independent directors is subject to certain further limitations.
Under the Israeli Companies Law, a shareholder has a general duty to act in good faith and in a customary manner towards the company and the other shareholders and to refrain from improperly exploiting his power in the company, particularly when voting in the general meeting of shareholders on (a) any amendment to the articles of association, (b) an increase of the company's authorized share capital, (c) a merger, or (d) approval of related party transactions which require shareholder approval. A shareholder should also avoid deprivation of other shareholders' rights. In addition, any controlling party, any shareholder who knows that it possesses power to determine the outcome of a shareholder vote and any shareholder that, pursuant to the provisions of the articles of association, has the power to appoint or prevent an appointment of an Office Holder in the company or any other power towards the company, is under a duty to act in fairness towards the company under the Israeli Companies Law.
As permitted by the Israeli Companies Law, our Articles of Association provide that Partner may indemnify an Office Holder of Partner to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Without derogating from the foregoing, and subject to limitations set forth in the Israeli Securities Law, our Articles of Association specifically provide that Partner may indemnify an Office Holder of Partner for liability or expense he incurs or that is imposed upon him as a result of an action or inaction by him (or together with other Office Holders of Partner) in his capacity as an Office Holder of Partner including (subject to specified conditions) also in advance, as follows:
Our Articles of Association also permit us to indemnify any Office Holders of Partner for any other liability or expense in respect of which it is permitted or will be permitted under applicable law to indemnify an Office Holder of Partner.
The Israeli Companies Law and our Articles of Association also permit us to undertake in advance to indemnify an Office Holder with respect for items (2), (3) and (4) above, or any other matter permitted by law. The Israeli Companies Law and our Articles of Association also permit us to undertake in advance to indemnify an Office Holder with respect to item (1) above, provided however, that the undertaking to indemnify is restricted to events which in the opinion of the Board of Directors are anticipated in light of Partner's activities at the time of granting the undertaking to indemnify, and is limited to a sum or measurement determined by the Board of Directors to be reasonable under the circumstances. The undertaking to indemnify shall specify the events that, in the opinion of the Board of Directors are expected in light of the Company's actual activity at the time of grant of the undertaking and the sum or measurement which the Board of Directors determined to be reasonable under the circumstances.
The Israeli Companies Law combined with our Articles of Association also permits us to indemnify an Office Holder retroactively for all kinds of events, subject to any applicable law.
In no event may we indemnify an Office Holder for any of the following:
We have undertaken to indemnify our Office Holders, subject to certain conditions as aforesaid. We consider from time to time the indemnification of our Office Holders, which indemnification will be subject to approval of our compensation committee, Board of Directors and in certain cases, such as indemnification of directors and the CEO, also of our shareholders.
Under the indemnification letters granted to Office Holders prior to the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held on October 17, 2013 ("October 2013 EGM"), the aggregate indemnification amount payable by us to Office Holders and other indemnified persons pursuant to all letters of indemnification issued to them by us will not exceed the higher of (i) 25% of shareholders equity and (ii) 25% of market capitalization, each measured at the time of indemnification (the "Combined Maximum Indemnity Amount", and "the Original Indemnification Letter").
Under the indemnification letters granted to Office Holders after the October 2013 EGM, the aggregate indemnification amount payable by us to Office Holders (including, among others, Office Holders nominated on behalf of Partner in subsidiaries) pursuant to all letters of indemnification issued or that may be issued to them by Partner on or after the October 2013 EGM, for any occurrence of an event set out in such a letter (including an attachment thereto) will not exceed 25% of shareholders equity (according to the latest reviewed or audited financial statements approved by Partner's Board of Directors prior to approval of the indemnification payment) ("the Revised Indemnification Letter"). However, under the circumstances where indemnification for the same event is to be made in parallel under the Revised Indemnification Letter and to one or more indemnified persons under the Original Indemnification Letter, the maximum indemnity amount for the indemnified persons that received the Revised Indemnification Letter shall be adjusted so it does not exceed the Combined Maximum Indemnity Amount to which any other indemnified person is entitled under the Original Indemnification Letter.
The Companies Law and our Articles of Association authorize the Company, subject to obtaining the required approvals (of our compensation committee, Board of Directors and in certain cases, such as release of directors and the CEO, also of our shareholders), to release our Office Holders, in advance, from such persons' liability, entirely or partially, for damage in consequence of the breach of the duty of care toward us as set forth in accordance with any law, including the liabilities and expenses for which the Company may indemnify Office Holders as set forth above, see Item 6C.10a Indemnification. Furthermore, the Company may release Office Holders that are controlling shareholders or their relatives, subject to the receipt of the approvals in accordance with any law. Said release will not apply to a resolution or transaction in which the controlling shareholder or any Office Holder in the Company (including other Office Holders than the Office Holder being granted the release) has a personal interest.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may not release such person from such person's liability, resulting from any of the following events: (i) the breach of duty of loyalty towards us; (ii) the breach of duty of care made intentionally or recklessly ("pzizut"), other than if made only by negligence; (iii) an act intended to unlawfully yield a personal profit; (iv) a fine ("knass"), a civil fine ("knass ezrahi"), a financial sanction ("itzum caspi") or a penalty ("kofer") imposed upon such person; and (v) the breach of duty of care in a distribution ("haluka").
In addition to the Original Indemnification Letter and the Revised Indemnification Letter, the Company granted new indemnification and release letters to our Office Holders at the annual general meeting of shareholders held on September 28, 2016.
The Israeli Companies Law and the Company's Articles of Association authorize the Company (subject to certain exceptions) to enter into an insurance contract, and to arrange and pay all premiums in respect of an insurance contract, for the insurance of the liability of our Office Holders for liabilities the Office Holder incurs as a result of a direct or indirect action or inaction undertaken by such person (or together with other Office Holders of the Company) in his capacity as an Office Holder of the Company for any of the following:
(1) The breach of the duty of care towards the Company or towards any other person;
The number of full-time equivalent employees at year-end 2018, 2019 and 2020, according to their activity, was as follows:
| 2018 | 2019** | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer service* | 1,452 | 1,456 | 1,370 |
| Sales and sales support* | 550 | 541 | 491 |
| Information technology | 379 | 403 | 388 |
| Marketing and Content | 55 | 56 | 52 |
| Finance | 83 | 88 | 85 |
| Human Resources, Administration & Security | 87 | 91 | 86 |
| Operations & Logistics | 124 | 136 | 122 |
| Remaining operations | 52 | 63 | 61 |
| TOTAL | 2,782 | 2,834 | 2,655*** |
*Many positions in Customer service and Sales and sales support are filled by more than one part-time employee so that the employee headcount for those activities is about 12% greater than the number of full-time equivalents set forth above.
** Starting in 2019, the number of full-time employees also includes the number of full-time employees of PHI on a proportional basis of the Company's share in PHI (50%).
*** During the first half of 2020, in light of the COVID-19 crisis the Company temporarily reduced the workforce by putting a significant number of employees on unpaid leave. As of December 31, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional 90 full time employees are on unpaid leave from the Company.
The collective employment agreements that we signed on March 13, 2016 and on December 12, 2016 with the employees' representatives and the Histadrut, the employees' union and that were valid for a period of three years (2016-2018) were renewed in March 2019. The renewed agreement is valid from January 1, 2019 for a period of three years until December 31, 2021. The Company is expected to begin negotiations during the last quarter of 2021 to renew the collective employment agreement. As in the previous agreements, the organizational chapter includes, among others, provisions regarding manning and changing of positions, termination of employment tenure and a dispute resolution mechanism. The economic chapter includes, among others, provisions regarding terms of employment, benefits and welfare and provides for annual bonuses to employees and a profit sharing mechanism provision under certain conditions. The agreement applies to the Company's employees, excluding certain managerial and specific positions. See also "3D.2j The unionization of our employees has negatively affected and may continue to negatively affect our financial results."
In addition, we are subject to various Israeli labor laws and practices, as well as orders extending certain provisions of collective bargaining agreements between the Histadrut and the Coordinating Bureau of Economic Organizations, the federation of employers' organizations. Such laws, agreements and orders cover a wide range of areas and impose minimum employment standards including, working hours, minimum wages, vacation and severance pay, and special issues, such as equal pay for equal work, equal opportunity in employment, and employment of women, youth, disabled persons and army veterans.
Our employees are entitled to a pension insurance, in the amounts as follows (amounts vary according to choice of a pension fund or a manager's insurance fund): employer provision for pension and compensation: 12.5% - 17.33% of the employee's salary and employee provision for pension: 6% -7% of the employee's salary.
We also offer some of our employees the opportunity to participate in a "Continuing Education Fund," which also functions as a savings plan. Each of the participating employees contributes an amount equal to 2.5% of their salary and we contribute between 5% - 7.5% of such employee's salary. In addition, in accordance with the collective employment agreement, employees that have been employed for 36 months or more by the Company are entitled to participate in a "Continuing Education Fund," by contributing an amount equal to 2.5% of their salary and we contribute 7.5% of such employee's salary.
According to the National Insurance Law, Israeli employers and employees are required to pay predetermined sums to the National Insurance Institute. These contributions entitle the employees to health insurance and benefits in periods of unemployment, work injury, maternity leave, disability, reserve military service, and bankruptcy or winding-up of the employer. We believe that our relations with our employees are good.
Most of our employees participate in a Health Insurance Program which provides additional benefits and coverage which the public health system does not provide. Eligibility to participate in the policy does not depend on seniority or position.
Israeli labor law subjects employers to increased liability, including monetary sanctions and criminal liability, in cases of violations of certain labor laws and certain violations by contractors providing maintenance, security and cleaning services.
As of March 1, 2021, to the best of the Company's knowledge, none of our directors or senior management held more than 1% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, including restricted shares, restricted share units (see below for an explanation), and options to acquire ordinary shares, except as set forth in the following paragraph. Directors and senior management do not have different voting rights than other shareholders of the Company.
As of March 1, 2021, our senior management held, in the aggregate, outstanding options to purchase up to 4,061,378 of our ordinary shares, of which 2,369,835 options were vested and exercisable as of that date, in addition to 546,634 "restricted shares" of which 163,662 restricted shares were vested as of that date (as described in "Item 6E.2 Equity Incentive Plan" below). As of such date, the Company's CEO, Mr. Isaac Benbenisti held options and restricted shares together to purchase 1.05% of our issued and outstanding shares. No options or restricted shares have been granted to our directors.
The table below sets forth the number of outstanding options held by our senior management of the Company, including the CEO of the Company, according to exercise price and expiration date as of March 1, 2021:
| Number of outstanding options | Weighted average exercise price | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Option expiration Year | held | (NIS) | |
| 2021 | 1,240,971 | 17.99 | |
| 2023 | 357,766 | 19.39 | |
| 2024 | 1,605,078 | 18.63 | |
| 2025 | 393,421 | 16.61 | |
| 2026 | 464,142 | 13.94 | |
| TOTAL | 4,061,378 | 17.77 |
Outstanding options to purchase the shares of the Company held by the CEO of the Company:
| Number of outstanding options | Weighted average exercise price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option expiration Year | held | (NIS) | ||
| 2021 | 971,971 | 18.08 | ||
| 2024 | 810,027 | 18.86 | ||
| TOTAL | 1,781,998 | 18.43 |
The Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Incentive Plan (formerly known as the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan) (the "Plan") is intended to promote the interests of the Company and its shareholders by providing employees, directors, office holders and advisors of the Company with appropriate incentives and rewards to encourage them to enter into and continue in the employ of, or service to, the Company and to acquire a proprietary interest in the long-term success of the Company.
Exercise price determination. The compensation committee shall determine the option and restricted share unit ("RSU") (as further explained below) exercise price per ordinary share, subject to applicable law, regulations and guidelines. Unless otherwise provided in the grant instrument, the option exercise price shall be paid in NIS and the RSU exercise price shall be zero.
Exercise price adjustment. The exercise price of options shall be reduced in the following events: (1) dividend distribution other than in the ordinary course: by the gross dividend amount so distributed per share, and (2) dividend distribution in the ordinary course: With respect to certain options (depending on the date of the granting of the options), the exercise price shall be reduced by the amount of a dividend in excess of 40% of the Company's net income for the relevant period per share, or else by the gross dividend amount so distributed per share.
Cashless exercise. Most of the options may be exercised only through a cashless exercise procedure; while holders of other options may choose between cashless exercise and the regular option exercise procedure. In accordance with such cashless exercise, the option holder would receive from the Company, without payment of the exercise price, only the number of shares whose aggregate market value equals the economic gain which the option holder would have realized by selling all the shares purchased at their market price, net of the option exercise. Unless otherwise determined by the committee in the grant instrument, the Company at its sole and absolution discretion may obligate the grantee to pay the nominal value of the ordinary shares issued and in such event the ordinary shares will not be issued (and the options and RSUs will not be exercised) prior to the payment of such nominal value.
Exercise Period. The option holder may exercise all or part of his options at any time after the date of vesting but no later than the expiration of the exercise period, which will not exceed ten years from the date of option grant (considering, if applicable, among others, the provisions of the Compensation Policy) unless shortened pursuant to the terms of the Plan.
Vesting. The vesting schedule of granted securities will be determined by the compensation committee and Board of Directors at their sole discretion and will be detailed in the grant instrument. The committee may set performance targets as a vesting criterion (independently or in combination with other criteria).
Acceleration of vesting and adjustment. In the event of termination of employment following a change of control, vesting of granted securities and exercisability of outstanding granted securities shall be accelerated. Upon the occurrence of any merger, consolidation, reorganization or similar event or transaction (e.g., subdivision or consolidation), equitable changes or adjustments to the number of shares subject to each outstanding option and RSU will be made in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the option and RSU holders' rights and appropriate adjustments shall be made in the number and other pertinent elements of any outstanding restricted shares, with respect to which restrictions have not yet lapsed prior to any such change.
Restricted Shares. The Company may grant "restricted shares" to beneficiaries of the Plan. Restricted shares awarded to a grantee are held by the Plan's trustee in custody for the benefit of the grantee generally until the restrictions thereon have lapsed (e.g., earning period and the other applicable conditions and restrictions under the Plan and the grant instrument under which these restricted shares were awarded). In accordance with the Plan, as long as the restricted shares are held by the trustee, the trustee shall not exercise the voting rights of the underlying ordinary shares at the general meetings of shareholders unless requested to do so by the Company. In such event, the trustee shall vote the underlying ordinary shares proportionally to the shareholders vote and if the vote of public shareholders is counted separately, proportionally to the public shareholders vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company has reserved the right, upon recommendation of legal counsel, to request the grantee to exercise individually his or her voting rights. In addition, any dividend distributed during the period in which the restricted shares are held by the trustee, is accumulated and transferred to the grantee when the shares have been earned (i.e. when the restrictions lapse).
Except as provided in the immediately preceding paragraph and in the Plan and subject to the terms of the grantee's relevant grant instrument, the grantee shall have, with respect to his or her restricted shares, all of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including the right to vote the ordinary shares (endorsed to the trustee as long as the restricted shares are held by the trustee), and the right to receive any dividend thereon (accumulated together with the underlying restricted shares).
Restricted Share Units. The Company may grant "restricted share units" to beneficiaries of the Plan. Restricted share units are options, bearing an exercise price of no more than the underlying share's nominal value. Upon the lapse of the vesting period of a RSU, such RSU shall automatically become an issued and outstanding share of the Company, subject to certain applicable conditions and restrictions under the Plan and the grant instrument and unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, the grantee shall pay to the Company its nominal value as a precondition to the issuance of such share.
Change in Control and other certain events. Upon a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan) transaction of the Company as well as other certain events including a merger, reorganization and consolidation, granted securities shall, at the sole and absolute discretion of the Board of Directors, either solely or in any combination: be substituted for similar granted securities to purchase shares of a successor entity, be assumed by a successor entity, be substituted for similar "phantom" granted securities of the Company or the successor entity, or each non-vested granted securities shall become fully exercisable. In the event that the ordinary shares will no longer be traded on any stock exchange, at the sole and absolute discretion of the Board of Directors, either solely or in any combination: each granted securities shall be substituted for a similar phantom granted securities, or each non-vested granted securities shall become fully exercisable.
Amendment and termination of the Plan. The Plan may generally be altered or amended in any respect by a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company, subject to the Plan, applicable law and the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable from time to time to the Company, by reason of their applicability to its shareholders or otherwise. The Board of Directors may, at any time and from time to time, terminate the Plan in any respect, subject to any applicable approvals or consents that may be otherwise required by law, regulation or agreement, including by reason of their applicability to the shareholders or otherwise, and provided that no termination of the Plan shall adversely affect the terms of any granted security which has already been granted.
Administration of the Plan. The Plan is administered by the compensation committee of the Board of Directors. Subject to the restrictions of the Companies Law, the compensation committee is authorized, among other things, to exercise all the powers and authorities, either specifically granted to it under the Plan or necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.
The description of the Plan above is only a summary and is qualified by reference to the full text thereof which has been included as an annex to this Annual Report. See Exhibit 15.(a).1 incorporated by reference in this Annual Report. On March 13, 2016, the Board of Directors approved certain amendments to the Plan. The main amendments to the Plan include: (a) amendment to the cashless exercise formula; (b) the ability to allocate restricted share units to the Company's employees and office holders; (c) automatic extension of the exercise period due to black-out periods; (d) adjustments to the grantee's rights under any granted securities due to the occurrence of certain events, including a rights offering; (e) a provision allowing the Company's management bodies to decide to pay a grantee the financial benefit embedded in his equity compensation in cash compensation instead of equity compensation, in certain events in which the Company is unable to issue shares resulting from exercise of options or RSUs or to release any restricted share to a grantee; (f) extension of the exercise period as a result of a change of control event; (g) a provision that allows the Company to limit a grantee from making transactions in the granted securities in connection with any underwritten public offering of the Company and (h) certain exercise restrictions in accordance with the Tel Aviv stock exchange rules. Share options and restricted shares (collectively, "granted securities") have been granted to employees in accordance with the Plan. Upon exercise each option provides the right to acquire one ordinary share that confers the same rights as the other ordinary shares of the Company. On November 20, 2018, the Company's Board of Directors approved the increase in the number of shares which may be granted under the Plan by one million shares, which represented approximately 0.61% of the Company's issued share capital as of November 20, 2018, up to a total of 26,917,000 ordinary shares.
In 2020, following the approval of the Company's Board of Directors, 1,035,635 share options and 398,055 restricted shares were granted to senior office holders, managers and other employees of the Company and its subsidiary, compared to 1,232,226 share options and 397,476 restricted shares granted during 2019. The vesting of the options and the earning of the restricted shares granted after June 2014 are subject to vesting or restriction periods and are also subject to performance conditions set by the Company's organs.
As of December 31, 2020, options to acquire a total of 7,029,423 ordinary shares and 1,007,423 restricted shares (allocated to a trustee on behalf of the employees under the plan) are outstanding.
From the beginning of 2021 and until March 15, 2021, the Company approved the allocation of 135,518 options and 60,182 restricted shares for our Company's office holders, all in accordance with the Company's Equity Incentive Plan, as amended. The vesting of these options and the earning of these restricted shares are subject to vesting / restriction period of three years from the grant date (one third will vest or be earned in each year), as well as performance conditions set by the Company's organs.
In June 2017, the Company issued 10,178,211 shares of the Company, of which 508,911 shares were issued as Israeli founding shareholder shares. The total net consideration received was approximately NIS 190 million.
In January 2020, the Company issued 19,330,183 shares of the Company of which 937,283 shares were issued as Israeli founding shareholder shares. The total net consideration received was approximately NIS 276 million. The offering expenses totaled NIS 10 million.
Through December 31, 2008, the Company purchased its own 4,467,990 shares at the cost of NIS 351 million, and during 2018, the Company purchased its own 6,501,588 shares at the cost of NIS 100 million (upon repurchase the shares were recorded as "treasury shares"). In accordance with the Israeli Companies Law, the treasury shares are considered dormant shares as long as they are held by the Company, and as such, they do not bear any rights (including the right to vote in general meetings of shareholders and to receive dividends) until they are transferred to a third party. Some of the treasury shares were offered to employees under the Plan as restricted shares awards ("RSAs").
As of December 31, 2020, a total of 7,741,784 treasury shares remained of which 1,008,735 were allocated as RSAs to a trustee on behalf of the employees under the Plan. The RSAs offered under the Plan are under the control of the Company until vested under the Plan and therefore are not presented in the financial statements as outstanding shares until vested.
Information in respect of options and restricted shares granted under the Plan is set forth below:
| Through December 31, 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of options | Number of RSAs | ||
| Granted | 36,108,430 | 5,907,609 | |
| Shares issued upon exercises and vesting | (6,574,778) | (3,229,106) | |
| Cancelled upon net exercises, expiration and forfeitures | (22,504,229) | (1,671,080) | |
| Outstanding | 7,029,423 | 1,007,423 | |
| Of which: | |||
| Exercisable | 4,071,714 | ||
| Vest in 2021 | 1,788,172 | 611,551 | |
| Vest in 2022 | 800,789 | 263,183 | |
| Vest in 2023 | 368,748 | 132,689 | |
The following table, together with the notes hereto set forth certain information as of March 1, 2021, with respect to each person whom we believe to be the beneficial or, if so indicated, registered owner of 5% or more of our ordinary shares. Except where otherwise indicated, we believe, based on information publicly filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") or furnished to us by the principal shareholders, that the beneficial owners of the ordinary shares listed below have sole investment and voting power with respect to such ordinary shares. None of our major shareholders has any different voting rights than any other shareholder. See "Item 10B.3 Rights Attached to Shares".
| Issued and | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Shares beneficially | Outstanding Shares | ||
| Name | owned | Issued Shares (1)% | (1)% |
| S.B. Israel Telecom Ltd.(2) | 49,862,800 | 26.17 | 27.12 |
| Phoenix-Excellence Group (3) | 14,706,330 | 7.72 | 8.00 |
| Meitav Dash Group (4) | 14,612,353 | 7.67 | 7.95 |
| Menora Mivtachim Group (5) | 13,589,742 | 7.13 | 7.39 |
| Harel Group (6) | 12,945,310 | 6.79 | 7.04 |
| Clal Insurance Group (7) | 12,669,049 | 6.65 | 6.89 |
| Psagot Investment House (8) | 9,488,171 | 4.98 | 5.16 |
| Treasury shares (9) | 6,733,049 | 3.53 | - |
| Public (10) | 55,961,953 | 29.36 | 30.45 |
| Total | 190,568,757 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
(1) As shown above and used throughout this Annual Report, the term "Issued and Outstanding Shares" does not include any treasury shares held by the Company. Treasury shares, which are included in "Issued Shares", have no voting, dividend or other rights under the Israeli Companies Law, as long as they are held by the Company ("dormant shares").
(3) Phoenix Holdings Ltd., an Israeli corporation listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange ("Phoenix"), and Excellence Investments Ltd., an Israeli corporation listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange ("Excellence"), which is controlled by Phoenix, hold shares in the Company directly and through its wholly owned subsidiaries. (Phoenix, Excellence and their subsidiaries collectively, the "Phoenix-Excellence Group"). These holdings are held according to the following segmentation: 2,219,702 ordinary shares are held by Excellance Investments, Kesem trust funds, 1,102,000 ordinary shares are held by Provident funds and Management Companies of Provident funds; 853,045 ordinary shares are held by Excellence ETFs; 993,855 ordinary shares are held by Phoenix "Nostro" accounts; 21,000 ordinary shares are held by Phoenix Pension funds; 27,000 ordinary shares are held by Linked insurance policies of Phoenix; 9,489,728 ordinary shares are held by Partnership for Israeli shares. On March 17, 2021, Phoenix-Excellence Group advised the Company that subsequent to March 1, 2021, their interest has increased to 16,768,306 ordinary shares. 1,935,000 shares of the 16,768,306 shares held by the Phoenix-Excellence Group, representing approximately 1.058% of our Issued and Outstanding shares and total voting rights, are registered in the Company's Shareholders Register as part of the shares held by Israeli founding shareholders from among our founding shareholders and their approved substitutes. For further information regarding required holdings by Israeli founding shareholders, see "Item 3D.1l Our cellular telephone license imposes certain obligations on our shareholders and restrictions on who can own our shares. Ensuring compliance with these obligations and restrictions may be outside our control. If the obligations or restrictions are not respected by our shareholders, we could be subject to significant monetary sanctions or lose our license."
(4) Meitav Dash Investments Ltd., an Israeli corporation listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, holds shares in the Company directly and through its wholly owned subsidiaries (Meitav Dash and their subsidiaries collectively, the "Meitav Dash Group"). These holdings are held according to the following segmentation: 10,417,969 ordinary shares are held by Meitav Dash provident funds; 2,658,067 ordinary shares are held by Meitav Dash mutual funds; 1,536,317 ordinary shares are held by Meitav Dash portfolio management. On March 17, 2021, Meitav Dash Group advised the Company that subsequent to March 1, 2021, their interest has decreased to 14,552,713 ordinary shares. 1,313,911 shares of the 14,552,713 held by the Meitav Dash Group, representing approximately 0.719% of our Issued and Outstanding shares and total voting rights, are registered in the Company's Shareholders Register as part of the shares held by Israeli founding shareholders from among our founding shareholders and their approved substitutes.
As of March 1, 2021, to the best of the Company's knowledge, none of our directors and senior management held more than 1% of our outstanding ordinary shares; their holdings have been included under "Public" in the table above. For information regarding options held by our senior management to purchase ordinary shares, see "6E- Share Ownership".
We are not aware of any arrangements that might result in a change in control of our Company.
On March 1, 2021, 4,866,354 ADSs (equivalent to 4,866,354 ordinary shares) or approximately 2.64% of our total Issued and Outstanding ordinary shares, were held of record by 24 registered holders in the United States. There were 5 registered holder accounts in addition to the 24 with registered addresses outside of the United States. Certain accounts of record with registered addresses other than in the United States may hold our ordinary shares, in whole or in part, beneficially for United States persons. We are aware that many ADSs and ordinary shares are held of record by brokers and other nominees and accordingly the above numbers are not necessarily representative of the actual number of persons who are beneficial holders of ADSs and ordinary shares, or the number of ADSs and ordinary shares beneficially held by such persons.
Our Israeli founding shareholders and S.B. Israel Telecom are parties to a Relationship Agreement in relation to their direct holdings of our shares and the rights associated with such holdings. (The Receiver exercising rights over the S.B.Telecom shares has the same rights and responsibilities as S.B. Telecom under the agreement. See "Item 3D.3a Approximately 27.12% of our issued and outstanding shares and voting rights are held by a receiver (under Israeli law), who might not act in the best interests of the Company or its shareholders." See Exhibit 4.(a).1. incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.
The parties to the Relationship Agreement have agreed that they shall at all times comply with the terms of our license requiring that our founding shareholders or their approved substitutes hold in aggregate at least 26% of our means of control, and that our Israeli founding shareholders or their approved substitutes (from among the founding shareholders and their approved substitutes) hold at least 5% of our means of control. See "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License."
If a party to the Relationship Agreement commits certain events of default described in the agreement, it may be required to offer its shares to the other parties on a pre-emptive basis. Events of default for this purpose include a breach of the Relationship Agreement which has a material adverse effect on Partner, and in the case of such breach, the purchase price at which the shares are to be sold will be market value less a 17.5% discount.
The Relationship Agreement continues in full force and effect until we are wound up or cease to exist unless terminated earlier by the parties. The Relationship Agreement will terminate in relation to any individual party after it ceases to hold any share beneficially if it is required to comply with the minimum holding requirements for founding shareholders or Israeli founding shareholders, as applicable, and the transfer of the shares was not made in breach of the Relationship Agreement.
A shareholders agreement among the Israeli founding shareholders, or their approved substitutes, purports to establish the procedures, rights and obligations with respect to the appointment of the Israeli director. The Company's position, which is based among others upon a legal opinion from outside counsel, is that the arrangement set in this agreement with respect to the procedures, rights and obligations pertaining to the appointment of the Israeli director is not valid and the Company does not give effect to that arrangement and it acts according to the provision of its license and Articles of Association in connection with the appointment of the Israeli director. In November 2014, the agreement was amended and among other things, Israeli founding shareholders were removed from the Shareholders Agreement, leaving only Scailex (whose shares in the Company that constitute the holdings of Israeli founding shareholders are controlled by a court appointed receiver in light of Scailex's failure to comply with its obligations to its noteholders for the benefit of Scailex's noteholders) and Suny Electronics Ltd. (whose shares in the Company are mortgaged to a trustee on behalf of Suny's noteholders and constitute part of the holdings of Israeli founding shareholders) as parties to the Shareholders Agreement.
Pursuant to the Network Sharing Agreement between the Company and the limited partnership PHI, the Company has transactions during the normal course of business with PHI. See "Item 4B.6a Overview- cellular network sharing", "Item 5B.4 Total net financial debt " and also note 9 to the consolidated financial statements.
Not applicable.
Audited financial statements for the three fiscal years ended December 31, 2020, are included under "Item 18. Financial Statements."
We are party to a number of legal and administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business, in addition to the legal proceedings specifically discussed below. We do not currently expect the outcome of such matters individually or in the aggregate to have a material adverse effect upon our business and financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We have been named as defendants in a number of civil and criminal proceedings related to our network infrastructure which may result in civil liabilities or criminal penalties against us or our office holders and directors. In addition, we have also been named as defendants in a number of proceedings regarding breaches of our license and legal provisions of various laws including the Consumer Protection Law, Privacy Act and others. Plaintiffs in some of these proceedings have successfully sought or are seeking certification as class actions. The costs that may result from these lawsuits are only accrued for when it is more likely than not that a liability, resulting from past events, will be incurred and the amount of that liability can be quantified or estimated within a reasonable range. The amount of the provisions recorded is based on a case-by-case assessment of the risk level, and events arising during the course of legal proceedings may require a reassessment of this risk. The Company's assessment of risk is based both on the advice of counsel and on the Company's estimate of the probable amounts that are expected to be incurred. Based on its best judgment of the merits or lack thereof of the class actions described in the first three lists below, the likely range of damages which may be involved, and any provisions made in respect thereof in the Company's balance sheet, the Company does not currently believe that the outcome of these class actions, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material negative effect on its financial condition or results of operation. See note 20 to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding litigation and proceedings of which we are currently aware. See also "Item 3D.2g We are exposed to, and currently engaged in, a variety of legal proceedings, including class actions and requests to approve lawsuits as class actions."
133
The litigations described below involve claims for which requests for certification as class actions and class actions were filed and which specify a material amount of damages or have been previously reported by the Company. The total amount of pending claims (claims which have not been dismissed by the Court or settled) made by plaintiffs in the litigations described below is NIS 2.05 billion.

With respect to the following claims that have previously been reported, the Company has reached settlement agreements or agreed upon withdrawals or the applicant has unilaterally withdrawn (as noted below, some of which are still subject to Court approval).
On September 7, 2010, a claim and a motion to certify the claim as a class action were filed against the Company. The claim alleges that the Company unlawfully charges its customers for services of various content providers, which are sent through text messages (SMS). The total amount claimed from the Company was estimated by the plaintiffs to be approximately NIS 405 million. The claim was certified as a class action in December 2016. In January 2017, the plaintiffs filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, regarding the definition of the group of customers. In November 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and the claim was reverted back to the District Court. In February 2020, a settlement agreement was filed with the Court.
The litigations described below involve claims for which requests for certification as class actions were filed and which do not claim any specific aggregate amount of damages to the relevant group in the claim.
On May 4, 2015, a claim and a motion to certify the claim as a class action were filed against the Company. The claim alleges, that Partner discriminated between its cellular customers, including between new customers and existing customers, by offering the same type of customers, different terms, an action which would not be in accordance with the provisions of its license. The applicant noted that it cannot estimate the total amount claimed in the lawsuit, if the lawsuit is certified as a class action. In December 2019, the Court dismissed the motion and in January 2020, an appeal was filed with the Supreme Court.
Finally, as we reported on March 19, 2019, the Israeli Tax Authority ("ITA") is conducting an investigation that involves document collection and the questioning of among others, several current and former Company employees. The investigation is seeking to determine whether there have been violations of the Eilat Free Trade Zone Law regarding the sale of cellular phones in the city of Eilat. The Company is fully cooperating with the ITA. At this stage, the Company is unable to estimate the impact of the investigation on the Company, its results and its condition, if any.
As of December 31, 2020, one criminal proceeding was pending against us concerning the erection of network sites without building permits. We are currently negotiating with the relevant local authorities to reach a settlement regarding the relocation of affected sites or obtaining building permits for those sites. Settlements of previous criminal proceedings brought against us resulted in Partner, but not its office holders or directors, admitting guilt and paying a fine, and also resulted in the imposition of demolition orders for the relevant sites, the execution of which have been stayed for a period of time to allow us to obtain the necessary permits or to relocate the relevant network site.
Our Articles of Association allow for our Board of Directors to approve all future dividend distributions, without the need for shareholder approval, subject to the provisions governing dividends under the Israeli Companies Law.
No dividends have been distributed since 2013. For risks relating to future payments of dividends, see "Item 3D.2u There can be no assurance that dividends will be declared or, if they are, at what level. No dividends have been distributed since 2013, although we repurchased 6,501,588 shares of the Company in 2018 for a cost of NIS 100 million."
We intend to pay any dividends which may be declared in shekels. Under current Israeli regulations, any dividends or other distributions paid in respect of ordinary shares may be freely repatriated in non-Israeli currencies at the rate of exchange prevailing at the time of conversion, provided that Israeli income tax has been paid on or withheld from such dividends. Because exchange rates between the shekel and the US dollar fluctuate continuously, a holder of ADSs will be subject to currency fluctuation generally and, particularly, between the date when dividends are declared and the date dividends are paid.
No significant change has occurred since December 31, 2020, except as otherwise disclosed in thisAnnual Report. See also "Item 3D.2d The Coronavirus ("COVID-19") crisis had a material harmful effect on the Company's business in 2020. As of the date of this Annual Report, revenues from roaming services continue to be significantly restrained. Should existing trends continue or worsen, this may have a material harmful effect on our results of operations and financial position for 2021.", and "Item 5D.2 Outlook".
Our capital consists of ordinary shares, which are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol "PTNR". American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), each representing one of the Company's ordinary shares, are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "PTNR". The ADSs are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). Citibank serves as our depositary for ADSs.
Not applicable.
Our ADSs are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "PTNR". Our ordinary shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol "PTNR".
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
We are a public company registered under the Israeli Companies Law as Partner Communications Company Ltd., registration number 52-004431-4.
Pursuant to our Articles of Association, we were formed for the purpose of participating in the auction for the granting of a license to operate cellular radio telephone services in Israel, to provide such services, and without derogating from the above, we are also empowered to hold any right, obligation or legal action and to operate in any business or matter approved by the Company.
Pursuant to section three of our Articles of Association, our purpose is to operate in accordance with business considerations to generate profits; provided, however, that the Board of Directors is entitled to donate reasonable amounts to worthy causes, even if such donation is not within the frame of these business considerations.
Pursuant to section four of our Articles of Association, our objective is to engage in any legal business.
The power of our directors to vote on a proposal, arrangement or contract in which the director is personally interested is limited by the relevant provisions of the Israeli Companies Law and our Articles of Association. In addition, the power of our directors to vote compensation to themselves or any members of their body, requires the approval of the compensation committee, the Board of Directors and the general meeting of shareholders. Generally, the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders must be convened to elect directors and a shareholders meeting could terminate the term of office of directors. In addition, our Articles of Association provide that, in certain circumstances relating to our compliance with the license, our Board of Directors may remove any director from the Board of Directors by a resolution passed by 75% or more of the directors present and voting at the relevant meeting. See also "Item 6C Board Practices".
Our registered share capital consists of a single class of 235 million ordinary shares, par value NIS 0.01 per share, of which 190,568,757 ordinary shares were issued and 183,835,708 shares (does not include treasury shares) and 182,826,973 shares (does not include treasury shares and unearned shares held by trustee on behalf of employees under share-based payment plan) were issued and outstanding as of March 1, 2021. All issued and outstanding ordinary shares are validly issued and registered. The rights attached to our ordinary shares are described below.
Holders of ordinary shares are entitled to the full amount of any cash or share dividend subsequently declared. The Board of Directors may propose and approve distribution of a dividend with respect to any fiscal year or quarter only out of profits, subject to the provisions of the Israeli Companies Law. See "Item 10E Taxation."
Shares which are treated as dormant under section 44.6 of our Articles of Association (under circumstances relating to compliance with our license) retain the rights to receive dividends or other distributions to shareholders, and to participate in rights offerings, but no other rights. See "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License".
One year after a dividend has been declared and is still unclaimed, the Board of Directors is entitled to invest or utilize the unclaimed amount of the dividend in any manner to the benefit of the Company until it is claimed. We are not obligated to pay interest or linkage on an unclaimed dividend.

Holders of issued and outstanding ordinary shares have one vote for each ordinary share held on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders either in person or by proxy. Such voting rights may be affected by the grant of any special voting rights to the holders of a class of shares with preferential rights that may be authorized in the future. The quorum required for a general meeting of shareholders consists of at least two shareholders present in person or by proxy who hold or represent, in the aggregate, at least one third of the voting rights of the issued share capital. In the event that a quorum is not present within thirty minutes of the scheduled time, the shareholders' meeting will be adjourned to the same day of the following week, or the next business day thereafter, at the same time and place, or such time and place as the Board of Directors may determine. If at such reconvened meeting a quorum is not present after the lapsing of 30 minutes from the time appointed for holding the meeting, one or more shareholders present in person or by proxy holding or representing in the aggregate at least 10% of the voting rights in the Company will generally constitute a quorum. Any shareholder seeking to vote at a general meeting of our shareholders must first notify us if any of the shareholder's holdings in the Company requires the consent of the Ministry of Communications. The instructions of a shareholder will not be valid unless accompanied by a declaration by the shareholder as to whether or not the shareholder's holdings in the Company or the shareholder's vote requires the consent of the Ministry of Communications due to a breach by the shareholder of the restrictions on transfer or acquisition of means of control, or provisions regarding cross-ownership with other mobile telephone operators or shareholdings or agreements which may reduce or harm competition. If the shareholder does not provide such certification declaration, his instructions will be invalid and his vote not counted.
An ordinary resolution, such as a resolution for the election of directors (excluding external directors), or the appointment of auditors, requires approval by the holders of a majority of the voting rights represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy, and voting thereon. Under our Articles of Association, resolutions such as a resolution amending our Articles of Association or approving any change in the share capital, liquidation, changes in the objectives of the company, or the name of the company, or other changes as specified in our Articles of Association, requires approval of a special majority, representing the holders of no less than 75% of the voting rights represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy, and voting thereon.
Under our Articles of Association our directors are generally elected by an ordinary majority of the shareholders at each duly convened annual meeting, and serve until the next annual meeting, and our external directors are elected in accordance with applicable law and/or relevant stock exchange rules applicable to us; or until their respective successors are elected and qualified, whichever occurs first, or in the case of Israeli directors who are appointed by the founding Israeli shareholders, generally upon a written notice signed by at least two of the founding Israeli shareholders who are the record holders of (i) at least 50% of minimum Israeli holding shares or (ii), who hold in the aggregate the highest number of minimum Israeli holding shares among the Israeli founding shareholders. Any Israeli founding shareholders who have specified connections to a competing mobile radio telephone operator (as defined in the license) of the Company are prohibited from participation in any such appointment. The notice is addressed to the Company's company secretary indicating his appointment, until their respective successors are elected upon such notice. In each annual meeting the directors that were elected at the previous annual meeting are deemed to have resigned from their office, excluding the external directors, who according to the Israeli Companies Law, are elected for a period of three years and the Israeli director whose appointment is terminated generally by a written notice by himself or by the founding Israeli shareholders. A resigning director may be reelected. Each ordinary share represents one vote. No director may be elected or removed on the basis of a vote by dormant shares. The ordinary shares do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors.
Under our Articles of Association our shareholders discuss our annual consolidated financial statements, at the annual general meeting of shareholders.
Directors may be appointed also in certain circumstances by an extraordinary general meeting and by the Board of Directors upon approval of a simple majority of the directors. Such director, excluding the external directors, shall serve for a term ending at the next annual general meeting.
Our shareholders have the rights to share in our profits distributed as a dividend and any other permitted distribution. See "Item 10B.3 Rights Attached to Shares-–Dividend Rights."
All of our ordinary shares confer equal rights among them with respect to amounts distributed to shareholders in case of liquidation.
Upon the sale of the property of the Company, the Board of Directors or the liquidators (in case of a liquidation) may receive and, if the Company's profits so permit, distribute among the shareholders fully or partially paid up shares, bonds or securities of another company or any other property of the Company without selling them or depositing them with trustees on behalf of the shareholders, provided, however, that they have received the prior authorization adopted by a special majority of the shareholders of the Company (representing at least 75% of the votes of shareholders participating and voting in the relevant general meeting). Such special majority may also decide on the valuation of such securities or property, unless the Company is in or beginning a liquidation process.
Ownership and control of our ordinary shares are limited by the terms of our licenses and our Articles of Association. See "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License-License Conditions" and "Revoking, limiting or altering our license."
In order to comply with the conditions and restrictions imposed on us by the Ministry of Communications or under our licenses in relation to ownership or control over us, under certain events specified in our Articles of Association, the Board of Directors may determine that certain ordinary shares are dormant shares. According to our Articles of Association, dormant shares bear no rights as long as they are dormant shares, except for the right to receive dividends and other distributions to shareholders. Consequently, we have received an exemption from the requirement set out in NASDAQ's Marketplace Rule 4351 that voting rights of existing shareholders of publicly traded common stock registered under Section 12 of the US Securities Exchange Act cannot be disparately reduced or restricted through any corporate action or issuance. In addition, the Board of Directors shall not register a person as a holder of a share before receipt of their declaration that they are not a "relevant person" as defined in our Articles of Association.
Our Compensation Policy allows us to allocate in addition to shares, restricted shares. For rights attached to restricted shares see "Item 6E.2 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN".
According to our Articles of Association, in order to change the rights attached to any class of shares, the general meeting of the shareholders must adopt a resolution to change such rights by a special majority, representing at least 75% of the votes of shareholders participating and voting in the general meeting, and in case of changing the rights attached to certain class of shares, the approval by special majority of each class meeting, is required.
The Board of Directors must convene an annual general meeting of shareholders at least once every calendar year, within fifteen months of the last annual general meeting. In accordance with our Articles of Association, notice of a general meeting must be sent to each registered shareholder no later than five days after the record date set by the Board of Directors for that meeting, unless a different notice time is required under applicable law. An extraordinary meeting may be convened by the Board of Directors, as it decides or upon a demand of any two directors or 25% of the directors, whichever is lower, or of one or more shareholders holding in the aggregate at least 5% of our issued capital and at least 1% of the voting rights of the Company; or (ii) at least 5% of the voting right of the Company, can seek to convene a shareholders meeting or as otherwise permitted by the Israeli Companies Law. See "Item 10B.3 RIGHTS ATTACHED TO SHARES–Voting Rights."
One or more shareholders holding (alone or in the aggregate), 1% or more of the share capital of the Company may request that the Board of Directors include an issue on the agenda of a general meeting of shareholders (including the nomination of a candidate to the board of directors), provided that such issue is suitable to be discussed in the general meeting of shareholders. Pursuant to an amendment to regulations promulgated under the Israeli Companies Law, effective from July 2014, said shareholder request should be submitted to the company within three or seven days (depending on the type of resolution dealt with in the convened meeting) following publication of the Company's notice with respect to its general meeting of shareholders, or, if the Company publishes a preliminary notice stating its intention to convene such meeting and the agenda thereof, within fourteen days of such preliminary notice. Any such proposal must further comply with the information requirements and time frames under Israeli law.
For limitations on the rights to own our securities see "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License– License Conditions," " – Our Permit Regarding Cross Ownership" and "Item 10B.3 Rights Attached to Shares – Limitations on Ownership and Control."
For limitations on change in control see "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License– License Conditions" and "– Our Permit Regarding Cross Ownership".
Changes in our share capital are subject to the approval of the shareholders at a general meeting of shareholders by a special majority of 75% of the votes of shareholders participating and voting in the general meeting of shareholders.
If any article of our Articles of Association is found to be inconsistent with the terms of our mobile telephone license granted by the Ministry of Communications (see "Item 4B.12f Our Mobile Telephone License") or of any other telecommunications license we hold, the provisions of such Article shall be deemed null and void.
Network sharing agreement. In April 2015, the Ministry of Communications approved the 15- year Network Sharing Agreement that we entered into with HOT Mobile. Pursuant to the Network Sharing Agreement, the parties created a 50-50 limited partnership, the purpose of which is to operate and develop a cellular network to be shared by both parties, starting with a pooling of both parties' radio access network infrastructures to create a single shared radio access network. The limited partnership began operations in August 2015. See "Item 4B.8 OUR NETWORK".
i-Phone Agreement. Following the expiration of a previous agreement, we entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Apple Distribution International, effective April 1, 2021, for the purchase and resale of iPhone handsets in Israel. Pursuant to the agreement, we agreed to purchase a minimum quantity of iPhone handsets per year, for a period of three years.
Network upgrade and deployment of fourth generation network. In October 2010, we entered into an agreement with Ericsson for the upgrade of our existing networks and the deployment of our fourth generation network in Israel for an initial term that ended at the end of 2014. We extended with certain modifications, the maintenance period by additional periods until the end of 2019. See "Item 4B.8g Suppliers"".
TI Sparkle Israel (formerlyMed Nautilus) Agreement. We have an agreement with TI Sparkle for the provision of international capacity services through submarine infrastructure, which connects countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea to all major Western European countries and from there to the rest of the world until 2023 with an option to extend the agreement until 2030.
Upgrade of LTE network. In January 2019, we entered into an agreement with Mavenir Systems Limited for the upgrade and improvement of the performance of our LTE network moving into virtualized architecture of the network, alongside new functionalities and capabilities, and preparation for 5G. See "Item 4B.8g Suppliers".
There are no Israeli government laws, decrees or regulations that restrict or that affect our export or import of capital or the remittance of dividends, interest or other payments to non-resident holders of our securities, including the availability of cash and cash equivalents for use by us and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, except or otherwise as set forth under "Item 10E Taxation".
Under Israeli law (and our Memorandum and Articles of Association), persons who are neither residents nor nationals of Israel may freely hold, vote and transfer ordinary shares in the same manner as Israeli residents or nationals.
The following discussion is not intended, and should not be construed, as legal or professional tax advice and should not be relied on any specific case since it does not exhaust all possible tax considerations.
The following is a summary of the current tax laws of the State of Israel as they relate to us and to our shareholders (in relation to their investments in the Company) and also includes a discussion of the material Israeli tax consequences for persons purchasing our ordinary shares or ADSs, both referred to below as the "Shares". To the extent that the discussion is based on legislation yet to be subject to judicial or administrative interpretation, there can be no assurance that the views expressed herein will accord with any such interpretation in the future. This discussion is not intended and should not be construed as legal or professional tax advice and does not cover all possible tax considerations.
Potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors as to the Israeli or other tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Shares, including, in particular, the effect of any foreign, state or local taxes.
The "Tax Burden Distribution Law" legislation amendments (2011) that were published in December 2011, which became effective on January 1, 2012, abolished the reduction of income tax rates for corporations and individuals and increased, amongst other things, the corporate tax rate and the tax rates on individual's dividend income. On July 27, 2013 following the Tax Burden Distribution Law, the Israeli Parliament approved The Law For the Change in National Priorities (Legislation Amendment to Achieving Budget Goals for years 2013 and 2014), 2013 (the "2013 Amendment"). On January 4, 2016, the Israeli Parliament approved an amendment for the Israeli tax Ordinance (Number 216), according to which corporate tax rate will be updated for 2016 (the "2016 Amendment"). On December 29, 2016, the Israeli Parliament passed the Israeli Economic Recuperation Law (legislated amendments to achieve implementation of the Economic Policy for the budget years 2017-2018), which, amongst other things, reduced the regular corporate tax rate, and changed the requirement regarding surplus tax.
Israeli companies are generally subject to corporate tax on their taxable income (including capital gains). In general, the regular corporate tax rate in Israel for 2014 and 2015 was 26.5%, for 2016 was 25%, for 2017 was 24% and 23% for 2018 and thereafter.

Israeli law generally imposes a capital gains tax on the sale of capital assets by residents of Israel as defined for Israeli tax purposes, and on the sale of capital assets located in Israel or the sale of direct or indirect rights to assets located in Israel, including on the sale of our Shares by some of our shareholders (see discussion below). The Israeli Income Tax Ordinance distinguishes between "Real Capital Gain" and "Inflationary Surplus". Real Capital Gain is the excess of the total capital gain over Inflationary Surplus computed on the basis of the increase in the CPI between the date of purchase and the date of sale. In 2020, the real capital gain accrued on the sale of our Shares was generally taxed at a rate of 23% for corporations (25% for 2016, 24% for 2017 and 23% for 2018 and thereafter) and a rate of up to 25% for individuals. Additionally, if such individual shareholder is considered a "Significant Shareholder" at any time during the 12-month period preceding such sale (i.e., if such individual shareholder holds directly or indirectly, along with others, at least 10% of any means of control in the company, including, among other things, the right to receive profits of the company, voting rights, the right to receive the company's liquidation proceeds and the right to appoint a director), the tax rate will be up to 30%.
However, the foregoing tax rates will not apply to (i) dealers in securities, whose income from the sale of securities is considered "business income"; and (ii) shareholders who have acquired their shares prior to an initial public offering (that may be subject to a different tax arrangement). Inflationary surplus that accrued after December 31, 1993, is exempt from tax.
Generally, a semi-annual detailed return, including a computation of the tax due should be submitted to the Israeli Tax Authorities and a tax advance amounting to the tax liability arising from the capital gain is payable. At the sale of traded securities, the aforementioned detailed return may not be submitted and the tax advance should not be paid, if all tax due was withheld at source according to applicable provisions of the Israeli Tax Ordinance and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Capital gains are also reportable on annual income tax returns.
The following is a summary of the most significant Israeli capital gains tax implications arising with respect to the sale of our Shares by shareholders who are not engaged in the business of trading in securities.
As of January 1, 2012, a shareholder will generally be subject to tax at up to 25% rate on realized real capital gain (if the shareholder is a Significant Shareholder, as defined above, the tax rate will be up to 30%). To the extent that the shareholder claims a deduction of financing expenses, the gain will be subject to tax at a rate of 30% (until otherwise stipulated in bylaws that may be published in the future).
Please note that an individual Israeli tax resident may be required to pay up to 47% (from 2017 and thereafter) on his yearly taxable income, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, as of January 1, 2013, an individual Israeli tax resident is required to pay an additional tax at the rate of 2% on his yearly taxable combined income from any source exceeding 803,520 with respect to 2016. The additional tax rate is 3% from an amount exceeding NIS 640,000 in 2017, NIS 641,880 in 2018, NIS 649,560 in 2019 and NIS 651,600 in 2020.
Shareholders who are corporations will be generally subject to tax at the corporate tax rate on the realized capital gain as described in "General Corporate Tax Structure" in Item 10E above.
Different taxation rules may apply to shareholders who purchased the Shares prior to January 1, 2009, or prior to the listing on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Market. Such Shareholders should consult with their own tax advisors for the tax consequences upon sale.
In general, a partnership will be a transparent entity for Israeli tax purposes and its partners will be subject to tax with respect to their share in accordance with each of their applicable tax status and rates.
In general, under the Israel Tax Ordinance, public institutions are exempt from tax.
As mentioned above, Israeli law generally imposes a capital gains tax on sales of capital assets, including securities and any other direct or indirect rights to capital assets located in Israel. This tax is also applicable to non-Israeli residents of Israel as follows:
Under Israeli law, the capital gain from the sale of shares by non-Israeli residents is tax exempt in Israel as long as our Shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market or any other stock exchange recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Finance (this condition shall not apply to shares purchased on or after January 1, 2009) and provided that certain other conditions are met, the most relevant of which are: (A) the capital gain is not attributed to the foreign resident's permanent establishment in Israel, (B) the shares were acquired by the foreign resident after the company's shares had been listed for trading on the foreign exchange, and (C) if the seller is a corporation, less than 25% of its means of control are held by Israeli residents. It should be noted that with respect to shares which are listed on the Israeli stock exchange market, a tax exemption may apply under certain different conditions.
In addition, the sale of shares may be exempt from Israeli capital gains tax under the provisions of an applicable tax treaty (for example, please refer to the discussion below with respect to the Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the State of Israel with Respect to Taxes on Income).
Different taxation rules may apply to shareholders who purchased their shares prior to the listing on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Such shareholders should consult with their tax advisors for the precise treatment upon sale.
Individual and corporate dealers in securities in Israel are taxed at tax rates applicable to business income.
The purchaser, the Israeli stockbrokers and any financial institution through which the sold securities are held, are obliged, subject to certain exemptions, to withhold tax on the amount of consideration paid with respect to such sale (or on the capital gain realized on the sale, if known) at the Israeli corporate tax rate as described in "General Corporate Tax Structure" in Item 10E above.
Where the seller is an individual, the applicable withholding tax rate would be 25%, or 30% where the seller is a significant shareholder.
The following Israeli tax consequences shall apply in the event of actual payment of any dividends on the Shares.
As of January 1, 2012, dividends, other than bonus shares (stock dividends), paid to Israeli resident individuals who purchased our Shares will generally be subject to income tax at a rate of 25% for individuals, or 30% if the dividend recipient is a Significant Shareholder (as defined above) at any time during the 12-month period preceding such distribution. Dividends paid to Israeli resident companies will not be included in their tax liability computation.
Non-residents of Israel (both individuals and corporations) are subject to income tax on income accrued or derived from sources in Israel, including dividends from Israeli corporations. The distribution of dividend income, other than bonus shares (stock dividends), to non-residents of Israel will generally be subject to income tax at a rate of 25% (or 30% for a shareholder that is considered a Significant Shareholder (as defined above) at any time during the 12-month period preceding such distribution), unless a lower rate is stipulated by a double tax treaty between the State of Israel and the shareholder's country of residence. In addition, an additional tax at a rate of 3% may be imposed upon individual shareholders whose annual income from all sources that are taxable in Israel exceed a certain amount.
In the event of actual payment of any dividends on our Shares the following withholding rates will be applied: (i) Israeli resident corporations – 0%, (ii) Israeli resident individuals – 25% (iii) non-Israeli residents – 25%, subject to a reduced tax rate under an applicable double tax treaty; (iv) Israeli resident individual who is a Significant Shareholder – 30%; and (v) non -Israeli resident who is a Significant Shareholder – 30%, subject to a reduced tax rate under an applicable double tax treaty. Nevertheless, if the Shares are held through a Nominee Company, as defined in the Israel Securities Act, the withholding tax rate for shareholders under (iv) and (v) above shall be 25% (subject to a reduced tax rate under an applicable double tax treaty for non-Israeli residents).
A non-resident of Israel that has received a dividend income derived from an Israeli corporation, from which tax was withheld at the source, is generally exempt from the duty to file tax returns in Israel in respect of such income, provided that such income was not connected to or derived from a trade or business conducted in Israel by such a person and provided the person has no other taxable sources of income in Israel with respect to which a tax return is required to be filed.
Non-residents of Israel who acquire any of the Shares of the Company will be able to repatriate dividends, liquidation distributions and the proceeds from the sale of such shares in non-Israeli currencies at the rate of exchange prevailing at the time of repatriation provided that any applicable Israel income tax has been paid, or withheld, on such amounts. US holders should refer to the "United States Federal Income Considerations" section below with respect to the US federal income tax treatment of foreign currency gain or loss.
The foregoing discussion is intended only as a summary and does not purport to be a complete analysis or listing of all potential Israeli tax effects of holding of our shares. We recommend that shareholders consult their tax advisors concerning the Israeli and non-Israeli tax consequences to them of holding our shares.
Residents of the United States generally will be subject to withholding tax in Israel on dividends paid, if any, on Shares (including ADSs). Generally, under the Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the State of Israel with Respect to Taxes on Income (the "US Treaty"), the maximum rate of withholding tax on dividends paid to a holder of Shares (including ADSs) who is a resident of the United States (as defined in the US Treaty) will be 25%. Under the US Treaty, the withholding tax rate on dividends will be reduced to 12.5% if (i) the shareholder is a U.S. resident corporation which holds during the portion of the taxable year which precedes the date of payment of the dividend, and during the whole of its prior taxable year, at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the voting stock of the Israeli resident paying corporation and (ii) not more than 25% of the gross income of the Israeli resident paying corporation for such prior taxable year consists of certain types of interest or dividends.
The US Treaty exempts from taxation in Israel any capital gains realized on the sale, exchange or other disposition of Shares (including ADSs) provided that the following cumulative conditions are met: (a) the seller is a resident of the United States for purposes of the US Treaty; (b) the seller owns, directly or indirectly, less than 10% of our voting stock at all times during the 12-month period preceding such sale, exchange or other disposition; (c) the seller, being an individual, is present in Israel for a period or periods of less than 183 days during the taxable year; and (d) the capital gain from the sale was not generated through a permanent establishment of the seller in Israel.
Subject to the exemptions from capital gains prescribed in the Israeli Income Tax Ordinance (as described above), purchasers of Shares (including ADSs) who are residents of the United States and who hold 10% or more of the outstanding Shares at any time during such 12-month period will be subject to Israeli capital gains tax. However, under the US Treaty, residents of the United States (as defined in the US Treaty) generally would be permitted to claim a credit for this tax against US federal income tax imposed on the sale, exchange or other disposition, subject to the limitations in US laws applicable to the utilization of foreign tax credits generally.
The application of the US Treaty provisions to dividends and capital gains described above is conditioned upon the fact that such income is not effectively connected with a permanent establishment (as defined in the US Treaty) maintained by the non-Israeli resident in Israel.
The following discussion is a summary of certain material US federal income tax considerations applicable to a US holder (as defined below) regarding the acquisition, ownership and disposition of Shares or ADSs. This summary is based on provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), existing and proposed US Treasury regulations, administrative pronouncements, rulings and judicial decisions as of the date of this Annual Report. All of these authorities are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect, and to change or changes in interpretation. In addition, this summary does not discuss all aspects of US federal income taxation that may be applicable to investors in light of their particular circumstances or to investors who are subject to special treatment under US federal income tax law, including certain former citizens or residents of the United States, insurance companies, banks, regulated investment companies, securities broker-dealers, financial institutions, tax-exempt organizations, persons holding Shares or ADSs as part of a straddle, hedging or conversion transaction, persons subject to the foreign tax credit splitting events rules, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax, persons who acquired their Shares or ADSs pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation, US holders having a functional currency other than the US dollar, persons owning (directly, indirectly or by attribution) 10% or more of our outstanding share capital or voting stock and persons not holding the Shares or ADSs as capital assets. This discussion also does not address the consequences of the Medicare tax on net investment income or any aspect of state, local or non-US tax law or any other aspect of US federal taxation other than income taxation. There can be no assurances that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") will not take a different position concerning the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our shares or that such a position would not be sustained. This summary is not intended to be, and should not be considered to be, legal or tax advice.
As used herein, the term "US holder" means a beneficial owner of an ordinary share or an ADS who is eligible for benefits as a US resident under the limitation on benefits article of the US Treaty (as defined above in "–Taxation of Residents of the United States under the US Treaty"), and is:
If a partnership (including entities classified as partnerships for US federal income tax purposes, or other pass-through entities, or holders that will hold our shares through such an entity) or S corporations, holds Shares or ADSs, the tax treatment of a partner generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partnership or a partner in a partnership that holds Shares or ADSs is urged to consult its own tax advisor regarding the specific tax consequences of owning and disposing of Shares or ADSs.
For US federal income tax purposes, US holders of ADRs will be treated as owners of the ADSs evidenced by the ADRs and the Shares represented by the ADSs. Furthermore, deposits or withdrawals by a US holder of Shares for ADSs, or of ADSs for Shares, will not be subject to US federal income tax. The statement of US federal income tax law set forth below assumes that each obligation in the Deposit Agreement and any related agreement will be performed in accordance with its terms.US holders should review the summary above under "Israeli Tax Considerations" and "Taxation of Residents of the United States under the US Treaty" for a discussion of the Israeli taxes which may be applicable to them.
Holders of Shares or ADSs should consult their own tax advisors concerning the specific Israeli, US federal, state and local tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the Shares or ADSs in light of their particular situations as well as any consequences arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction. In particular, US holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning whether they will be eligible for benefits under the US Treaty.
A US holder generally will be required to include in gross income as ordinary dividend income the amount of any distributions paid on the Shares and ADSs, including the amount of any Israeli taxes withheld in respect of such dividend. Dividends paid by us will not qualify for the dividends-received deduction applicable in certain cases to US corporations.

The amount of any distribution paid in NIS, including the amount of any Israeli withholding tax thereon, will be included in the gross income of a US holder of Shares in an amount equal to the US dollar value of the NIS calculated by reference to the spot rate of exchange in effect on the date the distribution is received by the US holder or, in the case of ADSs, by the Depositary. If a US holder converts dividends paid in NIS into US dollars on the day such dividends are received, the US holder generally should not be required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss with respect to such conversion. If the NIS received in the distribution are not converted into US dollars on the date of receipt, any foreign currency gain or loss recognized upon a subsequent conversion or other disposition of the NIS will be treated as US source ordinary income or loss. Special rules govern and special elections are available to accrual method taxpayers to determine the US dollar amount includible in income in the case of taxes withheld in a foreign currency. Accrual basis taxpayers are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the requirements and the elections applicable in this regard. Dividends paid with respect to Shares may be subject to rules applicable where US persons own or are treated as owning 50% or more (by vote or value) of a foreign corporation, and such rules could adversely affect the US shareholders' ability to use US foreign tax credits.
Any dividends paid by us to a US holder on the Shares or ADSs will be treated as foreign source income and generally will be categorized as "passive income" for US foreign tax credit purposes. Subject to the limitations in the Code, as modified by the US Treaty, a US holder may elect to claim a foreign tax credit against its US federal income tax liability for Israeli income tax withheld from dividends received in respect of Shares or ADSs. US holders who do not elect to claim the foreign tax credit may instead claim a deduction for Israeli income tax withheld, but only for a year in which the US holder elects to do so with respect to all foreign income taxes. A deduction does not reduce US tax on a dollar-for-dollar basis like a tax credit. The deduction, however, is not subject to the limitations applicable to foreign tax credits. The rules relating to the determination of the foreign tax credit are complex. Accordingly, if you are a US holder of Shares or ADSs, you should consult your own tax advisor to determine whether and to what extent you would be entitled to the credit.
Certain US holders (including individuals) are eligible for reduced rates of US federal income tax in respect of "qualified dividend income". For this purpose, qualified dividend income generally includes dividends paid by a non-US corporation if, among other things, the US holders meet certain minimum holding period requirements and the non-US corporation satisfies certain requirements, including that either (i) the shares (or ADSs) with respect to which the dividend has been paid are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, or (ii) the non-US corporation is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive US income tax treaty (such as the US Treaty) which provides for the exchange of information. We currently believe that dividends paid with respect to our Shares and ADSs should constitute qualified dividend income for US federal income tax purposes. We anticipate that our dividends will be reported as qualified dividends on Forms 1099-DIV delivered to US holders. In computing foreign tax credit limitations, non-corporate US Holders may take into account only a portion of a qualified dividend to reflect the reduced US tax rate applicable to such dividend. Individual US holders of Shares or ADSs are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability of the reduced dividend tax rate in light of their own particular situation and regarding the computations of their foreign tax credit limitation with respect to any qualified dividend income paid by us, as applicable.
Upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of Shares or ADSs, a US holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the US dollar value of the amount realized on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition and the US holder's adjusted tax basis, determined in US dollars, in the Shares or ADSs. Any gain or loss recognized upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Shares or ADSs will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if, at the time of the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition, the holding period of the Shares or ADSs exceeds one year. In the case of individual US holders, capital gains generally are subject to US federal income tax at preferential rates if specified minimum holding periods are met. The deductibility of capital losses by a US holder is subject to significant limitations. US holders should consult their own tax advisors in this regard.
In general, gain or loss recognized by a US holder on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of Shares or ADSs will be US source income or loss for US foreign tax credit purposes. Pursuant to the US Treaty, however, gain from the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares or ADSs by a holder who is a US resident, for US Treaty purposes, and who sells the Shares or ADSs within Israel may be treated as foreign source income for US foreign tax credit purposes.
US holders who hold Shares or ADSs through an Israeli stockbroker or other Israeli intermediary may be subject to an Israeli withholding tax on any capital gains recognized if the US holder does not obtain approval of an exemption from the Israeli Tax Authorities. See "Israeli Tax Considerations" above. US holders are advised that any Israeli tax paid under circumstances in which an exemption from such tax was available will not give rise to a deduction or credit for foreign taxes paid for US federal income tax purposes. US holders are advised to consult their Israeli stockbroker or intermediary regarding the procedures for obtaining an exemption.
If a US holder receives NIS upon the sale of Shares, that US holder may recognize ordinary income or loss as a result of currency fluctuations between the date of the sale of the Shares and the date the sales proceeds are converted into US dollars.
A non-US corporation will be classified as a Passive Foreign Investment Company (a "PFIC") for any taxable year if (i) at least 75% of its gross income consists of passive income (such as dividends, interest, rents, royalties (other than rents or royalties derived in the active conduct of a trade or business and received from an unrelated person) and gains on the disposition of certain minority interests) or (ii) at least 50% of the average value of its assets consist of assets that produce or are held for the production of, passive income. We currently believe that we were not a PFIC for the year ended December 31, 2020. However, this conclusion is a factual determination that must be made at the close of each year and is based on, among other things, a valuation of our Shares, ADSs and assets, which will likely change from time to time. If we were characterized as a PFIC for any taxable year, a US holder would suffer adverse tax consequences. These consequences may include having the gains that are realized on the disposition of Shares or ADSs treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains and being subject to punitive interest charges with respect to certain dividends and gains and on the sale or other disposition of the Shares or ADSs. Furthermore, dividends paid by a PFIC are not eligible to be treated as "qualified dividend income" (as discussed above). In addition, if a US holder holds Shares or ADSs in any year in which we are treated as a PFIC, such US holder will be subject to additional tax form filing and reporting requirements.
Application of the PFIC rules is complex. A US holder of a PFIC may be required to file an IRS Form 8621. The failure to file this form when required could result in substantial penalties. US holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the potential application of the PFIC rules to the ownership of our Shares or ADSs.
Dividend payments with respect to Shares or ADSs and proceeds from the sale, exchange or other disposition of Shares or ADSs may be subject to information reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") and possible US backup withholding at a current rate of 24%. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number or certificate of foreign status and makes any other required certification or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding. US persons who are required to establish their exempt status generally must provide IRS Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification). Non-US holders generally will not be subject to US information reporting or backup withholding. However, such holders may be required to provide certification of non-US status (generally on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS W-8BEN-E) in connection with payments received in the United States or through certain US-related financial intermediaries.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder's US federal income tax liability, and a holder may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information in a timely fashion.
In addition, certain US holders who are individuals that hold certain foreign financial assets as defined in the Code (which may include Shares or ADSs) are required to report information relating to such assets, subject to certain exceptions.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Reports and other information of Partner filed electronically with the US Securities and Exchange Commission may be found at www.sec.gov. They can also be inspected without charge and copied at prescribed rates at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC in Room 1024, 450 Fifth Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549.
Not applicable.
We are exposed to market risk, including movements in foreign currency exchange and inflation-indexed interest rates. We do not enter into any derivative transactions to hedge underlying exposure to foreign currencies. As a matter of policy, we do not enter into transactions of a speculative or trading nature. Interest rate and foreign exchange exposures are monitored by tracking actual and projected commitments and through the use of sensitivity analysis.
The following table provides information derived from the financial statements about these liabilities as of December 31, 2019 and 2020.
| As of December 31, (NIS equivalent in millions, except percentages) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | ||||
| Fair Value | Book Value | Fair Value | Book Value | ||
| NIS-denominated debt linked to the CPI | |||||
| Trade payables (1) | 17 | 17 | 29 | 29 | |
| Lease liabilities | 619 | 613 | 699 | 699 | |
| NIS-denominated debt not linked to the CPI | |||||
| Long-term variable interest Notes payable series D due 2021 | 219 | 218 | 110 | 109 | |
| Weighted average interest rate payable | 1.53% | 1.31% | |||
| Long-term fixed Notes payable series F due 2024 | 1,040 | 1,021 | 524 | 512 | |
| Weighted average interest rate payable | 2.16% | 2.16% | |||
| Long-term fixed Notes payable series G due 2027 | 383 | 350 | 939 | 824 | |
| Weighted average interest rate payable | 4% | 4% | |||
| Long-term borrowing bearing fixed interest | 90 | 89 | 60 | 59 | |
| Weighted average interest rate payable | 2.38% | 2.38% | |||
| Long-term borrowing bearing fixed interest | 105 | 102 | 82 | 79 | |
| Weighted average interest rate payable | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Financial liability at fair value (1) | 28 | 28 | 4 | 4 | |
| Debt denominated in foreign currencies (1) | |||||
| Trade payables denominated in USD | 194 | 194 | 92 | 92 | |
| Trade payables denominated in other foreign currencies (mainly Euro) | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | |
| Lease liabilities denominated in USD | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
| Total | 2,711 | 2,648 | 2,553 | 2,421 |
(1) Book value approximates fair value.
Substantially all of our revenues and a majority of our operating expenses are denominated in NIS. However, in 2020, approximately one quarter of our operating expenses (excluding depreciation), including a substantial majority of our device and equipment purchases related to end sales to customers, were linked to non-NIS currencies, mainly the US dollar. We do not enter into derivative transactions and thus we are exposed to the aforementioned foreign currency fluctuations. We do not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. In addition, part of our capital expenditures are incurred in, or linked to, non-NIS currencies, mainly the US dollar. See note 6 to the consolidated financial statements for description of the market risks.
As of December 31, 2020, most of our leases are linked to the CPI. We may not be able to raise our tariffs pursuant to our license in a manner that would fully compensate for a significant increase in the CPI. Therefore, a significant increase in the rate of inflation may also have a material adverse impact upon us by increasing our lease payments without an offsetting increase in revenue. In 2020, the CPI effective as of December 31, 2020, decreased by 0.6%, compared to the CPI effective as of December 31, 2019, which caused an increase in equity and profit or loss of approximately NIS 1 million.
A change of the USD exchange rate as at December 31, 2020, would increase (decrease) equity and profit in 2020 by the amounts shown below regarding assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020, and expected capital expenditure purchases in 2021. The analysis below does not take into account the effect of any change in USD with respect to possible future commitments and other future expected purchases in US dollars, since the Company believes that it will be able to adjust NIS prices for goods and services it sells in the Israeli market to reflect any significant increases in cost resulting from changes in the NIS-USD exchange rate. This analysis assumes that all other variables remain constant.
| Change | Equity | Profit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels in millions |
|||
| December 31, 2020 | |||
| Increase in the USD of | 10% | (7) | (7) |
| Decrease in the USD of | (10)% | 7 | 7 |
A change of the CPI as at December 31, 2020, would increase (decrease) equity and profit or loss by the amounts shown below. This analysis assumes that all other variables remain constant.
| Change | Equity | Profit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels in millions |
|||
| December 31, 2020 | |||
| Increase in the CPI of | 2% | (2) | (2) |
| Decrease in the CPI of | (2)% | 2 | 2 |
Since one of our notes payable bears variable interest rate, changes in interest rates cause cash flow risks. As of December 31, 2020, our Notes payable series D in a principal amount of NIS 109 million bear variable interest rate.
Sensitivity analysis
An increase (decrease) of 1% in the interest rate during 2020 in respect of our notes payable bearing variable interest would have resulted in an annual increase (decrease) in interest expenses (income) of NIS 2 million. This analysis assumes that all other variables remain constant.
Citibank serves as the depositary (the "Depositary") for our American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") program. Pursuant to the deposit agreement between the Company, the Depositary and owners and holders of ADRs (the "Deposit Agreement"), ADR holders may be required to pay various fees to the Depositary. In particular, the Depositary, under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, may charge the following fees: (i) Issuance Fee: to any person depositing shares or to whom ADSs are issued upon the deposit of shares, a fee not in excess of \$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) (excluding issuances as a result of distributions described in paragraph (iv) below); (ii) Cancellation Fee: to any person surrendering ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of deposited securities or to any person to whom deposited securities are delivered, a fee not in excess of \$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) surrendered;(iii) Cash Distribution Fee: to any holder of ADS(s), a fee not in excess of \$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held for the distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (i.e., sale of rights and other entitlements); (iv) Stock Distribution/Rights Exercise Fee: to any holder of ADS(s), a fee not in excess of \$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held for (a)stock dividends or other free stock distributions or (b)exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs; (v) Other Distribution Fee: to any holder of ADS(s), a fee not in excess of \$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held for the distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (i.e., spin-off shares); and (vi) Depositary Services Fee: to any holder of ADS(s), a fee not in excess of \$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held on the applicable record date(s) established by the Depositary. The parties agreed to allow Citibank to charge an additional \$1.00 per 100 ADSs (a fee not in excess of \$6.00 in aggregate) in the event that the Company does not pay cash or stock dividends.
Owners, beneficial owners, persons depositing shares and persons surrendering ADSs for cancellation and for the purpose of withdrawing deposited securities shall be responsible for the following charges: (a) taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges; (b) such registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of shares or other deposited securities on the share register and applicable to transfers of shares or other deposited securities to or from the name of the custodian, the Depositary or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively; (c) such cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses as are expressly provided in the Deposit Agreement to be at the expense of the person depositing or withdrawing shares or owners and beneficial owners of ADSs; (d) the expenses and charges incurred by the Depositary in the conversion of foreign currency; (e) such fees and expenses as are incurred by the Depositary in connection with compliance with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to Shares, deposited securities, ADSs and receipts; and (f) the fees and expenses incurred by the Depositary, the Custodian, or any nominee in connection with the delivery or servicing of deposited securities.
During 2020, the Company received from Citibank payments in the amount of approximately \$161,292.

None.
None.
(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2020. Disclosure controls and procedures means controls and other procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. Accordingly, even effective disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives. Nevertheless, our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. Based upon our evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures in place as of December 31, 2020, were effective.
(b) Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our management, under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that:
Due to its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect all misstatements. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on the framework for Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) set forth by The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this assessment, management concluded that the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020.
Our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, has been audited by Kesselman & Kesselman, an independent registered public accounting firm in Israel and a member of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, as stated in their report which is included under Item 18.
(c) Attestation report of the registered public accounting firm. The attestation report of Kesselman & Kesselman, an independent registered public accounting firm in Israel and a member of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, regarding the Company's internal control over financial reporting is included under Item 18.
(d) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. During the year ended December 31, 2020, no changes materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Barry Ben-Zeev, Dr. Jonathan Kolodny and Ms. Michal Marom-Brikman are "audit committee financial experts" as defined in Item 16A of Form 20-F. All the members of the audit committee are "independent directors" as defined in the SEC requirements applicable to us.
In 2019, we reviewed and updated our Code of Ethics. As previously, the revised Code of Ethics applies to our directors, office holders and employees. The principal modifications to our Code of Ethics adopted in 2019 include: our commitment to community and environment protection, rules of conduct on social media, an updated statement setting forth the values underlying the Code of Ethics and an updated detailed guide to appropriate behavior toward interested parties, including customers, suppliers, employees, directors, shareholders, franchisers and the community in which the Company operates.
A copy of our Code of Ethics is posted on our website at www.partner.co.il under "Investor Relations-Corporate Governance-Code of Ethics".
Kesselman & Kesselman, our independent registered public accounting firm in Israel and a member of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited ("PwC"), have served as our independent public accountants for each of the fiscal years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2020, for which audited financial statements appear in this Annual Report on Form 20-F.
| 2019 (NIS thousands) |
2020 (NIS thousands) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Audit Fees (1) | 2,200 | 2,220 |
| Audit-related Fees (2) | 210 | 385 |
| Tax Fees (3) | 491 | 448 |
| TOTAL | 2,901 | 3,053 |
(1) Audit Fees consist of fees billed for the annual audit services engagement and other audit services, which are those services that only the external auditor can reasonably provide, and include the group audit; statutory audits; comfort letters and consents; and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC.
Audit Committee Pre-approval Policies and Procedures
Our audit committee's specific responsibilities in carrying out its oversight of the quality and integrity of the accounting, auditing and reporting practices of the Company include the approval of audit and non-audit services to be provided by the external auditor. The audit committee approves in advance the particular services or categories of services to be provided to the Company during the following yearly period and also sets forth a specific budget for such audit and non-audit services. Additional non-audit services may be pre-approved by the audit committee.
Not applicable.
Not applicable
Not applicable.
See "Item 6C.5 NASDAQ Corporate Governance Rules and Our Practices", and also "Item 10B Memorandum and Articles of Association".
The company has responded to "Item 18. Financial Statements" in lieu of responding to this item.
The following financial statements are filed as part of this Annual Report.
| Page | |
|---|---|
| REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | F-3-F-4 |
| CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: | |
| Statements of Financial Position | F5-F-6 |
| Statements of Income | F-7 |
| Statements of Comprehensive Income | F-8 |
| Statements of Changes in Equity | F-9 |
| Statements of Cash Flows | F-10-F-11 |
| Notes to financial statements | F-12-F-87 |
Pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, we have filed certain agreements as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 20-F. These agreements may contain representations and warranties by the parties. These representations and warranties have been made solely for the benefit of the other party or parties to such agreements and (i) may have been qualified by disclosures made to such other party or parties, (ii) were made only as of the date of such agreements or such other date(s) as may be specified in such agreements and are subject to more recent developments, which may not be fully reflected in our public disclosure, (iii) may reflect the allocation of risk among the parties to such agreements and (iv) may apply materiality standards different from what may be viewed as material to investors. Accordingly, these representations and warranties may not describe our actual state of affairs at the date hereof and should not be relied upon.
| Exhibit No. | Description |
|---|---|
| 1.1 | Articles of Association last updated and approved on September 28, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Annex D from the Company's Report on Form 6-K filed on August 17, 2016) |
| **1.2 | Partner's Certificate of Incorporation |
| **1.3 | Partner's Memorandum of Association |
| **2.(a).1 | Form of Share Certificate |
| ^^2.(a).2 | [Reserved] |
| ^^^^2.(a)3 | Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement Between Partner and Citibank N.A. |
| ^2.(b).1 | [Reserved] |
| >>>>2.(b).2 | [Reserved] |
| >>>>2.(b).3 | [Reserved] |
| ^4.(a).1 | Restatement of the Relationship Agreement dated April 20, 2005 |
| >>>>4.(a).1.1 | [Reserved] |
| [Reserved] | |
| 4.(a).2 | Integrated version of the General License for the Provision of Mobile Radio Telephone Services using the Cellular Method (MRT) in Israel issued by the Ministry of Communications on |
| April 8, 1998. | |
| ++**4.(a).2.1 | General Unified License of Partner Land-Line Communications Solutions Limited Partnership dated February 11, 2016 as amended through January 11, 2017. |
| 4.(a).2.2 | [Reserved] |
| 4.(a).2.3 | [Reserved] |
| 4.(a).2.4 | Reserved] |
| **4.(a).4 | [Reserved] |
| +>4.(a).4.1 | [Reserved] |
| 4.(a).4.2 | [Reserved] |
| **4.(a).5 | Brand Support/Technology Transfer Agreement dated July 18, 1999 |
| **4.(a).6 | Agreement with Ericsson Radio Systems AB dated May 28, 1998 |
| #++4.(a).7 | Agreement with LM Ericsson Israel Ltd. dated November 25, 2002 |
| **4.(a).9 | Lease Agreement with Mivnei Taasia dated July 2, 1998 |
|---|---|
| ^^^4.(a).13 | Asset Purchase Agreement with Med-1 dated as of January 22, 2006 |
| 4.(a).14-60 | [Reserved] |
| +++4.(a).65 | [Reserved] |
| #>>4.(a).67 | Swap Agreement with LM Ericsson Israel Ltd. dated December 20, 2007 |
| 4.(a).68 | [Reserved] |
| >>>>4.(a).69 | [Reserved] |
| 4.(a).70 | [Reserved] |
| 4.(a).71 | [Reserved] |
| >>>>>4.(a) 72 | 012 Smile Share Purchase Agreement |
| >>>>>4.(a) 73 | English translation of the original Hebrew language 012 Smile Credit Facility, dated January 31, 2010 |
| 4.(a).74-97 | [Reserved] |
| #>>>>4.(b).1 | Addendum to Lease Agreements from November 1, 2002 and Lease Agreements in Beit Ofek |
| >>>>4.(b).2 | [Reserved] |
| +>>>4.(b).3 | [Reserved] |
| +>>6. | See note 2x to the consolidated financial statements for information explaining how earnings (loss) per share information was calculated. |
| 8. | List of Subsidiaries (see "Item 4C – Organizational Structure"). |
| 10.1 | Consent of Kesselman & Kesselman |
| 10.2 | Consent of BDO Ziv Haft Consulting &Management Ltd. |
| 12.(a).1 | Certification by CEO pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 12.(a).2 | Certification by CFO pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 13.(a).1 | Certification of CEO and CFO pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
| +>>>>>15.(a).1 | Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Incentive Plan as approved by the Board of Directors on March 13, 2016 |
| 15.(b).1 | Compensation Policy adopted on October 29, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Annex D from the Company's Report on Form 6-K filed on August 28, 2019) and amended on March 18, |
| 2020 (incorporated by reference to Annex B from the Company's Report on Form 6-K filed on February 12, 2020) and on August 20, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Annex C from the | |
| Company's Report on Form 6-K filed on August 28, 2019) | |
| ** | Incorporated by reference to our registration statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-10992). |
| ++ | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002. |
| +++ | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003. |
| ^ | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. |
| ^^ | Incorporated by reference to our registration statement on Form F-6 (No. 333-132680). |
| ^^^ | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005. |
| ^^^^ | Incorporated by reference to our registration statement on Form F-6 (No. 333-177621). |
| >> | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. |
| >>>> | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009. |
| >>>>> | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. |
| +> | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. |
| +>> | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. |
| +>>> | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. |
| +>>>>> | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. |
| ++** | Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 |
| # | Confidential treatment requested. |
Confidential material has been redacted and has been separately filed with the Securities and Exchange
The Company hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.
Partner Communications Company Ltd.
By: /s/ Isaac Benbenisti Isaac Benbenisti Chief Executive Officer
March 25, 2021
By: /s/ Tamir Amar
Tamir Amar Chief Financial Officer
March 25, 2021
(An Israeli Corporation) 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
| Page | |
|---|---|
| REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | F - 3 - F - 4 |
| CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: | |
| Statements of Financial Position | F - 5 - F - 6 |
| Statements of Income | F - 7 |
| Statements of Comprehensive Income | F - 8 |
| Statements of Changes in Equity | F - 9 |
| Statements of Cash Flows | F - 10 - F - 11 |
| Notes to financial statements | F - 12 - F - 87 |
| The amounts are stated in New Israeli Shekels (NIS) in millions. | |
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Partner communications company Ltd.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Partner Communications Company Ltd. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the "consolidated financial statements"). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020 in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 15b. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company's consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
As described in Notes 4(3) and 13 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company's goodwill balance in respect of the fixed line segment was NIS 407 million as of December 31, 2020. Management conducts an impairment test at each year end, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of goodwill may be impaired. Potential impairment is identified by comparing the carrying amount of the relevant cash-generating unit to its recoverable amount, including goodwill. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset's fair value less costs to sell and value-in-use. In the first quarter of 2020, the Company concluded that due to negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic on revenues, a triggering event existed for the fixed line segment as of March 31, 2020 therefore it performed a goodwill impairment test as of that date as well. The recoverable amount of the fixed-line segment to which the goodwill has been allocated was estimated by management using a discounted cash flow model. Management's cash flow projections for the Fixed line segment included significant judgments and assumptions relating to the cash flow projections, the terminal growth rate, and the discount rate.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the goodwill impairment assessment of the fixed line segment is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when developing the value-in-use measurement of the fixed line segment; (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity and effort in performing procedures and evaluating management's significant assumptions related to cash flows projections, terminal growth rate and discount rate; (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included obtaining an understanding, evaluating the design and testing the effectiveness of controls over the Company's goodwill impairment review process including controls over managements review of the significant assumptions described above. These procedures also included, among others, evaluating the appropriateness of the discounted cash flow model; testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used in the model; comparing projected cash flows to the Company's historical cash flows; evaluating the significant assumptions used by management related to the projected cash flows, terminal growth rates and discount rate; assessing the historical accuracy of managements estimates; performing sensitivity analyses and reviewing the changes of the Company's regulatory environment and consumers' market. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in the evaluation of the Company's discounted cash flow model and the discount rate assumption.
/s/ Kesselman & Kesselman Certified Public Accountants (Isr.) A member of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited
Tel-Aviv, Israel March 24, 2021
We have served as the Company's auditor since 1998.
| New Israeli Shekels | Convenience translation into U.S. dollars (note 2b3) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | |||||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | |||
| Note | In millions | ||||
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 299 | 376 | 117 | ||
| Short-term deposits | 6 | 552 | 411 | 128 | |
| Trade receivables | 7 | 624 | 560 | 174 | |
| Other receivables and prepaid expenses | 39 | 46 | 14 | ||
| Deferred expenses – right of use | 12 | 26 | 26 | 8 | |
| Inventories | 8 | 124 | 77 | 24 | |
| 1,664 | 1,496 | 465 | |||
| NON CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Long-term deposits | 6 | 155 | 48 | ||
| Trade receivables | 7 | 250 | 232 | 72 | |
| Deferred expenses – right of use | 12 | 102 | 118 | 37 | |
| Lease – right of use | 19 | 582 | 663 | 206 | |
| Property and equipment | 10 | 1,430 | 1,495 | 465 | |
| Intangible and other assets | 11 | 538 | 521 | 162 | |
| Goodwill | 13 | 407 | 407 | 127 | |
| Deferred income tax asset | 25 | 41 | 29 | 9 | |
| Prepaid expenses and other assets | 1 | 9 | 3 | ||
| 3,351 | 3,629 | 1,129 | |||
| TOTAL ASSETS | 5,015 | 5,125 | 1,594 |
The financial statements were authorized for issue by the board of directors on March 24, 2021.
| Isaac Benbenishti Chief Executive Officer |
Tamir Amar Chief Financial Officer & |
Barry Ben-Zeev (Woolfson) Director |
|---|---|---|
| VP Fiber-Optics | ||
| F - 5 |
| Convenience translation into U.S. dollars |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels | (note 2b3) 2020 |
|||
| December 31, | ||||
| 2019 | 2020 | |||
| Note | In millions | |||
| CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||
| Current maturities of notes payable and borrowings | 6,15 | 367 | 290 | 90 |
| Trade payables | 716 | 666 | 207 | |
| Payables in respect of employees | 103 | 58 | 18 | |
| Other payables (mainly institutions) | 23 | 29 | 9 | |
| Income tax payable | 30 | 27 | 8 | |
| Lease liabilities | 19 | 131 | 120 | 37 |
| Deferred revenues from HOT mobile | 9,22 | 31 | 31 | 10 |
| Other deferred revenues | 22 | 45 | 100 | 31 |
| Provisions | 14 | 43 | 13 | 4 |
| 1,489 | 1,334 | 414 | ||
| NON CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||
| Notes payable | 6,15 | 1,275 | 1,219 | 379 |
| Borrowings from banks | 6,15 | 138 | 86 | 27 |
| Financial liability at fair value | 6,15 | 28 | 4 | 1 |
| Liability for employee rights upon retirement, net | 16 | 43 | 42 | 13 |
| Lease liabilities | 19 | 486 | 582 | 181 |
| Deferred revenues from HOT mobile | 9,22 | 102 | 71 | 22 |
| Provisions and other non-current liabilities | 14,22 | 37 | 64 | 21 |
| 2,109 | 2,068 | 644 | ||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES | 3,598 | 3,402 | 1,058 | |
| EQUITY | 21 | |||
| Share capital – ordinary shares of NIS 0.01 par value: | ||||
| authorized – December 31, 2019 and 2020 – 235,000,000 | ||||
| shares; issued and outstanding - | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| December 31, 2019 – *162,915,990 shares | ||||
| December 31, 2020 – *182,826,973 shares | ||||
| Capital surplus | 1,077 | 1,311 | 408 | |
| Accumulated retained earnings | 576 | 606 | 188 | |
| Treasury shares, at cost – | ||||
| December 31, 2019 – **8,275,837 shares | ||||
| December 31, 2020 – **7,741,784 shares | (238) | (196) | (61) | |
| TOTAL EQUITY | 1,417 | 1,723 | 536 | |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | 5,015 | 5,125 | 1,594 |
* Net of treasury shares.
** Including shares held by trustee under the Company's Equity Incentive Plan, see note 21(a), such shares will become outstanding upon completion of vesting conditions, see note 21(b).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
| New Israeli Shekels | Convenience translation into U.S. dollars (note 2b3) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31, | |||||
| 2018** | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | ||
| Note | In millions (except earnings per share) | ||||
| Revenues, net | 5,22 | 3,259 | 3,234 | 3,189 | 992 |
| Cost of revenues | 5,22 | 2,700 | 2,707 | 2,664 | 829 |
| Gross profit | 559 | 527 | 525 | 163 | |
| Selling and marketing expenses | 22 | 293 | 301 | 291 | 90 |
| General and administrative expenses | 22 | 148 | 149 | 145 | 45 |
| Credit losses | 7 | 30 | 18 | 23 | 7 |
| Other income, net | 23 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 9 |
| Operating profit | 116 | 87 | 96 | 30 | |
| Finance income | 24 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| Finance expenses | 24 | 55 | 75 | 77 | 24 |
| Finance costs, net | 24 | 53 | 68 | 69 | 22 |
| Profit before income tax | 63 | 19 | 27 | 8 | |
| Income tax expenses | 25 | 7 | * | 10 | 3 |
| Profit for the year | 56 | 19 | 17 | 5 | |
| Attributable to: | |||||
| Owners of the Company | 57 | 19 | 17 | 5 | |
| Non-controlling interests | (1) | * | |||
| Profit for the year | 56 | 19 | 17 | 5 | |
| Earnings per share | |||||
| Basic | 27 | 0.34 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.03 |
| Diluted | 27 | 0.34 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.03 |
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
** See note 2(o) regarding the adoption of IFRS 16 – Leases, from the beginning of 2019.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
$$\mathbb{P}\cdot\mathbb{T}$$
| New Israeli Shekels | Convenience translation into U.S. dollars |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (note 2b3) | ||||||
| 2018** | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | |||
| Note | In millions | |||||
| Profit for the year | 56 | 19 | 17 | 5 | ||
| Other comprehensive income, items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss |
||||||
| Remeasurements of post-employment benefit | ||||||
| obligations | 16 | 1 | (2) | 1 | * | |
| Income taxes relating to remeasurements of | ||||||
| post-employment benefit obligations | 25 | * | * | * | * | |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) | ||||||
| for the year, net of income taxes | 1 | (2) | 1 | * | ||
| TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME | ||||||
| FOR THE YEAR | 57 | 17 | 18 | 5 | ||
| Total comprehensive income attributable to: | ||||||
| Owners of the Company | 58 | 17 | 18 | 5 | ||
| Non-controlling interests | (1) | * | ||||
| TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR | 57 | 17 | 18 | 5 |
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
** See note 2(o) regarding the adoption of IFRS 16 – Leases, from the beginning of 2019.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
(An Israeli Corporation) CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
| Share capital | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Shares** |
Amount | Capital surplus |
Accumulated earnings |
Treasury shares |
Total | Non controlling interests |
Total equity | |
| NIS In millions | ||||||||
| New Israeli Shekels: | ||||||||
| BALANCE AT JANUARY 1, 2018 | 168,243,913 | 2 | 1,164 | 491 | (223) | 1,434 | 1,434 | |
| CHANGES DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018 |
||||||||
| Profit for the year | 56 | 56 | (1) | 55 | ||||
| Other comprehensive income for the year, net of income taxes |
1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Exercise of options and vesting of restricted shares granted to employees |
886,072 | (62) | 62 | |||||
| Employee share-based compensation expenses | 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Acquisition of treasury shares (note 21) | (6,501,588) | (100) | (100) | (100) | ||||
| Non-controlling interests on acquisition of subsidiary |
1 | 1 | ||||||
| BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2018 | 162,628,397 | 2 | 1,102 | 563 | (261) | 1,406 | * | 1,406 |
| Adoption of IFRS 16 (notes 2 and 19) | (21) | (21) | (21) | |||||
| BALANCE AT JANUARY 1, 2019 | 162,628,397 | 2 | 1,102 | 542 | (261) | 1,385 | * | 1,385 |
| CHANGES DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019 |
||||||||
| Profit for the year | 19 | 19 | * | 19 | ||||
| Other comprehensive loss for the year, net of | ||||||||
| income taxes | (2) | (2) | (2) | |||||
| Exercise of options and vesting of restricted shares | ||||||||
| granted to employees | 287,593 | (23) | 23 | |||||
| Employee share-based compensation expenses | 17 | 17 | 17 | |||||
| Transactions with non-controlling interests | (2) | (2) | * | (2) | ||||
| BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2019 | 162,915,990 | 2 | 1,077 | 576 | (238) | 1,417 | - | 1,417 |
| CHANGES DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER | ||||||||
| 31, 2020 Profit for the year |
17 | 17 | 17 | |||||
| Other comprehensive income for the year, net of | ||||||||
| income taxes | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Issuance of shares to shareholders (see note 21) | 19,330,183 | * | 276*** | 276 | 276 | |||
| Exercise of options and vesting of restricted shares | ||||||||
| granted to employees | 580,800 | (42) | 42 | |||||
| Employee share-based compensation expenses | 12 | 12 | 12 | |||||
| BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2020 | 182,826,973 | 2 | 1,311 | 606 | (196) | 1,723 | - | 1,723 |
| Convenience translation into U.S. Dollars (note 2b3): | ||||||||
| BALANCE AT JANUARY 1, 2020 | 162,915,990 | 1 | 335 | 179 | (74) | 441 | - | 441 |
| CHANGES DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER | ||||||||
| 31, 2020 | ||||||||
| Profit for the year | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||||
| Other comprehensive income for the year, net of income taxes |
* | * | * | |||||
| Issuance of shares to shareholders (see note 21) | 19,330,183 | * | 86*** | 86 | 86 | |||
| Exercise of options and vesting of restricted shares | ||||||||
| granted to employees | 580,800 | (13) | 13 | |||||
| Employee share-based compensation expenses | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||
| BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2020 | 182,826,973 | 1 | 408 | 188 | (61) | 536 | - | 536 |
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
** Net of treasury shares.
*** Net of issuance costs.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
| Convenience translation into U.S. dollars |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, |
(note 2b3) | |||||
| 2018** | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | |||
| Note | In millions | |||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||
| Cash generated from operations (Appendix) | 627 | 838 | 787 | 244 | ||
| Income tax paid | 25 | (2) | (1) | (1) | * | |
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 625 | 837 | 786 | 244 | ||
| CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||
| Acquisition of property and equipment | (343) | (462) | (409) | (127) | ||
| Acquisition of intangible and other assets | (159) | (167) | (164) | (51) | ||
| Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired | (3) | |||||
| Proceeds from (investment in) deposits, net | 150 | (552) | (14) | (4) | ||
| Interest received | 24 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | |
| Consideration received from sales of property and equipment | 23 | 3 | 2 | * | * | |
| Payment for acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired | (3) | |||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (351) | (1,181) | (581) | (180) | ||
| CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||
| Lease principal payments | 19 | (139) | (129) | (40) | ||
| Lease interest payments | 19 | (20) | (18) | (6) | ||
| Share issuance, net of issuance costs | 21 | 276 | 86 | |||
| Acquisition of treasury shares | 21 | (100) | ||||
| Proceeds from issuance of notes payable, net of issuance costs | 6,15 | 150 | 562 | 466 | 145 | |
| Proceeds from issuance of option warrants exercisable for notes payables | 15 | 37 | ||||
| Interest paid | 24 | (69) | (37) | (49) | (15) | |
| Repayment of non-current borrowings | 15 | (382) | (52) | (52) | (16) | |
| Repayment of current borrowings | (13) | |||||
| Repayment of notes payable | 15 | (324) | (109) | (620) | (193) | |
| Settlement of contingent consideration | (2) | (1) | ||||
| Transactions with non-controlling interests | (2) | |||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | (725) | 227 | (128) | (40) | ||
| INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH | ||||||
| EQUIVALENTS | (451) | (117) | 77 | 24 | ||
| CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING | ||||||
| OF YEAR | 867 | 416 | 299 | 93 | ||
| CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF | ||||||
| YEAR | 416 | 299 | 376 | 117 |
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
** See note 2(o) regarding the adoption of IFRS 16 – Leases, from the beginning of 2019.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
| Convenience translation into U.S. dollars |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels | (note 2b3) | ||||
| Year ended December 31, | |||||
| 2018** | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | ||
| Note | In millions | ||||
| Cash generated from operations: | |||||
| Profit for the year | 56 | 19 | 17 | 5 | |
| Adjustments for: | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 10,11 | 545 | 723 | 683 | 212 |
| Amortization of deferred expenses - Right of use | 12 | 47 | 28 | 31 | 10 |
| Employee share based compensation expenses | 21 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 4 |
| Liability for employee rights upon retirement, net | 16 | 1 | 1 | (1) | * |
| Finance costs, net | 24 | (7) | 5 | (2) | (1) |
| Lease interest payments | 19 | 20 | 18 | 6 | |
| Interest paid | 24 | 69 | 37 | 49 | 15 |
| Interest received | 24 | (1) | (1) | (6) | (2) |
| Deferred income taxes | 25 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
| Income tax paid | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * |
| Capital loss from property and equipment | * | (2) | * | * | |
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | |||||
| Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable: | |||||
| Trade | 7 | 124 | 42 | 82 | 26 |
| Other | 16 | (1) | (6) | (2) | |
| Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accruals: | |||||
| Trade | (69) | 63 | (57) | (18) | |
| Other payables | (18) | 12 | (37) | (12) | |
| Provisions | 14 | (11) | (21) | (30) | (9) |
| Deferred revenues from HOT mobile | 9 | (31) | (31) | (31) | (10) |
| Other deferred revenues | * | 4 | 55 | 17 | |
| Increase in deferred expenses - Right of use | 12 | (107) | (51) | (47) | (15) |
| Current income tax | 25 | (15) | (5) | (3) | (1) |
| Decrease (increase) in inventories | 8 | (5) | (26) | 47 | 15 |
| Cash generated from operations: | 627 | 838 | 787 | 244 |
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
** See note 2(o) regarding the adoption of IFRS 16 – Leases, from the beginning of 2019.
At December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, trade and other payables, net include NIS 157 million, NIS 115 million and NIS 139 million (US\$ 43 million), respectively, in respect of acquisition of intangible assets and property and equipment; payments in respect thereof are presented in cash flows from investing activities.
For non-cash movements in lease liabilities and lease right of use assets see note 19.
These balances are recognized in the cash flow statements upon payment. Cost of inventory used as fixed assets during 2019 and 2020 were NIS 24 million and NIS 8 million (US\$ 2 million), respectively. See note 9 with respect to Company's share in PHI's statement of financial position items.
Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("the Company", "Partner") is a leading Israeli provider of telecommunications services (cellular, fixed-line telephony, internet and television services) under the Partner brand, and cellular services also under the 012 Mobile brand. The Company is incorporated and domiciled in Israel and its principal executive office's address is 8 Amal Street, Afeq Industrial Park, Rosh-Ha'ayin 48103, Israel. The Company's business and non-current assets are concentrated in Israel.
The Company's share capital consists of ordinary shares, which are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd. ("TASE") under the symbol "PTNR". American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), each representing one of the Company's ordinary shares, are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market™, under the symbol "PTNR". See also note 21(a).
Regarding the Company's principal shareholder and holdings of approved Israeli shareholders in the Company, see note 26.
These consolidated financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2020, are comprised of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated partnerships (the "Group"). See the list of subsidiaries and consolidated partnerships and principles of consolidation in note 2(c)(1). See also 2(c)(2) with respect to investment in PHI.
The coronavirus ("COVID-19") crisis began to have a harmful effect on the Company's business from the beginning of March 2020, due in particular to the significant fall in the volume of international travel by the Company's customers which caused a very significant decrease in revenues from roaming services. In addition the closure of shopping malls for limited periods during 2020 and changes in general consumer behavior negatively affected the volume of sales of equipment, and the increase in the number of people working from home caused increases in internet traffic and in demand for customer services.
As of the date of approval of these financial statements, revenues from roaming services continue to be significantly restrained by the COVID-19 crisis.
The Company reviewed the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on its critical accounting estimates and judgments as of December 31, 2020 as follows:
$$_{P-12}$$
The operating segments were determined based on the reports reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance of the operating segments, and therefore is the Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM"), and supported by budget and business plans structure, different regulations and licenses (see (c) below). The CEO considers the business from two operating segments, as follows (see also note 5):
(1) Cellular segment:
Services in the cellular segment include basic cellular telephony services, text messaging, internet browsing and data transfer, content services, roaming services, M2M and IOT services, handset repair services, cellular content and value-added services, and services provided to other operators that use the Company's cellular network. The two payment methods offered to our customers are pre-paid and post-paid. Pre-paid services are offered to customers that purchase credit in advance of service use. Post-paid services are offered to customers with bank and credit arrangements. Most of the cellular tariff plans are bundles which include unlimited volumes of calls time and text messaging (with fair use limits), as well as limited data packages. Cellular content and value-added services offered include multimedia messaging, cyber protection, cloud backup, ringtones, and a range of advanced business services. International roaming services abroad for the Company's customers include airtime calls, text messaging and data services on networks with which the Company has a commercial roaming relationship. Partner also provides inbound roaming services to the customers of foreign operators with which the Company has a commercial roaming relationship.
Optional services such as equipment extended warranty plans and international calling plans are also provided for an additional monthly charge or included in specific tariff plans. The Company also provide cellular phone repair services for our customers and for independent merchants.
In addition, the cellular segment includes wholesale cellular services provided to virtual operators who use the Partner cellular network to provide services to their customers.
Services in the fixed-line segment include: (a) Internet services that provide access to the internet through both fiber-optics and wholesale broadband access, internet services provider ("ISP") services; internet Value Added Services ("VAS") such as cyber protection, anti-virus and anti-spam filtering; and fixed-line voice communication services provided through Voice Over Broadband ("VOB"); (b) Business solutions including Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP") voice trunks and Network Termination Point Services ("NTP") – under which the Group supplies, installs, operates and maintains endpoint network equipment and solutions, including providing and installing equipment and cabling within a subscriber's place of business or premises, hosting services, transmission services, Primary Rate Interface ("PRI") and other fixed-line communications solution services; (c) International Long Distance services ("ILD"): outgoing and incoming international telephony, hubbing, roaming and signaling and calling card services; (d) Television services over the Internet ("TV").
The cellular segment and the fixed-line segment also include sales and leasing of telecommunications, audio visual and related devices: mainly cellular handsets, tablets (handheld computers), laptops, landline phones, modems, datacards, domestic routers, servers and related equipment, integration project hardware and a variety of digital audio visual devices and small household appliances including smart watches, car dashboard cameras, televisions, digital cameras, games consoles, audio accessories and other devices.
Each segment is divided into services and equipment revenues, and the related cost of revenues. The operating segments include the following measures: revenues, cost of revenues, operating profit and segment Adjusted EBITDA (see note 5(2)). The CODM does not examine assets or liabilities for the segments separately for the purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance of the operating segments and they are not therefore presented in note 5 segment information.
The Group operates under the following licenses that were received from the Israeli Ministry of Communications ("MOC") and from the Israeli Civil Administration ("CA"):
| Type of services | Area of service | License owner | Granted by | License valid through |
Guarantees made (NIS millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Cellular | Israel | Partner Communications Company Ltd. | MOC | Feb, 2022 | 21* |
| (2) Cellular | West Bank | Partner Communications Company Ltd. | CA | Feb, 2022 | 4 |
| (3) Cellular infrastructure | Israel | P.H.I Networks (2015) Lp. | MOC | Aug, 2025 | |
| (4) ISP | Israel | Partner Communications Company Ltd. | MOC | Mar, 2023 | |
| (5) ISP | West Bank | Partner Communications Company Ltd. | CA | Mar, 2023 | |
| (6) Fixed (incl. ISP, ILD, NTP) |
Israel | Partner Land-line Communication Solutions - Limited Partnership |
MOC | Jan, 2027 | 2 |
| (7) Fixed (incl. ISP, ILD, NTP) |
West Bank | Partner Land-line Communication Solutions - Limited Partnership |
CA | Jan, 2027 | 0.25 |
* Including guarantees of NIS 16 million with respect to the frequencies tender, see note 17(1).
The Group also has a trade license that regulates issues of servicing and trading of equipment, and a number of encryption licenses that permits dealing with means of encryption within the framework of providing radio telephone services to the public.
With respect to license (1) , the license was amended on September 29, 2020 (amendment number 107), whereby the Company is entitled to request an extension of the license for additional periods of ten years instead of six years, at the discretion of the MOC and CA. Should the licenses not be renewed, the new license-holder is obliged to purchase the communications network and all the rights and obligations of the subscribers for a fair price, as agreed between the parties or as determined by an arbitrator. For a renewal the MOC is to consider, among other things: if the Company has met the regulatory requirements, provided improved and technology updated services, Company's actions did not harm or restrict competition, is able to continue provide quality service and make the investments required for it, and made efficient use of its cellular frequencies.
The Company made in 2019 an annual examination of the estimated useful life of the license. Based on Company's judgment described above, the Company expects that the license will be renewed at a high level of certainty: the Company estimated in 2019 that based on its experience and acquaintance with the communications market in Israel, if current conditions continue, there was a high probability that the license would be extended for the additional term of 6 years. Following this examination, the estimated useful life of the 2G and 3G frequencies was re-evaluated in 2019 for an additional period of 6 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2028.
Upon the abovementioned license amendment on September 29, 2020, and with respect to the high probability judgment that remained the same, the estimated life of the 2G and 3G frequencies were increased for an additional period of 4 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2032. See also note 2(f) for additional information with respect to the change in accounting estimate.
License (2) follows license (1). The other licenses may be extended for various periods, at the discretion of the MOC or CA, respectively.
See also note 17(5) as to additional guarantees made to third parties.
The consolidated financial statements of the Company ("the financial statements") have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
The principal accounting policies set out below have been consistently applied to all periods presented unless otherwise stated.
(2) Use of estimates and judgments
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates, and requires management to exercise its judgment in the process of applying the Group's accounting policies. Areas involving a higher degree of judgment or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the financial statements are disclosed in note 4.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The consolidated financial statements are measured and presented in New Israeli Shekels ("NIS"), which is the Group's functional and presentation currency as it is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the Group operates. The amounts presented in NIS millions are rounded to the nearest NIS million.
Foreign currency transactions are translated into NIS using the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of the transactions or valuation where items are re-measured. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the translation at year-end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognized in the income statement in finance costs, net.
The NIS figures at December 31, 2020 and for the period then ended have been translated into dollars using the representative exchange rate of the dollar at December 31, 2020 (USD 1 = NIS 3.215). The translation was made solely for convenience, is supplementary information, and is distinguished from the financial statements. The translated dollar figures should not be construed as a representation that the Israeli currency amounts actually represent, or could be converted into, dollars.
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and entities controlled by the Company. Control exists when the Company has the power over the investee; has exposure, or rights, to variable returns from involvement in the investee; and has the ability to use its power over the investee to affect its returns. Subsidiaries and partnerships are fully consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to the Company.
Inter-company transactions, balances, income and expenses on transactions between Group companies are eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements.
Non-controlling interests in the results and equity of a subsidiary are shown separately in the consolidated statements of profit or loss, statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and balance sheet respectively.
List of wholly owned Subsidiaries and partnerships:
In November 2013, the Company and Hot Mobile Ltd. entered into a network sharing agreement ("NSA") and a right of use agreement. Pursuant to the NSA, the parties created a 50-50 limited partnership - P.H.I. Networks (2015) Limited Partnership ("PHI"), which operates and develops a radio access network shared by both parties, starting with a pooling of both parties' radio access network infrastructures creating a single shared pooled radio access network. PHI began its operations in July 2015, managing the networks.
Through December 31, 2018 the Company did not control PHI nor did it have joint control over it. The investment in PHI was accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the investment was initially recognized at cost, and adjusted thereafter to recognize the investor's share of the post-establishment profits or losses of the investee in profit or loss, and the Group's share of movements in other comprehensive income of the investee in other comprehensive income. Unrealized gains on transactions between the Group and the associate are eliminated to the extent of the Group's interest in these entities. Unrealized losses are also eliminated unless the transaction provides evidence of an impairment of the asset transferred.
From January 1, 2019 following a change in the governance of PHI the Company accounts for PHI as a joint operation. Therefore, the Company recognizes its direct right to the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of PHI and its share of any jointly held or incurred assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. See also note 9.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Inventories of equipment: cellular handsets and fixed telephones, tablets, laptops, datacards, servers, spare parts, ISP modems, related equipment, accessories and other inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined on the "first-in, first-out" basis. The Group determines its allowance for inventory obsolescence and slow moving inventory based upon past experience, expected inventory turnover, inventory ageing and current and future expectations with respect to product offerings.
Property and equipment are initially stated at cost.
Costs are included in the assets' carrying amounts or recognized as separate assets, as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. All other repairs and maintenance that do not meet the above criteria are charged to the statement of income during the financial period in which they are incurred.
Costs include expenditures that are directly attributable to the acquisition of the asset. The cost of self-constructed assets includes the cost of materials and direct labor, any other costs directly attributable to bringing the asset to a working condition for its intended use, and until December 31, 2018, the costs of dismantling and removing the items and restoring the site on which they are located. From January 1, 2019 the costs of dismantling and removing the items and restoring the site on which they are located are included in the lease-right of use asset under IFRS16, see note 2 (o).
Purchased software that is integral to the functionality of the related equipment is capitalized as part of that equipment.
Property and equipment is presented less accumulated depreciation, and accumulated impairment losses. An asset's carrying amount is written down immediately to its recoverable amount if the asset's carrying amount is greater than its estimated recoverable amount (see (i)). The useful economic lives of the Group's non-financial assets are reviewed annually, see note 4(1).
Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, as follows:
| years | |
|---|---|
| Communications network: | |
| Physical layer and infrastructure | 10 - 25 (mainly 15, 10) |
| Other Communication network | 3 - 15 (mainly 5, 10, 15) |
| Computers, software and hardware for | |
| information systems | 3-10 (mainly 3-5) |
| Office furniture and equipment | 7-15 |
| Optic fibers and related assets | 7-25 (mainly 25) |
| Subscribers equipment and installations | 2 - 5 |
| Property | 25 |
Leasehold improvements are depreciated by the straight-line method over the term of the lease (including reasonably assured option periods), or the estimated useful life (between 5 to 10 years) of the improvements, whichever is shorter.
The other licenses of the Group were received with no significant costs.
Management has updated an accounting estimate in 2019 as follows: The estimated useful life of the cellular license was determined in the past to end by February 1, 2022. According to applicable law existed in 2019, the Company's cellular license could be extended for additional 6-year periods, subject to the requirements set in the license.
The MOC published a tender during 2019 for the award of frequencies, including frequencies for 5G services. Following the tender published, Management made an annual examination of the estimated useful life of the license in the fourth quarter of 2019 with the expectation that conditions necessary to obtain renewal of the license will be satisfied and that the cost of renewal will not be significant. The tender includes 2x30 MHz in the 700 MHz Band, 2x60 MHz in the 2,600MHz band and 300 MHz in the 3,500-3,800 MHz band. The frequencies in the 700 MHz band were offered for a period of 15 years and the rest of the frequencies offered in the tender were offered for a period of 10 years. See also note 17 (1) for the results of the frequencies tender.
Based on Company's judgment described above, the Company expected in 2019 that the license would be renewed at a high level of certainty: the Company estimated in 2019 that based on its experience and acquaintance with the communications market in Israel, if current conditions continue, there is a high probability that the license will be extended for the additional term of 6 years. Following this examination, the estimated useful life of the 2G and 3G frequencies was re-evaluated for an additional period of 6 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2028. The effect of these changes on the consolidated financial statements were as follows: the amortization expenses of the cellular license were reduced by NIS 15 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, by NIS 60 million in 2020, and were expected to be reduced in 2021 by approximately NIS 60 million.
On September 29, 2020 the Company's cellular license was amended (amendment number 107), whereby the Company is entitled to request an extension of the license for additional periods of ten years instead of six years, at the discretion of the MOC and CA. See information with respect to the extension provisions in note 1 (c). On receipt of the license amendment, and with respect to the high probability judgment that remained the same, the estimated life of the 2G and 3G frequencies were re-valuated for an additional period of 4 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2032. The effect of these changes on the consolidated financial statements (in addition to the 2019 abovementioned change in estimate) were as follows: the amortization expenses of the cellular license were reduced in the fourth quarter of 2020 by NIS 2 million, and are expected to be reduced by an annual amount of approximately NIS 8 million 2021. See also note 4(1).
The other licenses are amortized by the straight-line method over their useful lives (see note 1(c)) which exclude any ungranted possible future extensions that are not under the Group's control.
The amortization expenses are included in the cost of revenues.
(2) Computer software:
Acquired computer software licenses are capitalized on the basis of the costs incurred to acquire and to bring to use the specified software.
Development costs, including employee costs, that are directly attributable to the design and testing of identifiable and unique software products controlled by the Group are recognized as intangible assets when the capitalization criteria under IAS 38 are met. Other development expenditures that do not meet the capitalization criteria, such as software maintenance, are recognized as expenses as incurred.
Computer software costs are amortized over their estimated useful lives (3 to 10 years) using the straight-line method, see also note 11.
(3) Customer relationships:
The Company has recognized as intangible assets customer relationships that were acquired in a business combination and recognized at fair value as of the acquisition date. Customer relationships are amortized to selling and marketing expenses over their estimated useful economic lives (5 to 10 years) based on the straight line method.
(4) Capitalization of costs to obtaining customers contracts:
Costs of obtaining contracts with customers are recognized as assets when the costs are incremental to obtaining the contracts, and it is probable that the Group will recover these costs. The assets are amortized to selling and marketing expenses in accordance with the expected service period (mainly over 2-3 years), using the portfolio approach, see also notes 4(1) and 11. Other costs incurred that would arise regardless of whether a contract with a customer was obtained are recognized as an expense when incurred.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Right of use (ROU) of international fiber optic cables was acquired in a business combination, subsequent additions and right of use in PHI's assets are recognized at cost. The ROU with respect of fiber optic cables is presented as deferred expenses (current and non-current) and is amortized to cost of revenues on a straight line basis over a period beginning each acquisition of additional ROU in this framework and until 2030 (including expected contractual extension periods). See also notes 12 and 17(4). Until December 31, 2018 other costs of right to use PHI's assets are presented as deferred expenses and amortized on a straight line basis over the assets' useful lives, see note 9.
Goodwill acquired in a business combination represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the net fair value of the identifiable assets acquired, and identifiable liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed. The goodwill has an indefinite useful economic life and is not subject to amortization; rather is measured at cost less accumulated impairment losses. For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill is allocated to a group of cash-generating units (CGUs) under the fixed line segment that is expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination. The group of CGUs represents the lowest level within the entity which the goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes.
Goodwill impairment reviews are undertaken annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Any impairment loss would be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of goodwill exceeded its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is the higher of value-in-use and the fair value less costs to sell. Value-in-use is determined by discounting expected future cash flows using a pre-tax discount rate. Any impairment is recognized immediately as an expense and is not subsequently reversed. See also note 13(1) with respect to impairment tests.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Assets that are subject to depreciation and amortization are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If such indications exist an impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the asset's carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is determined for an individual asset, unless the asset does not generate cash inflows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets. If this is the case, recoverable amount is determined for the cash-generating unit (CGU) to which the asset belongs. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset's fair value less costs to sell and value-in-use. Value-in-use is determined by discounting expected future cash flows using a pre-tax discount rate.
An impairment loss recognized for an asset (or CGU) other than goodwill shall be reversed if, and only if, there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the asset's (or CGU's) recoverable amount since the last impairment loss was recognized. If this is the case, the carrying amount of the asset (or CGU) shall be increased to its recoverable amount. The increased carrying amount of an asset (or CGU) other than goodwill attributable to a reversal of an impairment loss shall not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined (net of amortization or depreciation) had no impairment loss been recognized for the asset (or CGU) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognized immediately in the statement of income.
The Group applies IFRS 9 and classifies its financial instruments in the following categories: (1) amortized cost (AC), (2) at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL: Financial liability at fair value (see note 15) and embedded derivatives). The classification depends on the business model for managing the financial instruments and the contractual terms of the cash flows. See note 6(c) as to classification of financial instruments to the categories.
At initial recognition, the Group measures a financial asset at its fair value plus, in the case of a financial asset not at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL), transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition of the financial asset. Financial assets are classified as current if they are expected to mature within 12 months after the end of the reporting period; otherwise they are classified as non-current.
Financial liabilities are included in current liabilities, except for maturities greater than 12 months after the end of the reporting period, which are classified as non-current liabilities. See also note 15.

(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of embedded derivative financial instruments and financial liability at fair value are presented in the income statement within "finance costs, net" in the period in which they arise. These financial instruments are classified into 3 levels based on their valuation method (see also notes 6(c), 6(a)(2)(c)):
Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included within level 1 that are observable for the assets or liabilities, either directly (as prices) or indirectly (derived from prices). Level 3: If one or more of the significant inputs is not based on observable market data, the instrument is included in level 3. This is the case for financial liability at fair value.
The Group classifies its financial assets, such as trade receivables, at amortized cost only if both of the following criteria are met: (1) the asset is held within a business model whose objective is to collect the contractual cash flows, and (2) the contractual terms give rise to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest. Financial assets with embedded derivatives are considered in their entirety when determining whether their cash flows are solely payment of principal and interest.
Amortized cost: Assets that are held for collection of contractual cash flows where those cash flows represent solely payments of principal and interest are measured at amortized cost. Interest income from trade receivables is included in the income statement under other income, net (see note 23) using the effective interest rate method. Any gain or loss arising on derecognition is recognized directly in profit or loss and presented in finance income/expense together with foreign exchange gains and losses. Impairment expenses (credit losses) are presented as separate line item in the statement of profit or loss.
Cash and cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value, which include short-term bank deposits (up to 3 months from date of deposit) that are not restricted as to withdrawal or use.
Short term deposits, are deposits in commercial banks for periods of more than 3 months from date of deposit and less than 12 months from the reporting date.
Long term deposits, are deposits in commercial banks for periods of more than 12 months from the reporting date.
Financial assets at amortized cost are presented net of impairment losses:
The Group assesses at the end of each reporting period whether there is objective evidence that a financial asset or group of financial assets is impaired based on the expected credit loss model. The assets that are subject to the expected credit loss model are mainly the trade receivables. While cash and cash equivalents, short-term and long-term deposits and contract assets are also subject to the impairment requirements of IFRS 9, the identified impairment loss was immaterial.
The Group assesses on a forward looking basis the expected credit losses associated with its debt instruments carried at amortized cost. The impairment methodology applied depends on whether there has been a significant increase in credit risk. For trade receivables and contract assets the Group applies IFRS 9 simplified approach to measuring expected credit losses which uses a lifetime expected loss allowance.
To measure the expected credit losses, trade receivables have been grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and period of payments and period past due. The expected loss rates are based on the payment profiles of sales, and the corresponding historical credit losses experienced. The historical loss rates are adjusted to reflect current and forward-looking information on factors affecting the ability of the customers to settle the receivables.
Financial liabilities, such as borrowings and notes payable, are initially recognized at fair value, net of transaction costs incurred, and subsequently measured at amortized cost. Any difference between the fair value (net of transaction costs) and the redemption amount is recognized in profit or loss over the period of the borrowings using the effective interest method.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount reported in the statement of financial position when the Group has currently a legal enforceable right to offset the recognized amounts and has an intention to settle on a net basis or realize the asset and settle the liability simultaneously. The legal enforceable right must not be contingent on future events and must be enforceable in the normal course of business and in the event of default, insolvency or bankruptcy of the company or the counterparty.

According to Section 14 of the Israeli Severance Pay Law the Group's liability for some of the employee rights upon retirement is covered by regular contributions to various pension schemes. The schemes are generally funded through payments to insurance companies or trustee-administered funds. These plans are defined contribution plans, since the Group pays fixed contributions into a separate and independent entity. The Group has no legal or constructive obligations to pay further contribution if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to pay all employees the benefit relating to employee service in the current or prior periods. The amounts funded as above are not reflected in the statement of financial position. Obligations for contributions to defined contribution pension plans are recognized as an expense in the statement of income when they are due.
Labor laws, agreements and the practice of the Group, require paying retirement benefits to employees dismissed or retiring in certain other circumstances (except for those described in 1 above), measured by multiplying the years of employment by the last monthly salary of the employee (i.e. one monthly salary for each year of tenure), the obligation of the Group to pay retirement benefits is treated as a defined benefit plan.
The liability recognized in the statement of financial position in respect of the defined benefit plan is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at end of the reporting period less the fair values of plan assets.
The defined benefit obligation is calculated annually by independent actuaries using the projected unit credit method. According to IAS 19 employee benefits, the present value of the defined benefit obligation is determined by discounting the estimated future cash outflows using interest rates of deep market for high-quality corporate bonds.
Remeasurement gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or credited to equity in other comprehensive income in the period in which they arise. Interest costs in respect of the defined benefit plan are charged or credited to finance costs. See also note 16.
Termination benefits are payable when employment is terminated by the Group before the normal retirement date, or whenever an employee accepts voluntary redundancy in exchange for these benefits. The Group recognizes termination benefits when it is demonstrably legally or constructively committed to either: terminating the employment of current employees according to a detailed formal plan without possibility of withdrawal; or providing termination benefits as a result of an offer made to encourage voluntary redundancy.
The employees are legally entitled to vacation and recreation benefits, both computed on an annual basis. This entitlement is based on the term of employment. This obligation is treated as a short term benefit under IAS 19. The Group charges a liability and expense due to vacation and recreation pay, based on the benefits that have been accumulated for each employee, on an undiscounted basis.
The Group recognizes a liability and an expense for bonuses based on consideration of individual performance and the Group's overall performance. The Group recognizes a provision where contractually obliged or where there is a past practice that has created a constructive obligation.
The Group recognized expenses for other short term benefits provided by the collective employment agreement (see also note 22(e)).
The Group operates an equity-settled share-based compensation plan to its employees, under which the Group receives services from employees as consideration for equity instruments of the Group. The fair value of the employee services received in exchange for the grant of the equity instruments is recognized as an expense. The total amount to be expensed is determined by reference to the fair value of the equity instruments granted, at the grant date. Non-market vesting conditions are included among the assumptions used to estimate the number of options expected to vest. The total expense is recognized during the vesting period, which is the period over which all of the specified vesting conditions of the share-based payment are to be satisfied. At the end of each reporting period, the Group revises its estimates of the number of equity instruments that are expected to vest based on the vesting conditions, and recognizes the impact of the revision of original estimates, if any, in the statement of income, with corresponding adjustment to accumulated earnings.
$$_{P-2T}$$
m. Provisions
Provisions are recognized when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of past events, it is probable that an outflow of resources will require settling the obligation, and the amount has been reliably estimated. See note 14.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The revenue recognition standard IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and its clarifications ("IFRS 15", "The Standard") outlines a single comprehensive model of accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The model includes five steps for analyzing transactions so as to determine when to recognize revenue and at what amount:
1) Identifying the contract with the customer.
(1) Identifying the contract with the customer
Two or more contracts entered into at or near the same time with the same customer (or related parties of the customer) are accounted for as a single contract if one or more of the following criteria are met:
Additions of distinct goods or services at their stand-alone sale price are treated as separate contracts.
The Group assesses the goods or services promised in the contract with the customer and identifies as performance obligation any promise to transfer to the customer one of the following:
Goods or services are identified as being distinct when the customer can benefit from the good or service on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer and the Group's promise to transfer the good or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. An option that grants the customer the right to purchase additional goods or services constitutes a separate performance obligation in the contract only if the options grant the customer a material right it would not have received without the original contract.
The performance obligations are mainly services, equipment and options to purchase additional goods or services that provide a material right to the customer.
The transaction price is the amount of consideration that the Group expects to receive for the transfer of the goods or services specified in a contract with the customer, taking into account rebates and discounts, excluding amounts collected on behalf of third parties, such as value added taxes.
The transaction price is also adjusted for the effects of the time value of money if the contract includes a significant financing component (such as sales of equipment with non-current credit arrangements, mainly in 36 monthly installments). The Group applies a practical expedient in the standard and does not adjust the transaction price for the effects of a significant financing component if, at contract inception, the Group expects the period between customer payment and the transfer of goods or services to be one year or less. The financing component is recognized in other income-net over the period which is calculated according to the effective interest method. See also note 23 – unwinding of trade receivables and note 7(a).
In a transaction that constitutes a revenue arrangement with multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated to separate performance obligations based of their relative standalone selling prices.
A discount is allocated to one or more, but not all, performance obligations in the contract if (a) the Group regularly sells each distinct good or service (or each bundle of distinct goods or services) in the contract on a stand-alone basis, (b) the Group also regularly sells on a stand-alone basis a bundle (or bundles) of some of those distinct goods or services at a discount to the stand-alone selling prices of the goods or services in each bundle; and (c) the discount attributable to each bundle in 'b' above is substantially the same as the discount in the contract and an analysis of the goods or services in each bundle provides observable evidence of the performance obligation (or performance obligations) to which the entire discount in the contract belongs.
The Group recognizes revenue when it satisfies performance obligations by transferring control over the goods or services to the customers.
Revenues from services and from providing rights to use the Group's assets, (see note 1(b)) (either month-by-month or long term arrangements) are recognized over time, as the services are rendered to the customers, since the customer receives and uses the benefits simultaneously, and provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met.
Revenue from sale of equipment (see note 1(b)) is recognized at a point of time when the control over the equipment is transferred to the customer (mainly upon delivery) and all other revenue recognition criteria are met.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Group determines whether it is acting as a principal or as an agent for each performance obligation. The Group is acting as a principal if it controls a promised good or service before they are transferred to a customer. Indicators for acting as a principal include: (1) the Group is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the specified good or service, (2) the Group has inventory risk in the specified good or service and (3) the Group has discretion in establishing the price for the specified good or service. On the other hand, the Group is acting as an agent or an intermediary, if these criteria are not met. When the Group is acting as an agent, revenue is recognized in the amount of any fee or commission to which the Group expects to be entitled in exchange for arranging for the other party to provide its goods or services. A Group's fee or commission might be the net amount of consideration that the Group retains after paying the other party the consideration received in exchange for the goods or services to be provided by that party. The Group determined that it is acting as an agent in respect of certain content services provided by third parties to customers; therefore the revenues recognized from these services are presented on a net basis in the statement of income.
Trade receivables are amounts due from customers for goods sold or services performed in the ordinary course of business. Trade receivables are recognized when the control over the goods or services is transferred to the customer, and at the amount that is unconditional because only the passage of time is required before the payment is due. The Group holds the trade receivables with the objective to collect the contractual cash flows, and the contractual terms give rise to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest. Therefore they are subsequently measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method. See also note 7 and also note 6(a)(3) regarding trade receivables credit risk.
A contract asset is a Group's right to consideration in exchange for goods or services that the entity has transferred to a customer when that right is conditioned on something other than the passage of time (for example, the Group's future performance).
A contract liability is a Group's obligation to transfer goods or services to a customer for which the entity has received consideration (or the amount is due) from the customer; therefore the Group records contract liabilities for payments received in advance for services, such as transmission services and pre-paid calling cards, as deferred revenues until such related services are provided.
Contract assets and contract liabilities arising from the same contract are offset and presented as a single asset or liability.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
n. Revenues (continued)
The Group applies IFRS 15 practical expedient to the revenue model to a portfolio of contracts with similar characteristics if the Group reasonably expects that the financial statement effects of applying the model to the individual contracts within the portfolio would not differ materially.
The Group applies a practical expedient in the standard and measures progress toward completing satisfaction of a performance obligation and recognizes revenue based on billed amounts if the Group has a right to invoice a customer at an amount that corresponds directly with its performance to date; for which, or where the original expected duration of the contract is one year or less, the Group also applies the practical expedient in the standard and does not disclose the transaction price allocated to unsatisfied, or partially unsatisfied, performance obligations, such as constrained variable consideration.
The Group applies in certain circumstances where the customer has a material right to acquire future goods or services and those goods or services are similar to the original goods or services in the contract and are provided in accordance with the same terms of the original contract, a practical alternative to estimating the stand-alone selling price of the customer option, and instead allocates the transaction price to the optional goods or services by reference to the goods or services expected to be provided and the corresponding expected consideration.
The main effect of the Group's application of IFRS 15 is the accounting treatment for the incremental costs of obtaining contracts with customers, which in accordance with IFRS 15, are recognized as assets under certain conditions, see notes 2(f)(4), 11. Contract costs that were recognized as assets are presented in the statements of cash flows as part of cash flows used in investing activities.
See additional information with respect to revenues in note 22(a).
o. Leases
Through December 31, 2018 the Group applied IAS 17 to account for leases whereby a significant portion of the risks and rewards of ownership were retained by the lessor were classified as operating leases. Therefore the Group's leases were primarily operating leases which were charged to income statements on a straight-line basis over the lease term, including extending options which were reasonably certain.
The Group applied IFRS 16 Leases from its mandatory adoption date January 1, 2019. The Group applied the simplified transition approach and did not restate comparative amounts for the year prior to first adoption. Right-of-use assets for certain property leases were measured on transition as if the new rules had always been applied. All other right-of-use assets were measured at the amount equal to the lease liability on adoption (adjusted for any prepaid or accrued lease expenses, dismantling and restoring obligations). The reclassifications and the adjustments arising from the new leasing rules are therefore recognized in the opening balance sheet on January 1, 2019.
On adoption of IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019, the Group recognized lease liabilities in relation to leases which had previously been classified as 'operating leases' and corresponding right-of-use assets. These liabilities were measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the lessee's incremental borrowing rate as of January 1, 2019.
The Group applied the following practical expedients:
The practical expedient for short-term leases is not applied.
o. Leases (continued)
Lease liabilities were initially measured on a present value basis of the following lease payments:
The lease liability is subsequently measured according to the effective interest method, with interest costs recognized in the statement of income as incurred. The amount of lease liabilities is increased to reflect the accretion of interest and reduced for the lease payments made. In addition, the carrying amount of lease liabilities is remeasured if there is a modification, a change in the lease term, a change in the lease payments (e.g., changes to future payments resulting from a change in an index or rate used to determine such lease payments) or a change in the assessment of an option to purchase the underlying asset.
The Group is exposed to potential future changes in lease payments based on linkage to the CPI index, which are not included in the lease liability until they take effect. When adjustments to lease payments based on an index or rate take effect, the lease liability is reassessed and adjusted against the right-of-use asset.
Lease payments are presented in the statement of cash flows under the cash used in financing activities. Lease payments are allocated between principal and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to the statement of income over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period.
Right-of-use assets were measured at cost comprising the following:
• the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability
Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated over the shorter of the asset's useful life and the lease term (including reasonably certain extension periods) on a straight-line basis, and adjusted for any remeasurements of lease liabilities. As of the adoption date of IFRS 16, the average remaining amortization period is as follows: Cell sites 4.5 years, buildings 6 years, vehicles 2 years. The right-of-use assets are also subject to impairment, see note 2(i).
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
o. Leases (continued)
The cellular segment and the fixed-line segment also include leasing of telecommunications, audio visual and related devices (see note 1(b)). Leases in which the Group does not transfer substantially all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of an asset are classified as operating leases. Lease income from operating leases where the Group is a lessor is recognized in income on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The respective leased assets are included in the balance sheet based on their nature. The Group did not need to make any adjustments to the accounting for assets held as lessor as a result of adopting IFRS 16.
The tax expense for the period comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognized in the income statement except to the extent that it relates to items recognized in other comprehensive income or directly in equity. In this case, the tax is also recognized in other comprehensive income or directly in equity, respectively. The current income tax charge is calculated on the basis of the tax laws enacted or substantially enacted as of the end of the reporting period. Management periodically evaluates positions taken with respect to situations in which applicable tax regulation is subject to interpretation. It establishes provisions where appropriate on the basis of amounts expected to be paid to the tax authorities.
Deferred income tax is recognized on temporary differences arising between that tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the financial statements. However, deferred tax liabilities are not recognized if they arise from initial recognition of goodwill. Deferred income tax is determined using the tax rates (and laws) that have been enacted or substantially enacted by the end of the reporting period and are expected to apply when the related deferred income tax is realized or the deferred income tax liability is settled. Deferred income tax assets are recognized only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be available against which the temporary differences can be utilized. Deferred income tax assets are presented as non-current, see also note 25. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets against current tax liabilities and when the deferred income taxes assets and liabilities relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority on the same taxable entity where there is an intention to settle the balances on a net basis.

(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Ordinary shares are classified as equity.
Company's shares acquired by the Company (treasury shares) are presented as a reduction of equity, at the consideration paid, including any incremental attributable costs, net of tax. Treasury shares do not have a right to receive dividends or to vote. See also note 21(a).
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to equity holders of the Company by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year excluding ordinary shares purchased by the Company and held as treasury shares.
Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding to assume exercise of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. The instruments that are potential dilutive ordinary shares are equity instruments granted to employees, see note 21(b). A calculation is done to determine the number of shares that could have been acquired at fair value (determined as the average annual market share price of the company's shares) based on the monetary value of the subscription rights attached to outstanding share options. The number of shares calculated as above is compared with the number of shares that would have been issued assuming the exercise of the share options (see also note 27).
Government grants relating to the purchase of assets (see note 17, in respect of the frequencies tender) are presented in the statement of financial position as a deduction to the carrying amount of the asset and they are credited to profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the expected lives of the related assets.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
In October 2018, the IASB issued amendments to IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements and IAS 8 to align the definition of 'material'. The new definition states that, 'Information is material if omitting, misstating or obscuring it could reasonably be expected to influence decisions that the primary users of general purpose financial statements make on the basis of those financial statements, which provide financial information about a specific reporting entity. The new definition is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2020. The application of the new definition did not have a material effect on the financial statements.
In May 2020, the IASB amended IFRS 16 Leases which provides lessees with an option to treat qualifying rent concessions in the same way as they would if they were not lease modifications. This resulted in accounting for concessions received in an immaterial amount as variable lease payments in the period in which they are granted. The expedient was applied to all qualifying rent concessions.
In January 2020, the IASB issued amendment to IAS 1 to specify the requirements for classifying liabilities as current or non-current. The amendments clarify: the definition of a right to defer a settlement, that a right to defer must exist at the end of the reporting period, that classification is unaffected by the likelihood that an entity will exercise its deferral right, that only if an embedded derivative in a convertible liability is itself an equity instrument would the terms of a liability not impact its classification. The amendment is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2023. At this stage the Company cannot evaluate the effect of the amendment on the financial statements.
Estimates and judgments are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, seldom equal actual results. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are addressed below.
The useful economic lives of the Group's property and equipment are an estimate determined by management. The Group defines useful economic life of its assets in terms of the assets' expected utility to the Group. This estimation is based on assumptions of future changes in technology or changes in the Group's intended use of these assets, experience of the Group with similar assets, and legal or contract periods where relevant.
The useful economic lives of the Group's intangible assets are an estimate determined by management based on assumptions of future changes in technology, legal rights, experience of customer's behavior, and experience of the Group with similar assets where relevant.
The assets estimated economic useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at least annually. See also note 2(e) and note 2(f).
The Company expected in 2019 that the license would be renewed at a high level of certainty: the Company estimated in 2019 that based on its experience and acquaintance with the communications market in Israel, if current conditions continue, there is a high probability that the license will be extended for the additional term of 6 years. Following this examination, the estimated useful life of the 2G and 3G frequencies was re-evaluated for an additional period of 6 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2028. The effect of these changes on the consolidated financial statements were as follows: the amortization expenses of the cellular license were reduced by NIS 15 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, by NIS 60 million in 2020, and are expected to be reduced in 2021 by approximately NIS 60 million.
On September 29, 2020 the Company's cellular license was amended (amendment number 107), whereby the Company is entitled to request an extension of the license for additional periods of ten years instead of six years, at the discretion of the MOC and CA. See information with respect to the extension provisions in note 1 (c). On receipt of the license amendment, and with respect to the high probability judgment that remained the same, the estimated life of the 2G and 3G frequencies were re-valuated for an additional period of 4 years, thereby ending on February 1, 2032. The effect of these changes on the consolidated financial statements (in addition to the 2019 abovementioned change in estimate) were as follows: the amortization expenses of the cellular license were reduced in the fourth quarter of 2020 by NIS 2 million, and are expected to be reduced by an annual amount of approximately NIS 8 million in 2021. See also note 2(f)(1) and note 11.
The Group is required to determine at the end of each reporting period whether there is any indication that an asset may be impaired. If indicators for impairment are identified the Group estimates the assets' recoverable amount, which is the higher of an asset's fair value less costs to sell and value in use. The value-in-use calculations require management to make estimates of the projected future cash flows. Determining the estimates of the future cash flows is based on management past experience and best estimate for the economic conditions that will exist over the remaining useful economic life of the Cash Generating Unit (CGU). See also notes 2(i), 13.
The economic slowdown in the markets triggered in March 2020 the identification of indicators for impairment of non-financial assets. In particular, the significant fall in the volume of international travel by the Company's customers has caused a significant decrease in revenues from roaming services, which affected the cellular segment. In addition, the temporary closures of shopping malls and changes in general consumer behavior adversely affected the volume of sales of equipment, which affected the cellular and the fixed-line segments.
The Company tested the recoverable amount of the fixed line segment as of March 31, 2020, based on value-in-use calculations. The recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.). The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business. The key assumptions used are as follows:
| March 31, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Terminal growth rate | 1.0% |
| After-tax discount rate | 8.25% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 9.9% |
As a result of the impairment test, the Group determined that no impairment existed as of March 31, 2020.
The Company tested as of March 2020 the impairment of the cellular segment assets with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.), using a reasonable approximation of its fair value less costs of selling as its recoverable amount, and determined that no impairment was required. No other adverse changes have been identified since March 2020 with the continuation of the crisis and therefore the Company determined that no impairment indicators existed in respect of the cellular segment assets as of December 31, 2020.
Trends in the economic and financial environment, competition and regulatory authorities' decisions, or changes in competitors' behavior in response to the economic environment may affect the estimate of recoverable amounts in future periods. See also note 2(i).
Continued increases in the level of competition for cellular and fixed-line services may bring further downward pressure on prices which may require us to perform further impairment tests of our assets. Such impairment tests may lead to recording additional significant impairment charges, which could have a material negative impact on our operating and profit.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Goodwill impairment reviews are undertaken annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset's fair value less costs to sell and value in use. The recoverable amount of the fixed-line segment to which goodwill has been allocated has been determined based on value-inuse calculations. For the purpose of the goodwill impairment tests as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 the recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of external independent experts (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.) based on value-in-use calculations. The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business.
The key assumptions used in the December 31, 2020 test were as follows:
| Terminal growth rate | 1.0% |
|---|---|
| After-tax discount rate | 7.5% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 9.0% |
The impairment test as of December 31, 2020 was based on assessments of financial performance and future strategies in light of current and expected market and economic conditions. Trends in the economic and financial environment, competition and regulatory authorities' decisions, or changes in competitors' behavior in response to the economic environment may affect the estimate of recoverable amounts. See also note 13(1) and note 2(h). No impairment charges were recognized with respect to goodwill in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The headroom of the fixed line segment recoverable amount over the carrying amount as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 was approximately 21%, 42% and 37% respectively.
Sensitivity analysis was performed for the recoverable amount as of December 31, 2020 for a change of the after-tax discount rate within the range of ± 10% multiplied by the variable 7.5% (6.75% to 8.25%), assuming all other variables constant. Sensitivity analysis was also performed for a change of the terminal growth rate within the range of ± 1% of the variable 1.0% (0% to 2%), assuming all other variables constant. Results showed that no impairment charge is required for both analyses.
The allowance for credit losses for financial assets is based on assumptions about risk of default and expected loss rates. The Group uses judgment in making these assumptions and selecting the inputs to the impairment calculation, based on the Group's past history, existing market conditions as well as forward looking estimates at the end of each reporting period. Individual receivables which are known to be uncollectable are written off by reducing the carrying amount directly. The other receivables are assessed collectively, grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and the days past due.
The Group assesses on a forward looking basis the expected credit losses associated with its debt instruments carried at amortized cost. The impairment methodology applied depends on whether there has been a significant increase in credit risk. For trade receivables and contract assets with and without significant financing components, the Group applies IFRS 9 simplified approach to measuring expected credit losses which uses a lifetime expected loss allowance. To measure the expected credit losses, trade receivables have been grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and period past due. The expected loss rates are based on the payment profiles of sales, and the corresponding historical credit losses experienced. The historical loss rates are adjusted to reflect current and forward-looking information on factors affecting the ability of the customers to settle the receivables. See notes 7, 6(a)(3), 2(j).
Provisions are recorded when a loss is considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. Judgment is necessary in assessing the likelihood that a pending claim or litigation against the Group will succeed, or a liability will arise, quantifying the best estimate of final settlement. These judgments are made by management with the support of internal specialists, or with the support of outside consultants such as legal counsel. Because of the inherent uncertainties in this evaluation process, actual results may be different from these estimates. See notes 2(m), 14 and 20.
| New Israeli Shekels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31, 2020 | ||||
| In millions | ||||
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | |
| Segment revenue - Services | 1,647 | 861 | 2,508 | |
| Inter-segment revenue - Services | 16 | 132 | (148) | |
| Segment revenue - Equipment | 545 | 136 | 681 | |
| Total revenues | 2,208 | 1,129 | (148) | 3,189 |
| Segment cost of revenues - Services | 1,272 | 856 | 2,128 | |
| Inter-segment cost of revenues- Services | 131 | 17 | (148) | |
| Segment cost of revenues - Equipment | 451 | 85 | 536 | |
| Cost of revenues | 1,854 | 958 | (148) | 2,664 |
| Gross profit | 354 | 171 | 525 | |
| Operating expenses (3) | 300 | 159 | 459 | |
| Other income, net | 19 | 11 | 30 | |
| Operating profit | 73 | 23 | 96 | |
| Adjustments to presentation of segment | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA –Depreciation and amortization |
450 | 264 | ||
| –Other (1) | 10 | 2 | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA (2) | 533 | 289 | ||
| New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, 2020 In millions |
| Reconciliation of segments subtotal Adjusted EBITDA to profit for the year | |
|---|---|
| Segments subtotal Adjusted EBITDA (2) | 822 |
| Depreciation and amortization | (714) |
| Finance costs, net | (69) |
| Income tax expenses | (10) |
| Other (1) | (12) |
| Profit for the year | 17 |
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, 2019 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | ||||
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | |
| Segment revenue - Services | 1,783 | 777 | 2,560 | |
| Inter-segment revenue - Services | 15 | 148 | (163) | |
| Segment revenue - Equipment | 571 | 103 | 674 | |
| Total revenues | 2,369 | 1,028 | (163) | 3,234 |
| Segment cost of revenues - Services | 1,367 | 810 | 2,177 | |
| Inter-segment cost of revenues- Services | 147 | 16 | (163) | |
| Segment cost of revenues - Equipment | 464 | 66 | 530 | |
| Cost of revenues | 1,978 | 892 | (163) | 2,707 |
| Gross profit | 391 | 136 | 527 | |
| Operating expenses (3) | 334 | 134 | 468 | |
| Other income, net | 20 | 8 | 28 | |
| Operating profit | 77 | 10 | 87 | |
| Adjustments to presentation of segment | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | ||||
| –Depreciation and amortization | 542 | 209 | ||
| –Other (1) | 16 | (1) | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA (2) | 635 | 218 | ||
| New Israeli Shekels |
| December 31, 2019 | |
|---|---|
| In millions | |
| Reconciliation of segments subtotal Adjusted EBITDA to profit for the year | |
| Segments subtotal Adjusted EBITDA (2) | 853 |
| Depreciation and amortization | (751) |
| Finance costs, net | (68) |
| Income tax expenses | * |
| Other (1) | (15) |
| Profit for the year | 19 |
Year ended
* Representing an amount of less than NIS 1 million.
| New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, 2018* |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | |||||
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | ||
| Segment revenue - Services | 1,827 | 697 | 2,524 | ||
| Inter-segment revenue - Services | 16 | 155 | (171) | ||
| Segment revenue - Equipment | 643 | 92 | 735 | ||
| Total revenues | 2,486 | 944 | (171) | 3,259 | |
| Segment cost of revenues - Services | 1,435 | 696 | 2,131 | ||
| Inter-segment cost of revenues- Services | 154 | 17 | (171) | ||
| Segment cost of revenues - Equipment | 509 | 60 | 569 | ||
| Cost of revenues | 2,098 | 773 | (171) | 2,700 | |
| Gross profit | 388 | 171 | 559 | ||
| Operating expenses (3) | 343 | 128 | 471 | ||
| Other income, net | 23 | 5 | 28 | ||
| Operating profit | 68 | 48 | 116 | ||
| Adjustments to presentation of segment | |||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | |||||
| –Depreciation and amortization | 442 | 150 | |||
| –Other (1) | 14 | ||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA (2) | 524 | 198 | |||
| New Israeli |
| Year ended December 31, 2018 |
|
|---|---|
| In millions | |
| Reconciliation of segments subtotal Adjusted EBITDA to profit for the year | |
| Segments subtotal Adjusted EBITDA (2) | 722 |
| Depreciation and amortization | (592) |
| Finance costs, net | (53) |
| Income tax expenses | (7) |
| Other (1) | (14) |
| Profit for the year | 56 |
Shekels
* See Note 2(o) regarding the adoption of IFRS16, Leases. The Company adopted IFRS 16, Leases from the beginning of 2019.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(3) Operating expenses include selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses and credit losses.
The Group is exposed to a variety of financial risks: credit, liquidity and market risks as part of its normal course of business. The Group's risk management objective is to monitor risks and minimize the possible influence that results from this exposure, according to its evaluations and expectations of the parameters that affect the risks. The Group did not enter into hedging transactions in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Risk management is carried out by the financial division under policies and/or directions resolved and approved by the audit committee and the board of directors.
The Group is exposed to fluctuations in the Israeli Consumer Price index (CPI). See also note 19.
Furthermore, the Group's notes payable bearing variable interest rate cause cash flow risks. Based on simulations performed, an increase (decrease) of 1% interest rates during 2020 in respect of the abovementioned financial instruments would have resulted in an annual increase (decrease) in interest expenses of NIS 2 million.
The Group's operating profit and cash flows are exposed to currency risk, mainly due to trade receivables and trade payables denominated in USD.
Data regarding the US Dollar and Euro exchange rate and the Israeli CPI:
| Exchange rate of one |
Exchange rate of one |
Israeli | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar | Euro | CPI* | |
| At December 31: | |||
| 2020 | NIS 3.215 | NIS 3.944 | 223.11 points |
| 2019 | NIS 3.456 | NIS 3.878 | 224.67 points |
| 2018 | NIS 3.748 | NIS 4.292 | 223.33 points |
| Increase (decrease) during the year: | |||
| 2020 | (7.0)% | 1.7% | (0.7)% |
| 2019 | (7.8)% | (9.6)% | 0.6% |
| 2018 | 8.1% | 3.3% | 0.8% |
* Index for each reporting period's last month, on the basis of 1993 average = 100 points.
An increase (decrease) of 2% in the CPI as at December 31, 2019, and 2020 would have decreased (increased) equity and profit by NIS 2 million, for each of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, assuming all other variables remain constant.
An increase (decrease) of 5% in the USD exchange rate as at December 31, 2019 and 2020 would have decreased (increased) equity and profit by NIS 5 million and NIS 3 million, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 respectively, assuming that all other variables remain constant.
| December 31, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In or linked to USD | In or linked to other foreign currencies (mainly EURO) |
NIS unlinked | Linked to the CPI | Total | ||
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | ||||||
| Current assets | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 2 | 4 | 370 | 376 | ||
| Short term deposits | 411 | 411 | ||||
| Trade receivables* | 29 | 7 | 524 | 560 | ||
| Other receivables | 7 | 7 | ||||
| Non- current assets | ||||||
| Long term deposits | 155 | 155 | ||||
| Trade receivables | 232 | 232 | ||||
| Total assets | 31 | 11 | 1,699 | - | 1,741 | |
| Current liabilities | ||||||
| Current maturities of notes payable and | ||||||
| borrowings | 290 | 290 | ||||
| Trade payables* | 92 | 11 | 534 | 29 | 666 | |
| Payables in respect of employees | 52 | 52 | ||||
| Other payables | 18 | 18 | ||||
| Lease liabilities | 1 | 119 | 120 | |||
| Non- current liabilities | ||||||
| Notes payable | 1,219 | 1,219 | ||||
| Borrowings from banks | 86 | 86 | ||||
| Financial liability at fair value | 4 | 4 | ||||
| Other non-current liabilities | 30 | 30 | ||||
| Lease liabilities | 2 | 580 | 582 | |||
| Total liabilities | 95 | 11 | 2,233 | 728 | 3,067 | |
| In or linked to foreign currencies New Israeli Shekels in millions |
||||||
| *Accounts that were set-off under enforceable netting arrangements | ||||||
| Trade receivables gross amounts | 104 | |||||
| Set-off | (68) | |||||
| Trade receivables, net | 36 | |||||
| Trade payables gross amounts | 171 | |||||
| Set-off | (68) | |||||
| Trade payables, net | 103 |
(b) Analysis of linkage terms of financial instruments balances (continued)
| In or linked to other foreign currencies In or linked to USD NIS unlinked Linked to the CPI (mainly EURO) Total New Israeli Shekels in millions Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 35 264 Short term deposits 552 Trade receivables* 45 12 567 Other receivables 15 |
December 31, 2019 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 299 | ||||||
| 552 | ||||||
| 624 | ||||||
| 15 | ||||||
| Non- current assets | ||||||
| Trade receivables 250 |
250 | |||||
| Total assets 80 12 1,648 - |
1,740 | |||||
| Current liabilities Current maturities of notes payable and |
||||||
| borrowings 366 |
366 | |||||
| Trade payables* 194 12 493 17 |
716 | |||||
| Payables in respect of employees 79 |
79 | |||||
| Other payables 12 |
12 | |||||
| Lease liabilities 1 130 |
131 | |||||
| Non- current liabilities | ||||||
| Notes payable 1,276 |
1,276 | |||||
| Borrowings from banks 138 |
138 | |||||
| Financial liability at fair value 28 |
28 | |||||
| Lease liabilities 3 483 |
486 | |||||
| Total liabilities 198 12 2,392 630 |
3,232 | |||||
| In or linked to foreign |
||||||
| currencies | ||||||
| New Israeli | ||||||
| Shekels in | ||||||
| millions | ||||||
| *Accounts that were set-off under | ||||||
| enforceable netting arrangements | ||||||
| Trade receivables gross amounts 126 |
||||||
| Set-off (69) |
||||||
| Trade receivables, net 57 |
||||||
| Trade payables gross amounts 275 |
||||||
| Set-off (69) |
||||||
| Trade payables, net 206 |
The notional amounts of financial liability at fair value (see note 15(6)) with respect to Notes series G option warrants as at December 31, 2020 is NIS 27 million. The fair value was estimated assuming the options will be exercised on the last day possible. The following table describes the changes in the liability during 2019 and 2020:

Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations, and arises principally from the Group's trade receivables, from cash and cash equivalents, short-term and long-term deposits and other receivables. Management has a credit policy in place and the exposure to credit risk is monitored on an ongoing basis. The Group conducts credit evaluations on receivables of certain types over a certain amount, and requires collaterals against them. The impairment requirements are based on an expected credit loss model. Accordingly, the financial statements include appropriate allowances for expected credit losses. See also note 2(j)(2).
The face amount of financial assets represents the maximum credit exposure, see note 6(c).
The cash and cash equivalents and short-term and long-term deposits are held in leading Israeli commercial banks, rated by Standard & Poor's Maalot at ilAAA/stable.
Deposits at December 31, 2020 are deposited with remaining maturity of 1 to 18 months and bear annual unlinked fixed interest of between 0.4% and 0.6%.
The trade receivables are significantly widespread, and include individuals and businesses, and therefore have no representing credit rating.
See also note 7 as to the assessment by aging of the trade receivables and related allowance for credit losses.
$$_{P-S0}$$
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. The Group's approach to managing liquidity is to ensure, as far as possible, that it will always have sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities when due, without incurring unacceptable losses or risking damage to the Group's reputation. The Group's policy is to ensure that it has sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet expected operational expenses and financial obligations.
Maturities (undiscounted) of financial liabilities as of December 31, 2020:
| 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to | ||||||
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2025 | 2026 and thereafter | Total | |
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | ||||||
| Principal payments of long term indebtedness: | ||||||
| Notes payable series D | 109 | 109 | ||||
| Notes payable series F | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 | 512 | |
| Notes payable series G | 82 | 82 | 165 | 495 | 824 | |
| Borrowing P | 30 | 29 | 59 | |||
| Borrowing Q | 23 | 23 | 23 | 10 | 79 | |
| Expected interest payments of | ||||||
| long term borrowings and notes | ||||||
| payables | 47 | 41 | 35 | 51 | 33 | 207 |
| Lease liabilities | 135 | 111 | 95 | 149 | 296 | 786 |
| Trade and other payables | 719 | 719 | ||||
| Total | 1,191 | 414 | 363 | 503 | 824 | 3,295 |
Trade payables as of December 31, 2020 include balances in respect of reverse factoring of NIS 1 million that are due between January 2021 and March 2021.
See note 15 in respect of borrowings and notes payable.
Credit rating: According to Standard & Poor's Maalot ("S&P Maalot") credit rating, of August 10, 2020, S&P Maalot reaffirmed the Company's ilA+ credit rating and updated the Company's rating outlook from "Negative" to "Stable".
See note 15(7) regarding financial covenants.

(An Israeli Corporation)
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As detailed in note 2(j) the financial instruments are categorized as following:
Fair Value through Profit or Loss (FVTPL); Amortized Cost (AC). See also note 15 in respect of borrowings and notes payable and note 7 with respect to trade receivables.
The financial instrument that is categorized as FVTPL is a financial liability at fair value. Its fair value is calculated by discounting estimated future cash flows based on the terms and maturity of each contract and using forward rates for a similar instrument at the measurement date. All significant inputs in this technique are observable market data and rely as little as possible on entity specific estimates, see also note 6(a)(2)(c).
There were no transfers between fair value levels during the year.
Carrying amounts and fair values of financial assets and liabilities, and their categories:
| December 31, 2019 | December 31, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Carrying amount | Fair value | Interest rate used (**) |
Carrying amount | Fair value | Interest rate used (**) |
|
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||||||
| Assets Cash and cash equivalents |
AC | ||||||
| Short term deposits | AC | 299 | 299 | 376 | 376 | ||
| Long term deposits (***) | 552 | 552 | 411 155 |
411 155 |
|||
| Trade receivables | AC | 874 | 876 | 4.00% | 792 | 794 | 3.60% |
| Other receivables (*) | AC | 16 | 16 | 7 | 7 | ||
| Liabilities | |||||||
| Notes payable series D | AC | 218 | 219 | Market quote | 109 | 110 | Market quote |
| Notes payable series F | AC | 1,021 | 1,040 | Market quote | 512 | 524 | Market quote |
| Notes payable series G | AC | 350 | 383 | Market quote | 824 | 939 | Market quote |
| Financial liability at fair value | FVTPL | ||||||
| Level 3 | 28 | 28 | 4 | 4 | |||
| Other non-current liabilities (*) | AC | 30 | 30 | ||||
| Trade and other payables (*) | AC | 800 | 800 | 719 | 719 | ||
| Borrowing P | AC | 89 | 90 | 1.42% | 59 | 60 | 0.84% |
| Borrowing Q | AC | 102 | 105 | 1.42% | 79 | 82 | 0.93% |
| Lease liabilities | AC | 617 | 623 | 2.12% | 702 | 702 | 2.04% |
(*) The fair value of these financial instruments equals their carrying amounts, as the impact of discounting is not significant.
(**) The fair values of the notes payable quoted market prices at the end of the reporting period are within level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of other instruments under AC categories were calculated based on observable weighted average of interest rates derived from quoted market prices of the Group's notes payable and bank quotes of rates of similar terms and nature, are within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
(***) At December 31, 2020, long-term deposits are deposited for a period ending in June 2022.

(a) Composition:
| New Israeli Shekels December 31, |
||
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | |
| In millions | ||
| Trade (current and non-current) | 1,061 | 963 |
| Deferred interest income (note 2(n)) | (25) | (23) |
| Allowance for credit loss | (162) | (148) |
| 874 | 792 | |
| Current | 624 | 560 |
| Non – current | 250 | 232 |
Non-current trade receivables bear no interest. These balances are in respect of equipment sold in installments (13-36 monthly payments (mainly 36)). The amount is computed on the basis of the interest rate relevant at the date of the transaction (2019: 4.00% - 4.66%) (2020: 2.97% - 5.07%).
See also note 2(j).
The changes in the allowance for credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are as follows:
| New Israeli Shekels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended | |||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| In millions | |||
| Balance at beginning of year | 193 | 188 | 162 |
| Receivables written-off during the year as | |||
| uncollectible | (35) | (44) | (37) |
| Charge or expense during the year* | 30 | 18 | 23 |
| Balance at end of year | 188 | 162 | 148 |
(*) Equivalent to net impairment losses on financial and contract assets, as presented in the statement of income as credit losses.
See note 6(a)(3) regarding trade receivables credit risk.
Allowance for credit losses resulting from services provided under operating lease are not separately disclosed due to immateriality.
The estimate for expected credit losses from customers was considered using forward-looking information (including macro-economic information). Forward-looking information included additional downside scenarios related to the spread of COVID-19: considering increased risk of credit to customers in certain industries most harmed by the slowdown. A general increased provision was recorded in respect of the population as a whole, and a second provision was recorded in the amount of the expected loss based on an average of the impact of the different scenarios assumed. As a result the company increased its provision for expected credit losses in an immaterial amount.
(b) Impairment of financial assets (continued)
| New Israeli Shekels December 31, 2019 |
New Israeli Shekels December 31, 2020 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | In millions | ||||||
| Average expected loss rate |
Gross | Allowance | Average expected loss rate |
Gross | Allowance | ||
| Not passed due | 2% | 860 | 20 | 5% | 831 | 45 | |
| Less than one year | 54% | 107 | 58 | 59% | 60 | 36 | |
| More than one year | 89% | 94 | 84 | 94% | 72 | 67 | |
| 1,061 | 162 | 963 | 148 |
| New Israeli Shekels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | ||
| In millions | |||
| Handsets and devices | 73 | 36 | |
| Accessories and other | 10 | 9 | |
| Spare parts | 26 | 20 | |
| ISP modems, routers, servers and related equipment | 15 | 12 | |
| 124 | 77 | ||
| Write-downs recorded | 6 | 7 | |
| Cost of inventory recognized as expenses and included in cost of revenues for the year ended | 539 | 544 | |
| Cost of inventory used as fixed assets | 24 | 8 | |
On November 8, 2013 the Company and Hot Mobile Ltd. ("Hot Mobile") (together: "the Parties") entered into a 15-year network sharing agreement ("NSA"), which was approved by the Antitrust Commissioner , subject to certain conditions, and by the Ministry of Communications. Pursuant to the NSA, the Parties created a 50-50 limited partnership - P.H.I. Networks (2015) Limited Partnership (hereinafter "PHI"), which operates and develops a radio access network shared by the Parties, starting with a pooling of the Parties radio access network infrastructures creating a single shared pooled radio access network (the "Shared Network"). The Parties also established a 50-50 company limited by shares under the name Net 4 P.H.I Ltd., to be the general partner of the limited partnership.
In February 2016, HOT Mobile exercised its option under the NSA to advance the payment date of a onetime amount of NIS 250 million ("Lump Sum"), which was received by the Group in 2016. Therefore in accordance the NSA from April 2016 onward (i) each party bears half of the expenditures relating to the Shared Network, and (ii) the bearing of the operating costs of the Shared Network is according to a pre-determined mechanism, according to which one half of the operating costs is shared equally by the Parties, and one half is divided between the Parties according to the relative volume of traffic consumption of each party in the Shared Network (the "Capex-Opex Mechanism"). The Lump Sum is treated by the Group as payments for rights of use of the Group's network and therefore recognized as deferred revenue which is amortized to revenues in the income statement over a period of eight years, which is determined to be the shorter of the expected period of the arrangement or the expected life of the related assets, see note 22(a).
The NSA term will be automatically extended for consecutive terms of five years each, unless either party provided the other party with prior notice of at least two years prior to the commencement of the respective extended term. At any time after the eighth anniversary of the NSA's effective date (i.e. following April 2023), either party may provide the other party with two years termination notice, and terminate the NSA, without cause, effective as of the end of the said two-year period. On the expiry of the NSA, other than following a material breach, the Parties shall divide the network between themselves according to a mechanism provided by the NSA, based on the Parties then-respective interests in PHI, with priority that each party shall first receive its own assets.
The Company provided a guarantee to PHI's debt in an amount of NIS 50 million.
At the beginning of January 2019 an amendment to the NSA agreement between the Company and Hot Mobile was signed and communicated to the MoC and Anti-trust regulator which, among other things, cancelled the position of the independent director who acted as a chairman, and no consideration was transferred between the Parties in relation to this matter. The amendment did not change ownership shares, nor the CAPEX-OPEX mechanism described above. As a result of the amendment the control over PHI thereafter is borne 50-50 by the Company and Hot Mobile, each nominates an equal number of directors (3 directors). Since, thereafter, decisions about the relevant activities of PHI require the unanimous consent of the Parties, PHI is considered a joint arrangement controlled by the Company and Hot Mobile (joint control).
The activities of the joint arrangement are primarily designed for the provision of output to the Parties. The joint arrangement terms give the Parties rights to the assets, and obligations for the liabilities and expenses of PHI. Furthermore the Parties have rights to substantially all of the economic benefits of PHI's assets. PHI's liabilities are in substance satisfied by the cash flows received from the Parties, as the Parties are substantially the source of cash flows contributing to the continuity of the operations of PHI. Starting January 1, 2019 the Company accounts for its rights in the assets of PHI and obligations for the liabilities and expenses of PHI as a joint operation, recognizing its share in the assets, liabilities, and expenses of PHI, instead of the equity method. Starting January 1, 2019 payments with respect to rights to use PHI's fixed assets (see note 2(g)) are presented in the statement of cash flows as cash used in investing activities instead of cash payments for deferred expenses used in operating activities.
The following table presents the Company's share (50%) in PHI's statement of financial position items that are consolidated to the financial statements as the Company's share in a joint operation:
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2019 | |||||
| Company's share (50%) in PHI's accounts** |
Intercompany elimination |
Total | |||
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | * | * | |||
| Current assets | 69 | (62) | 7 | ||
| NON CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Property and equipment and intangible assets | 142 | 142 | |||
| Lease – right of use | 355 | 355 | |||
| CURRENT LIABILITIES | |||||
| Current borrowings from banks | 13 | 13 | |||
| Trade payables and other current liabilities | 55 | 55 | |||
| Lease liabilities | 65 | 65 | |||
| NON CURRENT LIABILITIES | |||||
| Lease liabilities | 290 | 290 | |||
| Deferred revenues | 142 | (142) | - | ||
| EQUITY | 1 | (1) | - | ||
* Representing an amount of less than NIS 1 million.
** Certain intercompany balances were eliminated in the presentation of Company's share in PHI's accounts.
| Communication network |
Computers and information systems |
Optic fibers and related assets New Israeli Shekels in millions |
Subscribers equipment and installations |
Property, leasehold improvements, furniture and equipment |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||||||
| Balance at January 1, 2018 | 1,893 | 154 | 604 | 138 | 137 | 2,926 |
| Additions in 2018 | 48 | 11 | 122 | 146 | 10 | 337 |
| Disposals in 2018 | 322 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 24 | 378 |
| Balance at December 31, 2018 | 1,619 | 148 | 715 | 280 | 123 | 2,885 |
| Share in PHI P&E included as of Jan 1, 2019 | 171 | 2 | 173 | |||
| Additions in 2019 | 91 | 3 | 146 | 172 | 6 | 418 |
| Disposals in 2019 | 193 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 221 |
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 1,688 | 141 | 860 | 444 | 122 | 3,255 |
| Additions in 2020 | 83 | 7 | 168 | 138 | 5 | 401 |
| Disposals in 2020 | 418 | 72 | 9 | 30 | 27 | 556 |
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | 1,353 | 76 | 1,019 | 552 | 100 | 3,100 |
| Accumulated depreciation | ||||||
| Balance at January 1, 2018 | 1,263 | 108 | 253 | 31 | 91 | 1,746 |
| Depreciation in 2018 | 174 | 13 | 39 | 66 | 12 | 304 |
| Disposals in 2018 | 321 | 17 | 11 | 3 | 24 | 376 |
| Balance at December 31, 2018 | 1,116 | 104 | 281 | 94 | 79 | 1,674 |
| Share in PHI P&E included as of Jan 1, 2019 | 33 | 1 | 34 | |||
| Depreciation in 2019 | 170 | 13 | 45 | 99 | 9 | 336 |
| Disposals in 2019 | 192 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 219 |
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 1,127 | 107 | 325 | 185 | 81 | 1,825 |
| Depreciation in 2020 | 147 | 11 | 55 | 117 | 8 | 338 |
| Disposals in 2020 | 421 | 71 | 10 | 28 | 28 | 558 |
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | 853 | 47 | 370 | 274 | 61 | 1,605 |
| Carrying amounts, net | ||||||
| At December 31, 2018 | 503 | 44 | 434 | 186 | 44 | 1,211 |
| At December 31, 2019 | 561 | 34 | 535 | 259 | 41 | 1,430 |
| At December 31, 2020 | 500 | 29 | 649 | 278 | 39 | 1,495 |
For depreciation and amortization presentation in the statement of income see note 22.
| New Israeli Shekels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31 | |||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| In millions | |||
| Cost additions include capitalization of salary and employee related expenses | 38 | 39 | 41 |
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Intangible assets with finite economic useful lives:
| Costs of obtaining contracts with |
Customer relationships and |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licenses | customers | other | Computer software(1) |
Total | |
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||||
| Cost | |||||
| At January 1, 2018 | 2,123 | 86 | 276 | 565 | 3,050 |
| Additions in 2018 | 91 | 3 | 68 | 162 | |
| Disposals in 2018 | 2 | 141 | 143 | ||
| At December 31, 2018 | 2,123 | 175 | 279 | 492 | 3,069 |
| Share in PHI's accounts included as of Jan 1, 2019 | 5 | 5 | |||
| Additions in 2019 | 95 | 6 | 59 | 160 | |
| Disposals in 2019 | 61 | 61 | |||
| At December 31, 2019 | 2,123 | 270 | 285 | 495 | 3,173 |
| Additions in 2020 | 30 | 115 | 49 | 194 | |
| Disposals in 2020 | 137 | 137 | |||
| At December 31, 2020 | 2,153 | 385 | 285 | 407 | 3,230 |
| Accumulated amortization | |||||
| At January 1, 2018 | 1,764 | 15 | 255 | 319 | 2,353 |
| Amortization in 2018 | 88 | 49 | 18 | 86 | 241 |
| Disposals in 2018 | 2 | 140 | 142 | ||
| At December 31, 2018 | 1,852 | 62 | 273 | 265 | 2,452 |
| Share in PHI's accounts included as of Jan 1, 2019 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Amortization in 2019(2) | 73 | 79 | 2 | 87 | 241 |
| Disposals in 2019 | 60 | 60 | |||
| At December 31, 2019 | 1,925 | 141 | 275 | 294 | 2,635 |
| Amortization in 2020(2) | 27 | 97 | 3 | 84 | 211 |
| Disposals in 2020 | 137 | 137 | |||
| At December 31, 2020 | 1,952 | 238 | 278 | 241 | 2,709 |
| Carrying amounts, net | |||||
| At December 31, 2018 | 271 | 113 | 6 | 227 | 617 |
| At December 31, 2019 | 198 | 129 | 10 | 201 | 538 |
| At December 31, 2020 | 201 | 147 | 7 | 166 | 521 |
| New Israeli Shekels | |||||
| Year ended December 31 | |||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||
| In millions | |||||
| (1) Cost additions include capitalization of salary and employee related expenses | 54 | 57 | 44 |
(2) Change in accounting estimate: the useful life of the cellular license was extended to end by February 1, 2032, see notes 2(f)(1) and 4(1).
For depreciation and amortization in the statement of income see note 22.
| New Israeli | |
|---|---|
| Shekels in | |
| Cost | millions |
| Balance at January 1, 2018 | 629 |
| Additional payments in 2018 | 107 |
| Balance at December 31, 2018 | 736 |
| Share in PHI's accounts included as of Jan 1, 2019 | (169) |
| Additional payments in 2019 | 51 |
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 618 |
| Additional payments in 2020 | 47 |
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | 665 |
| Accumulated amortization and impairment | |
| Balance at January 1, 2018 | 453 |
| Amortization in 2018 | 47 |
| Balance at December 31, 2018 | 500 |
| Share in PHI's accounts included as of Jan 1, 2019 | (38) |
| Amortization in 2019 | 28 |
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 490 |
| Amortization in 2020 | 31 |
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | 521 |
| Carrying amount, net at December 31, 2018 | 236 |
| Carrying amount, net at December 31, 2019 | 128 |
| Current | 26 |
| Non-current | 102 |
| Carrying amount, net at December 31, 2020 | 144 |
| Current | 26 |
| Non-current | 118 |
See also note 2(g) and note 17(4).
The amortization and impairment charges are charged to cost of revenues in the statement of income.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Goodwill in the fixed-line segment is allocated to a single group of CGUs which constitute all the operations of the fixed-line segment, in an amount of NIS 407 million.
For the purpose of the goodwill impairment tests in the fixed-line segment as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 the recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.) based on value-in-use calculations. The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business. The key assumptions used are as follows:
| As of December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Terminal growth rate | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| After-tax discount rate | 9.5% | 8% | 7.5% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 11.5% | 9.6% | 9.0% |
The impairment tests in the fixed-line segment as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 were based on assessments of financial performance and future strategies in light of current and expected market and economic conditions. Trends in the economic and financial environment, competition and regulatory authorities' decisions, or changes in competitors' behavior in response to the economic environment may affect the estimate of recoverable amounts. As a result of the impairment tests, the Group determined that no goodwill impairment existed as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. See also note 4(3) and note 2(h).
The economic slowdown in the markets triggered in March 2020 the identification of indicators for impairment of non-financial assets. In particular, the significant fall in the volume of international travel by the Company's customers has caused a significant decrease in revenues from roaming services, which affected the cellular segment. In addition, the temporary closures of shopping malls and changes in general consumer behavior adversely affected the volume of sales of equipment, which affected the cellular and the fixed-line segments.
The Company tested the recoverable amount of the fixed line segment as of March 31, 2020, based on value-in-use calculations. The recoverable amount was assessed by management with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.). The value-in-use calculations use pre-tax cash flow projections covering a five-year period. Cash flows beyond the five-year period to be generated from continuing use are extrapolated using estimated growth rates. The terminal growth rate represents the long-term average growth rate of the fixed-line communications services business. The key assumptions used are as follows:
| March 31, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Terminal growth rate | 1.0% |
| After-tax discount rate | 8.25% |
| Pre-tax discount rate | 9.9% |
As a result of the impairment test, the Group determined that no impairment existed as of March 31, 2020.
$$\mathbb{P}\text{-}60$$
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Company tested as of March 2020 the impairment of the cellular segment assets with the assistance of an external independent expert (BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd.), using a reasonable approximation of its fair value less costs of selling as its recoverable amount, and determined that no impairment was required. No other adverse changes have been identified since March 2020 with the continuation of the crisis and therefore the Company determined that no impairment indicators existed in respect of the cellular segment assets as of December 31, 2020.
| Legal claims (see note 20) |
Equipment warranty | Dismantling and restoring sites obligation |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||
| Balance as at January 1, 2020 | 42 | 1 | 23 |
| Additions during the year | 3 | 3 | * |
| Finance costs | * | ||
| Decrease during the year | (33) | (3) | (2) |
| Balance as at December 31, 2020 | 12 | 1 | 21 |
| Non-current | 21 | ||
| Current | 12 | 1 | |
| Balance as at December 31, 2019 | 42 | 1 | 23 |
| Non-current | 23 | ||
| Current | 42 | 1 |
* Representing an amount of less than NIS 1 million
The Group's long term debt as of December 31, 2020 consists of borrowings from leading Israeli commercial banks and notes payable. The Group may, at its discretion, execute an early repayment of the borrowings, subject to certain conditions, including that the Group shall reimburse the lender for losses sustained by it as a result of the early repayment. The reimbursement is mainly based on the difference between the interest rate that the Group would otherwise pay and the current market interest rate on the early repayment date.
The notes payable are unsecured, non-convertible and listed for trade on the TASE. The notes payable have been rated ilA+, on a local scale, by Standard & Poor's Maalot.
Composition as of December 31, 2020:
| Annual interest rate | |
|---|---|
| Notes payable series D | 'Makam'(*) plus 1.2% |
| Notes payable series F (**) | 2.16% fixed |
| Notes payable series G (***) | 4% fixed |
| Borrowing P (received in 2017) | 2.38% fixed |
| Borrowing Q (received in 2017) | 2.5% fixed |
(*) 'Makam' is a variable interest that is based on the yield of 12 month government bonds issued by the Government of Israel. The interest is updated on a quarterly basis.
The interest rates paid (in annual terms, and including the additional interest of 1.2%) for the period from October 1, 2020 to December 30, 2020 was 1.252%.
(**) See also note 15(3) and 15(5).
(***) See also note 15(2) and 15(6).
See note 6(a)(4) as to the balances and maturities of the borrowings and the notes payable. See note 6(c) as to the fair value of the borrowings and the notes payable. See note 15(7) regarding financial covenants.
As of December 31, 2020, PHI has a short term credit facility with a leading Israeli commercial bank in the amount of NIS 100 million. The Group's share in this facility is 50%. The facility is restricted for use by PHI only. As of December 31, 2020 no funds were drawn from this facility.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The following table details the changes in financial liabilities, including cash flows from financing activities:
| Movements in 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash flows used in | Non cash movements | ||||
| As at December 31, | financing activities, | CPI adjustments and | Against lease ROU | As at | |
| 2019 | net | other | asset | December 31, 2020 | |
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||||
| Non-current borrowings* | 191 | (52) | (1) | 138 | |
| Notes payable* | 1,589 | (154) | 22 | 1,457 | |
| Financial liability at fair value | 28 | (24) | 4 | ||
| Interest payable | 8 | (49) | 58 | 17 | |
| Lease liability | 617 | (147) | 18 | 214 | 702 |
| 2,433 | (402) | 73 | 214 | 2,318 |
* Including current maturities.
| Movements in 2019 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non cash movements | |||||||
| As at December 31, 2018 |
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities, net |
Share in PHI's accounts included as at Jan. 1, 2019 |
Adoption of IFRS 16 as at Jan. 1, 2019 |
CPI adjustments and other |
Against lease ROU asset |
As at December 31, 2019 |
|
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||||||
| Current borrowings | (13) | 13 | |||||
| Non-current borrowings* | 243 | (52) | 191 | ||||
| Notes payable* | 1,123 | 453 | 13 | 1,589 | |||
| Financial liability at fair value | 37 | (9) | 28 | ||||
| Interest payable | ** | (37) | 45 | 8 | |||
| Lease liability | (159) | 683 | 20 | 73 | 617 | ||
| 1,366 | 229 | 13 | 683 | 69 | 73 | 2,433 |
* Including current maturities.
** Representing an amount of less than NIS 1 million.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
In January 2019, the Company issued a new Series G Notes, in a principal amount of NIS 225 million, payable as follows: 4 annual installments of NIS 22.5 million each, payable in June of each of the years 2022 through 2025, NIS 45 million payable in June 2026 and NIS 90 million payable in June 2027. The principal bears fixed annual interest of 4%, payable annually on June 25 of each year.
In July 2020, the Company issued in a private placement additional Series G Notes in a principal amount of NIS 300 million, under the same conditions of the original series.
Regarding exercise of option warrants which are exercisable for Series G Notes see note 15(6).
In July 2020, the Company executed a partial early redemption of Series F Notes in a total principal amount of NIS 305 million. The total amount paid was NIS 313 million. The early redemption resulted in additional finance costs of NIS 7 million.
In March 2018 the Company early repaid borrowings O and L in a total principal amount of NIS 300 million. In addition, the Company early repaid borrowing K in June 2018, in a principal amount of NIS 75 million.
The early repayments resulted in additional finance costs of NIS 9 million recorded in March 2018.
According to agreements the Company entered into in December 2017 and January 2018, the Company issued in December 2019, in a framework of a private placement, an aggregate principal amount of NIS 226.75 million of additional Series F Notes to certain Israeli institutional investors.
In April 2019, the Company issued in a private placement two series of untradeable option warrants that are exercisable for the Company's Series G Notes. The exercise period of the first series is between July 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 and of the second series is between July 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. The exercise price is NIS 88 for each Series G notes principal amount of NIS 100. The Series G Notes that will be allotted upon the exercise of an option warrant will be identical in all their rights to the Company's Series G Notes immediately upon their allotment, and will be entitled to any payment of interest or other benefit, the effective date of which is due after the allotment date. The Notes that will be allotted as a result of the exercise of option warrants will be registered on the TASE. The total amount received by the Company on the allotment date of the option warrants was NIS 37 million.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
In 2019, following partial exercise of option warrants, the Company issued Series G Notes in a total principal amount of NIS 125 million. In 2020, following partial exercise of option warrants, the Company issued Series G Notes in a total principal amount of NIS 174.3 million.
As of May 31, 2020, option warrants from the first series were fully exercised. As of the date of approval of these financial statements, the total remaining consideration expected to be received (after the exercises described above), excluding consideration already received for the allotment of the options, in respect of full exercise of remaining option warrants from the second series (and assuming that there will be no change to the exercise price) is approximately NIS 23 million.
Regarding Series F Notes, Series G Notes and borrowings P and Q, the Company is required to comply with a financial covenant that the ratio of Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA shall not exceed 5. Compliance will be examined and reported on a quarterly basis. For the purpose of the covenant, Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as the sum total for the last 12 month period, excluding adjustable one-time items. As of December 31, 2020, the ratio of Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA was 0.8.
Shareholders' equity shall not decrease below NIS 400 million and no dividends will be declared if shareholders' equity will be below NIS 650 million regarding Series F notes and borrowing P. Shareholders' equity shall not decrease below NIS 600 million and no dividends will be declared if shareholders' equity will be below NIS 750 million regarding Series G notes. The Company shall not create floating liens subject to certain terms. The Company has the right for early redemption under certain conditions. With respect to notes payable series F and series G: the Company shall pay additional annual interest of 0.5% in the case of a two- notch downgrade in the Notes rating and an additional annual interest of 0.25% for each further single-notch downgrade, up to a maximum additional interest of 1%; the Company shall pay additional annual interest of 0.25% during a period in which there is a breach of the financial covenant; debt rating will not decrease below BBB- for a certain period. In any case, the total maximum additional interest for Series F and G, shall not exceed 1.25% or 1%, respectively.
The Group was in compliance with the financial covenant and the additional stipulations for the year 2020.
Israeli labor laws and agreements require payment of severance pay upon dismissal of an employee or upon termination of employment in certain other circumstances. See also note 2(k).
The Group had contributed NIS 20 million, NIS 23 million and NIS 25 million for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively, in accordance with Section 14 of the Israeli Severance Pay Law. See also note 2(k)(i)(1).
Liability for employee rights upon retirement, net is presented as non-current liability.
The amounts recognized in the statement of financial position, in respect of a defined benefit plan (see note 2(k)(i)(2)) and changes during the year in the obligation recognized for postemployment defined benefit plans were as follows:
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Present value of | Fair value of plan | ||
| obligation | assets | Total | |
| At January 1, 2019 | 144 | (104) | 40 |
| Current service cost | 12 | 12 | |
| Interest expense (income) | 4 | (2) | 2 |
| Employer contributions | (9) | (9) | |
| Benefits paid | (14) | 10 | (4) |
| Remeasurements: | |||
| Experience loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Return on plan assets | (2) | (2) | |
| At December 31, 2019 | 150 | (107) | 43 |
| Current service cost | 10 | 10 | |
| Interest expense (income) | 4 | (2) | 2 |
| Employer contributions | (8) | (8) | |
| Benefits paid | (8) | 4 | (4) |
| Remeasurements: | |||
| Experience loss | (2) | (2) | |
| Return on plan assets | 1 | 1 | |
| At December 31, 2020 | 154 | (112) | 42 |
Remeasurements are recognized in the statement of comprehensive income.
The expected contribution to the defined benefit plan during the year ending December 31, 2021 is approximately NIS 7 million.
$$\mathbb{F} \cdot 66$$
The principal actuarial assumptions used were as follows:
| December 31 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | |
| Interest rate weighted average | 2.33% | 2.12% |
| Inflation rate weighted average | 1.49% | 0.97% |
| Expected turnover rate | 9%-56% | 9%-56% |
| Future salary increases | 1%-6% | 1%-6% |
The sensitivity of the defined benefit obligation to changes in the principal assumptions is:
| December 31, 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| NIS in millions | |||
| Increase of 10% | Decrease of 10% | ||
| of the assumption | of the assumption | ||
| Interest rate | (0.7) | 0.5 | |
| Expected turnover rate | 0.1 | (0.1) | |
| Future salary increases | 0.5 | (0.5) |
The above sensitivity analyses are based on a change in an assumption while holding all other assumptions constant. In practice, this is unlikely to occur, and changes in some of the assumptions may be correlated. When calculating the sensitivity of the defined benefit obligation to significant actuarial assumptions the same method has been applied as when calculating the pension liability recognized within the statement of financial position. The methods and types of assumptions used in preparing the sensitivity analysis did not change compared to the previous period.
The defined benefit plan exposes the Group to a number of risks, the most significant are asset volatility, and a risk that salary increases will be higher than expected in the actuarial calculations. The assets are invested in provident funds, managed by managing companies and are subject to laws and regulations, and supervision (including investment portfolio) of the Capital Markets, Insurance and Saving Division of the Israeli Ministry of Finance.
Expected maturity analysis of undiscounted defined benefits as at December 31, 2020:
| NIS in millions | |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 23 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 and 2025 | 21 |
| 2026 and thereafter | 86 |
| 165 |

(1) Results of Frequencies Tender and frequency fees
In August 2020, the Ministry of Communications ("MoC") informed the Company of the results of the frequencies tender published by the MoC and the award of 10 MHz in the 700 MHz frequency band, 20 MHz in the 2600 MHz frequency band and 100 MHz in the 3500 MHz frequency band to the Company and HOT Mobile Ltd. )"HOT Mobile"), at a total price of NIS 62.38 million which shall be paid equally by the Company and HOT Mobile in September 2022.
The frequencies were received in September 2020, and as a result, the Company recognized an intangible asset at a discounted amount of NIS 30 million against other non-current liabilities.
The tender documents entitled the Company to a grant of NIS 37 million which is expected to be received in October 2022 subject to the approval of the MoC. As of December 31, 2020, an immaterial amount was recognized thereof in non-current prepaid expenses and other assets against property and equipment.
Under the Telegraph Regulations the Company is committed to pay an annual fixed fee for each frequency used. Following the above mentioned tender completion, the Telegraph Regulations were amended, reducing the frequency fees for existing frequencies, subject to certain conditions, and establishing fees for the new frequencies received. Under the above Regulations should the Company choose to return a frequency, such payment is no longer due.
For the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 the Company recorded frequency fee expenses in a total amount of approximately NIS 76 million, NIS 79 million and NIS 75 million, respectively. The total amount of frequency fees of both the Company and Hot Mobile under the regulations are divided between the Company and Hot Mobile, through PHI ,according to the OPEX-CAPEX mechanism (see also note 9).
After the balance sheet date the Company entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Apple Distribution International, effective April 1, 2021, for the purchase and resale of iPhone handsets in Israel and the purchase of a minimum quantity of iPhone handsets per year, for a period of three years. These purchases represent a significant portion of our expected handset purchases over that period.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO COSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(4) Right of Use (ROU)
The Group signed long-term agreements with service providers to receive indefeasible Rights of Use (ROU) of international capacities through submarine infrastructures (see note 12), most extendable until 2030. As of December 31, 2020, the Group is committed to pay for capacities over the following years an amount of NIS 118.5 million (excluding maintenance fees) as follows:

In addition, under the terms of the ROU agreements, as of December 31, 2020 the Group is committed to pay annual maintenance fees during the usage period. The total aggregated expected maintenance fee for the years 2021 to 2023 is approximately NIS 13 million. Some payments under the ROU agreements are linked to the USD.
(5) Liens and guarantees
As of December 31, 2020, the Group has provided bank guarantees in respect of licenses (see note 1(c)) in an amount of NIS 28 million, in addition to bank guarantees in favor of other parties in an aggregate amount of approximately NIS 23 million. Therefore, the total bank guarantees provided by the Group as of December 31, 2020 is NIS 51 million. In addition, the Company provided a guarantee to PHI's credit facility in an amount of NIS 50 million. PHI's credit facility is not used as at December 31, 2020 (see also notes 9 and 15).
In January 2020, HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. and its controlling shareholder, Altice Europe N.V, (the "Potential Acquirer") proposed to acquire 100% of the issued share capital of the Company (the "Proposed Transaction"). On March 31, 2020, the Potential Acquirer informed the Company of the withdrawal of their acquisition proposal.
The Group leases the following assets (as a lessee) (see also notes 2(o) and 3):
(1) Buildings: The Group leases its headquarter facilities in Rosh Ha-ayin, Israel, with a total of approximately 51,177 gross square meters (including parking lots). The lease term was extended in October 2020 to end on December 31, 2029 and the Company expects to exercise its option to extend it until December 31, 2034. The rental payments are linked to the Israeli CPI.
The Group also leases call centers, retail stores and service centers. The leases for each site have different lengths and specific terms. The lease agreements are for periods of two to ten years. The Group has options to extend some lease contract periods for up to twenty years (including the original lease periods). Substantially all of the rental payments are linked to the Israeli CPI and a few are linked to the dollar. Some of the extension options include an increase of the lease payment in a range of 2%-10%.
The extension options are negotiated by management to provide flexibility in managing the leased asset portfolio and align with the Group's business needs. Management exercised judgment and generally determined that the extension options are reasonably certain to be exercised. Generally, the Group's obligations under its leases are secured by the lessor's title to the leased assets. Set out below are the carrying amounts of right of use assets and lease liabilities recognized and the movements during the year:
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lease right of use asset | Lease liability | |||
| Buildings | Cell sites | Vehicles | ||
| Balance as at January 1, 2019 | 252 | 362 | 42 | 683 |
| Amortization charges | (41) | (78) | (27) | |
| Accretion of interest | 20 | |||
| Non-cash movements | 11 | 46 | 15 | 73 |
| Lease payments (principal) cash outflow | (139) | |||
| Lease payments (interest) cash outflow | (20) | |||
| Balance as at December 31, 2019 | 222 | 330 | 30 | 617 |
| Amortization charges | (38) | (71) | (25) | |
| Accretion of interest | 18 | |||
| Non-cash movements | 114 | 65 | 36 | 214 |
| Lease payments (principal) cash outflow | (129) | |||
| Lease payments (interest) cash outflow | (18) | |||
| Balance as at December 31, 2020 | 298 | 324 | 41 | 702 |
| Current | 120 | |||
| Non-Current | 298 | 324 | 41 | 582 |
| Balance as at December 31, 2019 | 222 | 330 | 30 | 617 |
| Current | 131 | |||
| Non-Current | 222 | 330 | 30 | 486 |
In 2018 rent expenses in amounts of NIS 169 million were recorded according to the previous accounting policy under IAS 17.
See note 6(a)(4) for maturity analysis of undiscounted lease liability as of December 31, 2020.
Total provision recorded in the financial statements in respect of all lawsuits against the Group amounted to NIS 12 million at December 31, 2020. Provisions regarding the claims below were recognized when appropriate according to the Company's accounting policy (see note 2(m)(1)).
Described below are the main litigation and claims against the Group:
This category includes class actions and motions for the recognition of these lawsuits as class actions with respect to, among others, alleged claims regarding charges and claims regarding alleged breach of the Consumer Protection Law, the Privacy Protection Law, the Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting), license provisions, other legal provisions and engagement agreements with customers.
Described hereunder are the outstanding consumer class actions and motions for the recognition of these lawsuits as class actions, detailed according to the amount claimed, as of the date of approval of these financial statements:
| Total claims amount (NIS |
||
|---|---|---|
| Claim amount | Number of claims | million) |
| Up to NIS 100 million | 16 | 422 |
| NIS 101 - 400 million | 7 | 1,512 |
| NIS 401 million - NIS 1 billion | 2 | 1,405 |
| Unquantified claims | 15 | - |
| Total | 40 | 3,339 |
With respect to four claims mentioned in the table above in a total amount of NIS 476 million, the parties filed requests to approve settlement agreements.
With respect to one claim mentioned in the table above in a total amount of NIS 400 million, in December 2020, the applicants notified that they wish to withdraw from the proceedings and the Court has yet to rule on the matter.
With respect to six claims mentioned above, the court approved these claims as class actions as follows:
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
With respect to one additional claim, the court approved a settlement agreement which was fully implemented by the Company:
On April 3, 2012, a claim and a motion to certify the claim as a class action were filed against Partner. The claim alleges that Partner breached its license conditions in connection with benefits provided to customers that purchased handsets from third parties. The amount claimed in the lawsuit was estimated by the plaintiffs to be approximately NIS 22 million. In September 2014, the Court approved the motion and recognized the lawsuit as a class action. In July 2017, the parties filed a request to the Court to approve a settlement agreement. In December 2019, the Court approved the settlement agreement which was fully implemented by Partner. The damages that Partner was required to pay were immaterial.
With respect to five additional claims (not included in the table above), the court approved settlement agreements and withdrawals which the Company is implementing.
In addition to all the above mentioned claims the Group is a party to various claims arising in the ordinary course of its operations.
Section 197 of the Building and Planning Law states that a property owner has the right to be compensated by a local planning committee for reductions in property value as a result of a new building plan.
In January 2006, the Non-ionizing Radiation Law was published, amending the Planning and Building Law so that local Planning and Building committees must require indemnification letters against reduction in property value from the cellular operators requesting building permits.
Accordingly, on January 3, 2006, the National Council for Planning and Building published an interim decision conditioning the issuance of building permits for cell site permits by local planning and building councils upon provision of a 100% indemnification undertaking by the cellular operators. This decision shall remain in effect until it is replaced with an amendment to the National Zoning Plan 36. Between January 3, 2006 and December 31, 2020 the Company provided the local authorities with 444 indemnification letters as a pre-condition for obtaining building permits.
In case the Company shall be required to make substantial payments under the indemnity letters, it could have an adverse effect on the Company's financial results.
According to the company's management estimation and based on its legal counsel, a provision in the financial statement was not included.
The Company assumes that the requirement to provide indemnification letters might require it to change locations of sites to different, less suitable locations and to dismantle some of its sites. These changes in the deployment of the sites might have an adverse effect on the extent, quality and capacity of the network coverage.
The Israeli Tax Authority is conducting an investigation that involves document collection and the questioning of among others, several Company employees, both past and current. The investigation is seeking to determine whether there have been violations of the Eilat Free Trade Zone (Tax Exemptions and Reductions) - 1985 Law regarding the sale of cellular phones in the city of Eilat. The Company is fully cooperating with the Israeli Tax Authority. At this stage, the Company is unable to estimate the impact of the investigation on the Company, its results and its condition, if any.
The Company's share capital consists of ordinary shares, which are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd. under the symbol "PTNR", and are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market™, in the form of American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), each representing one of the Company's ordinary shares, under the symbol "PTNR", according to the dual listing regulations. The ADSs are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). Citibank, N.A. serves as the Company's depository for ADSs. The holders of ordinary shares are entitled vote in the general meetings of shareholders and to receive dividends as declared.
Under the provisions of the Company's licenses (note 1(c)), restrictions are placed on transfer of the Company's shares and placing liens thereon. The restrictions include the requirement of advance written consent of the Minister of Communications be received prior to transfer of 10% or more of the Company's shares to a third party. Nevertheless, under certain licenses granted, directly or indirectly, to the Company, a notice to, the Minister of Communications may be required for holding any means of control in the Company. The Company's license also restricts crossownership and cross-control among competing mobile telephone operators, including the ownership of 5% or more of the means of control of both the Company and a competing operator, without the consent of the Minister of Communications, which may limit certain persons from acquiring our shares. See also note 26 (d) with respect of holdings of approved Israeli shareholders in the Company.
Through December 31, 2008 the Company purchased its own 4,467,990 shares at the cost of NIS 351 million, and during 2018 the Company purchased its own 6,501,588 shares at the cost of NIS 100 million (upon repurchase were recorded as "treasury shares"). In accordance with the Israeli Companies Law, the treasury shares are considered dormant shares as long as they are held by the Company, and as such they do not bear any rights (including the right to vote in general meetings of shareholders and to receive dividends) until they are transferred to a third party. Some of the treasury shares were offered to employees under a share based compensation plan: Company's Equity Incentive Plan as restricted shares awards ("RSAs") (see (b) below).
As of December 31, 2020 a total of 7,741,784 treasury shares remained, of which 1,008,735 were allocated to a trustee on behalf of the employees under the plan. The RSAs offered under the plan are under the control of the Company until vested under the plan and therefore are not presented in the financial statements as outstanding shares until vested.
In January 2020, the Company issued 19,330,183 shares of the Company to institutional investors, following a tender under a shelf offering, and by way of a private placement. The total net consideration received was approximately NIS 276 million. The offering expenses totaled NIS 10 million.
Share options and restricted shares were granted to employees in accordance with Company's Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). It includes allocation of restricted shares ("RSAs") to the Company's employees and officers and determines the right to vote at the general meetings of shareholders and the right to receive dividends distributed with respect to the restricted shares. The committee may set performance targets as a vesting criterion (independently or in combination with other criteria).
The total number of Company's shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of all options or upon the earning of the restricted shares granted under the Plan is 26,917,000, of which 9,076,270 remained ungranted as of December 31, 2020. The vesting of the options and the earning of the restricted shares are subject to vesting/restriction periods. The vesting of the options and the earning of the restricted shares are also subject to performance conditions set by the Company's organs. The Company expects that the performance conditions will be met. The Plan's principal terms of the options include:
| Through December 31, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of options | Number of RSAs | |
| Granted | 36,108,430 | 5,907,609 |
| Shares issued upon exercises and vesting | (6,574,778) | (3,229,106) |
| Cancelled upon net exercises, expiration | ||
| and forfeitures | (22,504,229) | (1,671,080) |
| Outstanding | 7,029,423 | 1,007,423 |
| Of which: | ||
| Exercisable | 4,071,714 | |
| Vest in 2021 | 1,788,172 | 611,551 |
| Vest in 2022 | 800,789 | 263,183 |
| Vest in 2023 | 368,748 | 132,689 |
As of December 31, 2020 the Company expects to record a total amount of compensation expenses of approximately NIS 9 million during the next three years with respect to options and restricted shares granted through December 31, 2020.

(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
b. Share based compensation to employees (continued)
(3) Options and RSAs status summary as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and the changes therein during the years ended on those dates:
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 2020 |
|||||
| Weighted average | Weighted average | Weighted average | ||||
| Number | exercise price | Number | exercise price | Number | exercise price | |
| Share Options: | NIS | NIS | ||||
| Outstanding at the beginning of the year | 8,708,483 | 29.67 | 9,697,266 | 28.19 | 9,020,689 | 23.62 |
| Granted during the year | 2,536,362 | 18.59 | 1,232,226 | 16.21 | 1,035,635 | 14.24 |
| Exercised during the year | (778,616) | 17.11 | (70,824) | 16.62 | (296,450) | 14.71 |
| Forfeited during the year | (307,055) | 18.79 | (235,150) | 18.74 | (252,547) | 18.42 |
| Expired during the year | (461,908) | 28.17 | (1,602,829) | 46.64 | (2,477,904) | 34.10 |
| Outstanding at the end of the year | 9,697,266 | 28.19 | 9,020,689 | 23.62 | 7,029,423 | 18.64 |
| Exercisable at the end of the year | 6,266,965 | 33.39 | 5,623,921 | 27.11 | 4,071,714 | 20.04 |
| Shares issued during the year due exercises | 94,276 | 3,166 | 46,747 | |||
| RSAs: | ||||||
| Outstanding at the beginning of the year | 1,344,297 | 1,209,521 | 1,230,464 | |||
| Granted during the year | 813,310 | 397,476 | 398,055 | |||
| Vested during the year | (791,796) | (284,427) | (534,053) | |||
| Forfeited during the year | (156,290) | (92,106) | (87,043) | |||
| Outstanding at the end of the year | 1,209,521 | 1,230,464 | 1,007,423 | |||
| Options granted in 2018 |
Options granted in 2019 |
Options granted in 2020 |
||||
| Weighted average fair value of options granted using the | ||||||
| Black & Scholes option-pricing model – per option (NIS) | 4.36 | 3.34 | 3.71 | |||
| The above fair value is estimated on the grant date based on the following weighted average assumptions: | ||||||
| Expected volatility | 34.14% | 33.52% | 37.24% | |||
| Risk-free interest rate | 0.79% | 0.57% | 0.21% |
* Due to the Full Dividend Mechanism the expected dividend yield used in the fair value determination of such options was 0% for the purpose of using the Black & Scholes option-pricing model.
The expected volatility is based on a historical volatility, by statistical analysis of the daily share price for periods corresponding the option's expected life. The expected life is expected length of time until expected date of exercising the options, based on historical data on employees' exercise behavior and anticipated future condition. The fair value of RSAs was evaluated based on the stock price on grant date.
Expected life (years) 3.16 3 3 Dividend yield * * *
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(4) Information about outstanding options by expiry dates:
Share options outstanding as of December 31, 2020 have the following expiry dates and exercise prices:
| Expire in options 2021 2,115,923 2022 373,810 2023 615,894 2024 2,210,116 2025 678,045 2026 1,035,635 |
Weighted average exercise price in |
Number of share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIS | |||
| 19.93 | |||
| 26.54 | |||
| 19.25 | |||
| 18.60 | |||
| 16.52 | |||
| 14.24 | |||
| 18.64 | 7,029,423 |
The aggregate amount of transaction price allocated to performance obligations that were unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied as of December 31, 2020, in addition to deferred revenues (see table below), is approximately NIS 218 million (mainly services). Of which the Group expects that approximately 40% will be recognized as revenue during 2021, approximately 30% will be recognized as revenue during 2022, and the rest in later years. The above excludes contracts that are for periods of one year or less or are billed based on time incurred, as permitted under IFRS 15 the transaction price allocated to these unsatisfied contracts is not disclosed.
The table below describes significant changes in contract liabilities:
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Deferred revenues | Other deferred | |
| from Hot mobile * | revenues* | |
| Balance at January 1, 2019 | 164 | 45 |
| Revenue recognized that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the year | (31) | (19) |
| Increases due to cash received, excluding amounts recognized as revenues during the year | - | 27 |
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 133 | 53 |
| Revenue recognized that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the year | (31) | (31) |
| Increases due to cash received, excluding amounts recognized as revenues during the year | - | 78 |
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | 102 | 100 |
* Current and non-current deferred revenues.
| Year ended December 31, 2020 New Israeli Shekels in millions |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | |
| Segment revenue - Services to private customers | 942 | 604 | (83) | 1,463 |
| Segment revenue - Services to business customers | 721 | 389 | (65) | 1,045 |
| Segment revenue - Services revenue total | 1,663 | 993 | (148) | 2,508 |
| Segment revenue - Equipment | 545 | 136 | 681 | |
| Total Revenues | 2,208 | 1,129 | (148) | 3,189 |
| Year ended December 31, 2019 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Israeli Shekels in millions | ||||
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | |
| Segment revenue - Services to private customers | 990 | 513 | (87) | 1,416 |
| Segment revenue - Services to business customers | 808 | 412 | (76) | 1,144 |
| Segment revenue - Services revenue total | 1,798 | 925 | (163) | 2,560 |
| Segment revenue - Equipment | 571 | 103 | 674 | |
| Total Revenues | 2,369 | 1,028 | (163) | 3,234 |
| Year ended December 31, 2018 New Israeli Shekels in millions |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular segment | Fixed-line segment | Elimination | Consolidated | |
| Segment revenue - Services to private customers | 1,045 | 418 | (95) | 1,368 |
| Segment revenue - Services to business customers | 798 | 434 | (76) | 1,156 |
| Segment revenue - Services revenue total | 1,843 | 852 | (171) | 2,524 |
| Segment revenue - Equipment | 643 | 92 | 735 | |
| Total Revenues | 2,486 | 944 | (171) | 3,259 |
Revenues from services are recognized over time. For the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 revenues from equipment are recognized at a point of time, except for NIS 16 million, NIS 17 million and NIS 10 million, respectively, which were recognized over time. Revenues from equipment for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 include revenues from operating leases according to IAS 17 and IFRS 16, in an amount of NIS 16 million, NIS 17 million and NIS 10 million, respectively.
Revenues from services for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 include revenues from operating leases according to IAS17 and IFRS 16 in an amount of NIS 37 million, NIS 57 million and NIS 73 million, respectively.
See also note 7 with respect to payment terms of sales of equipment, trade receivables and allowance for expected credit losses.
| (b) Cost of revenues | New Israeli Shekels | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31, | ||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||
| In millions | ||||
| Transmission, communication and content providers | 742 | 746 | 786 | |
| Cost of equipment and accessories | 543 | 500 | 510 | |
| Depreciation and amortization | 457 | 603 | 546 | |
| Wages, employee benefits expenses and car maintenance | 310 | 312 | 282 | |
| Costs of handling, replacing or repairing equipment | 73 | 71 | 66 | |
| Operating lease, rent and overhead expenses | 184 | 73 | 75 | |
| Network and cable maintenance | 109 | 99 | 97 | |
| Internet infrastructure and service providers | 143 | 173 | 157 | |
| IT support and other operating expenses | 56 | 57 | 56 | |
| Amortization of deferred expenses - rights of use | 47 | 28 | 31 | |
| Other | 36 | 45 | 58 | |
| Total cost of revenues | 2,700 | 2,707 | 2,664 |

(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| (c) Selling and marketing expenses | New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||
| In millions | |||||
| Wages, employee benefits expenses and car maintenance | 111 | 102 | 81 | ||
| Advertising and marketing | 46 | 44 | 42 | ||
| Selling commissions, net | 27 | 28 | 31 | ||
| Depreciation and amortization | 77 | 106 | 123 | ||
| Operating lease, rent and overhead expenses | 19 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Other | 13 | 17 | 12 | ||
| Total selling and marketing expenses | 293 | 301 | 291 |
| (d) General and administrative expenses | New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||
| In millions | |||||
| Wages, employee benefits expenses and car maintenance | 76 | 85 | 81 | ||
| Professional fees | 21 | 21 | 21 | ||
| Credit card and other commissions | 14 | 13 | 13 | ||
| Depreciation | 11 | 14 | 14 | ||
| Other | 26 | 16 | 16 | ||
| Total general and administrative expenses | 148 | 149 | 145 |
| Year ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020* | |||
| In millions | |||||
| Wages, employee benefits expenses and car maintenance, | |||||
| before capitalization | 543 | 543 | 482 | ||
| Less: expenses capitalized (notes 10, 11) | (92) | (96) | (85) | ||
| Service costs: defined benefit plan (note 16(2)) | 11 | 12 | 10 | ||
| Service costs: defined contribution plan (note 16(1)) | 20 | 23 | 25 | ||
| Employee share based compensation expenses (note 21(b)) | 15 | 17 | 12 | ||
| 497 | 499 | 444 |
In March 2019 the Company signed a new collective employment agreement with the employees' representatives and the Histadrut New General Labor Organization (hereinafter - the "Parties") that includes an economic chapter, for the years 2019-2021 ("the Collective Employment Agreement"). The Collective Employment Agreement grants Partner employees, among other things: an immediate salary increase for employees with a seniority of 1.5 years or more; an additional salary increase contingent upon the Company's performance; sharing of the Company's profits and the terms of eligibility for these grants in the years 2019-2021.
* See also note 1 with respect to the COVID-19 crisis effects.
| New Israeli Shekels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31, | ||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||
| In millions | ||||
| Unwinding of trade receivables | 25 | 23 | 21 | |
| Other income, net | 3 | 5 | 9 | |
| 28 | 28 | 30 |
| New Israeli Shekels | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31, | |||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||
| In millions | |||||
| Net foreign exchange rate gains | * | 4 | 3 | ||
| Interest income from cash, cash equivalents and deposits | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| Finance income | 2 | 7 | 8 | ||
| Interest expenses | 47 | 40 | 53 | ||
| CPI linkage expenses | 3 | * | * | ||
| Interest for lease liabilities | 20 | 18 | |||
| Finance charges for financial liabilities | 9 | 4 | |||
| Other finance costs | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Finance expenses | 55 | 75 | 77 | ||
| 53 | 68 | 69 |
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million
The Group is taxed according to the regular corporate income tax in Israel.
The corporate tax rate in Israel is 23% for the year 2018 and thereafter.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Balances of deferred tax asset (liability) in NIS millions are attributable to the following items:
| Charged to retained |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charged to the | As at | Charged to the | earnings upon | As at | Charged to the | As at | ||
| Balance of deferred tax asset | As at January | income | December 31, | income | implementation | December 31, | income | December 31, |
| (liability) in respect of | 1, 2018 | statement | 2018 | statement | of IFRS 16 | 2019 | statement | 2020 |
| Allowance for credit losses | 45 | (2) | 43 | (4) | 39 | (5) | 34 | |
| Provisions for employee rights | 15 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 18 | (5) | 13 | |
| Depreciable fixed assets and software | (27) | 8 | (19) | 8 | (11) | 12 | 1 | |
| Lease - Right-of-use assets | - | - | 17 | (151) | (134) | (18) | (152) | |
| Leases liabilities | - | - | (15) | 157 | 142 | 19 | 161 | |
| Intangibles, deferred expenses and | ||||||||
| carry forward losses | 16 | (24) | (8) | (11) | (19) | (14) | (33) | |
| Options granted to employees | 6 | (1) | 5 | 1 | 6 | * | 6 | |
| Other | * | * | * | * | * | (1) | (1) | |
| Total | 55 | (17) | 38 | (3) | 6 | 41 | (12) | 29 |
* Representing an amount of less than 1 million.
** In the reporting periods charges to other comprehensive income were in amounts of less than NIS 1 million.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
b. Deferred income taxes (continued)
| New Israeli Shekels December 31, |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | ||
| In millions | |||
| Deferred tax assets | |||
| Deferred tax assets to be recovered after more than 12 months | 173 | 188 | |
| Deferred tax assets to be recovered within 12 months | 85 | 76 | |
| 258 | 264 | ||
| Deferred tax liabilities | |||
| Deferred tax liabilities to be recovered after more than 12 months | 164 | 184 | |
| Deferred tax liabilities to be recovered within 12 months | 53 | 51 | |
| 217 | 235 | ||
| Deferred tax assets, net | 41 | 29 |
c. Following is a reconciliation of the theoretical tax expense, assuming all income is taxed at the regular tax rates applicable to companies in Israel (see (a) above), and the actual tax expense:
| New Israeli Shekels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31, | |||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| In millions | |||
| Profit before taxes on income, | |||
| as reported in the income statements | 63 | 19 | 27 |
| Theoretical tax expense | 14 | 4 | 6 |
| Increase in tax resulting from disallowable deductions | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Taxes on income in respect of previous years | (15) | (7) | 3 |
| Temporary differences and tax losses for which no deferred income | |||
| tax asset was recognized | (1) | (2) | (3) |
| Income tax expenses | 7 | * | 10 |
* Representing an amount of less than NIS 1 million.
(An Israeli Corporation) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
d. Taxes on income included in the income statements:
| New Israeli Shekels Year ended December 31, |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| In millions | |||
| For the reported year: | |||
| Current | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Deferred, see (c) above | 17 | 4 | 5 |
| In respect of previous years: | |||
| Current | (15) | (7) | (4) |
| Deferred, see (c) above | (1) | 7 | |
| 7 | * | 10 | |
* Representing an amount of less than NIS 1 million.
At December 31, 2019 and 2020, the Company had carry forward tax losses of approximately NIS 92 million and NIS 88 million, respectively. The losses can be carried forward indefinitely and have no expiry date. The Company recognized deferred tax asset in respect of the tax losses.
Key management personnel are the senior management of the Company and the members of the Company's Board of Directors.
| New Israeli Shekels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended December 31 | |||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Key management compensation expenses comprised | In millions | ||
| Salaries and short-term employee benefits | 22 | 27 | 21 |
| Long term employment benefits | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Employee share-based compensation expenses | 9 | 12 | 7 |
| 34 | 42 | 31 | |
| New Israeli Shekels | |||
| December 31, | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | ||
| Statement of financial position items - key management | In millions | ||
| Current liabilities: | 10 | 9 | |
| Non-current liabilities: | 10 | 10 |
b. In the ordinary course of business, key management or their relatives may have engaged with the Company with immaterial transactions that are under normal market conditions.
c. Principal shareholder: S.B. Israel Telecom, an affiliate of Saban Capital Group LLC, a private investment firm, based in Los Angeles, California, specializing in the media, entertainment and communications industries, is the registered owner of the shares in the Company's share register. On November 11, 2019, S.B. Israel Telecom filed an amendment to its Schedule 13D with the SEC stating that it had no sole or shared voting or dispositive power over any shares of the Company, and that as a result of the Receiver Appointment (as defined in the filed amendment), as of November 12, 2019, the Reporting Persons (as defined in the filed amendment) ceased to beneficially own any ordinary shares of the Company. On November 12, 2019, the District Court of Tel Aviv ("the Court") issued a court order ("the Court Order") under which attorney Ehud Sol (the "Receiver") was appointed as receiver for 49,862,800 of the Company's shares, representing as of March 1, 2021, approximately 27.12% of our issued and outstanding share capital and the largest block of shares held by a single shareholder. The shares (the "Pledged Shares") had been purchased by S.B. Israel Telecom Ltd. ("S.B. Israel Telecom") from Advent Investments Pte Ltd ("Advent") in 2013; in connection with the purchase, S.B. Israel Telecom assumed certain debt owed to Advent, and agreed that such debt would be secured by, among other things, the Pledged Shares. S.B. Israel Telecom defaulted on the payment, and on November 11, 2019, consented to enforcement and foreclosure proceedings with respect to the Pledged Shares.
The Court Order was issued due to an application filed by Advent ("Advent's Application") and granted the Receiver substantial rights related to the Pledged Shares, including the right to participate in our shareholders' meetings, to vote the Pledged Shares, to receive dividends, and any contractual right related to the Pledged Shares, although as noted below, the Receiver may not sell or transfer the Pledged Shares without the Court's approval. Without derogating from those rights of the Receiver, S.B. Israel Telecom remains the holder of legal title to the Pledged Shares. On December 9, 2019, the Ministry of Communications granted, within its powers, a permit to the Receiver to exercise means of control of the Company by himself. As a result, the Receiver has the power to substantially influence the nomination of the Company's Board of Directors and to play a preponderant if not decisive role in other decisions taken at meetings of our shareholders. The Receiver is expected to hold such rights until the Pledged Shares are sold or transferred to Advent, actions that would require the Court's approval according to the Court Order and Advent's Application. S.B. Israel Telecom has agreed that it would not raise an objection to such a transfer to Advent if it occurs within 9 months of November 11, 2019, the date of its consent; On December 9, 2020, Advent submitted an application to exercise means of control of the Company, but to the best of the Company's knowledge, such application has not yet been answered. The Receiver is to exercise the rights associated with the Pledged Shares based on its judgment and subject to the Court's orders and approvals. The Receiver is not obligated to exercise such rights in the best interests of the Company or its shareholders.
d. Holdings of approved Israeli shareholders in the Company: The provisions of the Company's cellular license require, among others, that the "founding shareholders or their approved substitutes", as defined in the cellular license, hold at least 26% of the means of control in the Company, including 5% which must be held by Israeli shareholders (Israeli citizens and residents), who were approved as such by the Minister of Communications. Notwithstanding the aforesaid, the controlling stake of the Phoenix Group (one of the Company's approved Israeli shareholders) has been sold to foreign entities. On November 12, 2019, the Israeli Ministry of Communications issued a temporary order (which ended on November 1, 2020) (the "Temporary Order") amending the Company's cellular license and reducing the percentage that the approved Israeli entities are required to hold (from 5% to 3.82% of the means of control in the Company). On July 7, 2020, the MoC published an amendment to the Company's cellular license which provides that the license terms applicable to Israeli shareholders may be replaced by an order issued by virtue of the Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting), 1982. Since the regulatory procedure allowing the above-mentioned license amendment to take place was still ongoing at the time, on October 26, 2020, the Israeli Ministry of Communications extended the term of the Temporary Order (ending on March 1, 2021). This temporary order allowed the Ministry and the Company sufficient time in which to resolve the issue of holdings of approved Israeli shareholders in the Company. During February 2021, the regulatory procedure allowing the above-mentioned license amendment to take place has been completed.
Following are data relating to the profit and the weighted average number of shares that were taken into account in computing the basic and diluted EPS:
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Profit used for the computation of | |||
| basic and diluted EPS attributable to the owners of the Company (NIS in millions) | 57 | 19 | 17 |
| Weighted average number of shares used | |||
| in computation of basic EPS (in thousands) | 165,979 | 162,831 | 182,331 |
| Add - net additional shares from assumed | |||
| exercise of employee stock options and restricted shared (in thousands) |
983 | 777 | 857 |
| Weighted average number of shares used in | |||
| computation of diluted EPS (in thousands) | 166,962 | 163,608 | 183,188 |
| Number of options and restricted shares not taken into | |||
| account in computation of diluted earnings per share, | |||
| because of their anti-dilutive effect (in thousands) | 9,609 | 8,952 | 6,466 |
Exhibit 4.(a).2
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
State of Israel Ministry of Communications
General License
For Partner Communications Company Ltd.
For the Provision of Mobile Radio Telephone Services Using the Cellular Method (MRT) in Israel
Jerusalem
April 7, 1998
Integrated Version – last updated March 2021 (amendment#110)
State of Israel Ministry of Communications
For Partner Communications Company Ltd.
By virtue of my authority pursuant to The Telecommunication Law, 1982, The Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance (New Version), 1972, and all my other authorities pursuant to all law, I award a License to Partner Communications Company Ltd. for the establishment of a Mobile Radio Telephone System using the cellular method, its subsistence, maintenance and operation, and for the provision of Mobile Radio Telephone services to the public in Israel through it, as set out in this License.
The License is issued for the period set out in the License and is subject to the following conditions:
Award of The License
Chapter E - Provision of MRT Services to Subscribers
Chapter G - Payments from the Licensee, Liability, Insurance and Guarantee Section A - Royalties and Payments 84. Royalties 85. Arrears in Royalty Payment 86. Method of Payment 87. Other Obligatory Payments Section B - Liability and Insurance 88. Definition of the Scope of Liability 89. Liability of the Licensee 90. Immunity from Liability 91. Drawing Up an Insurance Contract 92. Conditions in the Insurance Contract 93. Remedy for Breach of Insurance Conditions Section C - Guarantee for Fulfilling the Conditions of the License 94. The Guarantee and its Objective 95. Foreclosing the Guarantee 96. Method of Foreclosure 97. The Period of Validity of the Guarantee 98. Preservation of Remedies Chapter H - Supervision Section A - Supervision of the Licensee's Activities 99. Authority for Supervision 100. Confidentiality 101. Entering Premises and Inspection of Documents 102. Cooperation 103. Deleted 104. Types of Report 105. Notice of Fault 106. Reporting to the Minister Chapter I - Miscellaneous 107. The License as an Exhaustive Document 108. Holding the License Documents and their Return 109. Deferment of Date 110. Responsibility 111. Dispatch of Notice 112. Operation in the Civil Administration Territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza Section B - Fault Repair and preservation of documents and recordings
First Annex - List of Services and Criteria for Quality of Service Second Annex - Appendices Appendix A – Deleted 1. Indices of Quality and Grade of Service 2. List and Description of MRT Services
Appendix B - Engineering Plan
Appendix C - Maintenance Organization
Appendix D - Standard Agreement
Appendix E - Minimum Requirements and Grade of Service to Subscribers
System Performance
Quality of Service for the Provision of Information to Customers and Subscribers 3. Countrywide Deployment of Sites for Providing Information and Handling Subscriber Queries
Appendix F - Tariff Table
Appendix G - Insurance Contract
Appendix H - Bank Guarantee
Appendix I - Written Undertakings
Signature of the Minister
1.1 In this License, the following words and expressions will have the meaning appended to them, unless another meaning is implicit in the text or its context.
| "5 Generation Service Area"2 | - | A geographical area in which a general licensee must, according to its license, establish, maintain or operate a public telecommunication network and provide through it 5 Generation service to the general public, as specified in Appendix E, section 1.3(d) (1). |
|---|---|---|
| "Type approval" | - | Approval given by the Ministry in accordance with the Law and Ordinance for a model of MRT Terminal Equipment. |
| "Means of Control" | - | In a corporation, each of the following: (1) Voting rights in the corporation's general meeting or in an equivalent body in another corporation; (2) The right to appoint a director or managing director; (3) The right to participate in the corporation's profits; (4) The right to share in the corporation's remaining assets after payment of debts when the corporation is wound-up; |
| "Telecommunications"- | - | Broadcasting, transmission or reception of signs, signals, text, visual forms, voices or information through wire, wireless, an optic system or other electromagnetic systems; |
| 3"Franchisee" | - | As defined in section 6L(1) of the Law; |
| "Interested Party" | - | Whoever holds, either directly or indirectly, 5% of a specific type of Means of Control; for the purpose of this definition, "holding", includes holding as an agent; |
| "The Licensee" | - | Partner Communications Company Ltd., which was awarded this License; |
| "A Licensee" | - | The body to which the Minister has awarded, in accordance with the Law, a general or special License; |
2 Amendment No. 107
| 4"General Licensee" | - | A person who has received a general license to effect telecommunications activities and to provide telecommunications services: |
|---|---|---|
| 5"Broadcast Licensee" | - | as defined in the Law; |
| 6Roaming Licensee"- | - | A person who has won tender 12/2010- a combined license for the provision of cellular mobile radio telephone (MRT) services in Israel –an expansion of the existing license and the grant of a new license; |
| "7Cellular Licensee Infrastructure Licensee" |
- | Whoever receives a license for establishment, existence and operation of a radio infrastructure for an MRT operator; |
| "The Competent Body according to the Ordinance" 8 |
- | The director as defined in the Ordinance or to whom he has delegated his authority as the case may be. |
| " 92nd Generation" |
- | A network which allows mainly the provision of voice and message services, using basic MRT technology of GSM or CDMA and all of their updates, such as GPRS, EDGE, etc.; |
| " 103rd Generation" |
- | A network, which in addition to 2nd Generation services, allows for the provision of data services at a medium pace (a few dozen megabits per second) using basic MRT technology of UMTS and CDMA2000 and all of their updates, such as HSPA, HSPA+, etc.; |
| " 114th Generation" |
- | A network, which in addition to 3rd Generation services, allows for the transfer of date at a high pace (approximately 100 megabits per seconds) using basic MRT technology in accordance with the 3GPP TS 36.104 last release standard, for supplying all of the Licensee's services under its license, such as LTE technology; |
| "Access Fee" | - | Payment for use of other telecommunication systems, including payment for connection, transmission and collection; |
4Amendment No. 14
5 Amendment No. 14
6 Amendment No. 59
7 Amendment No. 83
8 Amendment No. 107
9 Amendment No. 83
10 Amendment No. 83 11 Amendment No. 83
| "5 Generation License Fee" 12 |
- | The payment which the tender winner is required to pay for the license as notified to him by the tender committee in accordance with the 5 Generation tender. |
|---|---|---|
| "Technical Requirements and Grade of Service" |
- | Standards of availability and grade of service, standards for Telecommunication Installations and installation instructions, operation and maintenance, all in accordance with the Engineering Plan and the Annexes to this License, and as the Director will order from time to time regarding the Licensee's services; |
| 13"Subscriber Agreement" | - | a contract that serves as an agreement between the Licensee and a subscriber, for the provision of all or part of the Licensee's services; |
| "The Bid" | - | The Licensee's bid in the Tender; |
| "The Bezeq Corporation" | - | Bezeq, Israel Telecommunication Corporation Ltd. |
| 14"Bill" or "Telephone Bill" | - | A bill that the Licensee submits to a subscriber for services that it itself provided to the subscriber or for Goods that it sold or rented to the subscriber; |
| "The Law" | - | The 15Communications (Telecommunication and Broadcasts) Law, 5742-1982; |
| 16"Goods" | - | As defined in section 3 of the Interpretation Law, 5741 – 1981; |
| 17"Holding" | - | for the purposes of Means of Control, directly or indirectly, whether alone or jointly , including by way of another, and including by way of a trustee or agent, or by a right granted under any agreement, including an option to hold which does not arise from convertible securities, or any other means; |
| 18"Transfer" | - | for the purposes of Means of Control, directly or indirectly, for valuable consideration or otherwise, in perpetuity or for a fixed period, at once or in portions; |
12 Amendment No.107
13 Amendment No. 41
14 Amendment No. 87
15 Amendment No. 14
16 Amendment No. 87
17 Amendment No. 14
| 19"Jointly with Others" | - | cooperation on a permanent basis; and the following shall be deemed to be in cooperation on a permanent basis: in respect of an individual – the individual, a person related to him, and a corporation that either of them controls; and in respect of a corporation – the corporation, the person who controls it and a person controlled by either of them;" |
|---|---|---|
| "The Security Forces" | - | The Israel Defense Forces, The Israel Police, the General Security Force and the Institution of Intelligence and Special Operations; |
| 20"Applicant" | - | whoever asks to engage in an engagement agreement or a purchase agreement with the Licensee; |
| "The Index" | - | The Consumer Price Index that is published by the Central Bureau of Statistics, from time to time, or any other index which will be substituted for it; |
| "Cellular Radio Base" | - | A wireless installation operating on the operating frequencies of the MRT System and used for establishing radio contact between subscribers' MRT Terminal Equipment units in its area of coverage and the MRT exchange; |
| "Interface" | - | The physical connection, including optic or wireless, meeting between various operational telecommunications installations;21 |
| "Telecommunication Installation" |
- | An installation or device which is primarily designated for telecommunications purposes, including Terminal Equipment;22 |
| "234th Generation Tender" | - | Tender No. 2014/021 – a combined license for the provision of mobile radio telephony communications by way of the cellular method in Israel (MRT): expansion of an existing license or granting a new license; |
19 Amendment No. 14 20 Amendment No. 87
21 Amendment No. 14
22 Amendment No. 14
| "5th Generation Tender"24 | - | Tender No. 015/2019 – a combined license for the provision of mobile radio telephony communications by way of the cellular method in Israel (MRT): expansion of an existing license or granting a new special license for MRT services on advanced bandwidths; |
|---|---|---|
| 25"Tender No. 1/01 | - | The tender published by the Ministry on 4 Nissan 5761 (28 March 2001), including clarifications given by the Ministry during the tender, and following which this License has been amended; |
| "The Tender" | - | Tender No. 7/97, published by the Ministry on July 15, 1997, including clarifications provided by the Ministry during the course of the Tender, following which this License has been awarded; |
| "The Director" | - | The Director General of the Ministry of Communications or his appointee in the matter of this License, wholly or partly; |
| "Subscriber" | - | Whoever has signed a subscriber agreement with the Licensee for obtaining MRT services as a terminal user.26 ; |
| "Business Subscriber"27 | - | a Subscriber that is one of the following: a corporation, as defined in the Interpretations Law, 1981; government offices and other quasi-governmental offices; a licensed dealer except for an exempt dealer; a body that was incorporated in a law or by-law. |
| 28"Split Business Subscriber" | - | a user of the Terminal Equipment, when his Telephone Bill is split between himself and a Business Subscriber or when he is charged for the entire Telephone Bill; |
| 29"Non-Business Subscriber" | - | a Subscriber that is not a Business Subscriber and that is not a Split Business Subscriber; |
24 Amendment No. 107
25 Amendment No. 14
26 Amendment No. 41
27 Amendment No. 45
28 Amendment No. 87
| "Dormant Subscriber"30 - |
a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: |
|---|---|
| Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; | |
| Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; | |
| Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. | |
| a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: | |
| Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; | |
| Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; | |
| Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. | |
| a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; |
|
| Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; | |
| Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. | |
| a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: | |
| Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; | |
| Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; | |
| Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. | |
| a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: | |
| Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; | |
| Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; | |
| Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. | |
| a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: | |
| Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; | |
| Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; | |
| Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. | |
| a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. |
||
|---|---|---|
| a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. a subscriber that fulfills all of the following conditions: Has not received and not made use of MRT services for at least one year, as of 1 January 2008; Does not pay the Licensee any fixed tariffs; Does not have an agreement with the Licensee for a fixed period program. |
||
| "International Communication System" |
- | a telecommunications installations system , connected or intended to be connected to a Public Telecommunications Network through an International Network Termination Point (NTP), which serves or intends to serve for the transmission of telecommunications messages between an international switch located in Israel and a Telecommunications Installation located outside of Israel, including a satellite ground station and other Telecommunications Installations (hereinafter: "Components of the System"), and including transmission facilities between Components of the System;31 |
| "5 Generation System" | - | The MRT system, whether it is part of a 2G, 3G or 4G of the Licensee or whether it is separate from them, physically or logically, which enables data transfer fFor the purpose of providing RELEASE 15 3 starting from GPP in RTN technology in accordance with the standard 5G service. Whether it enables the provision of 5G service in the 5G service area or whether it enables the provision of service in other geographical areas; |
|---|---|---|
| "One-time Transaction" | - | A transaction that is not a Continuous Transaction; |
| "Continuous Transaction" | - | An engagement agreement to purchase Licensee services continuously and ongoing, including any change to the agreement or addition to it that do not constitute a new transaction, and all whether the engagement agreement is for a set period or whether not for a set period; |
| "The MRT System" | - | The MRT through which the Licensee provides its services; |
| 32"DO (Domestic Operator)" | - | a holder of a general license for the provision of wireless domestic telecommunications services; |
| Mobile Radio Telephone System (MRT)" |
- | A wireless installation system built according to the cellular method and other installations, through which Mobile Radio Telephone Services are provided to the public, including an MRT exchange, Cellular Radio Bases and wireless or physical transmission channels which connect Cellular Radio Bases, Cellular Radio Bases and an MRT exchange, and between MRT exchanges; |
| "International Operator" | - | An operator which provides International Communication Services to the public in Israel in accordance with a general License awarded by the Minister; |
| 33"MRT Operator" | - | A holder of a general license for the provision of mobile radio telephone services; |
32 Amendment No. 14
| Translation from Hebrew | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Binding version is the Hebrew version |
| 34"MRT Operator on Another Network" | - | a Licensee for the Provision of MRT Services that involves the use of all or a portion of an MRT System of an MRT Operator and at least of the Access Network of the said MRT System; |
|---|---|---|
| 35"Competing MRT Operator" |
- | An MRT Operator that is not the Licensee; |
| "Domestic Operator" | - | An operator who provides communication services (infrastructure, transmission and telephony) to the public in Israel in accordance with a general license from the Minister. |
| "Exchange" | - | A Telecommunication Installation in which switching and transmission means are operated, which allows the establishment of contact between various Terminal Equipment units connected to it, and transmission of telecommunication messages between them, including control and monitoring installations and other installations which enable provision of various services to the Licensee's subscribers or to the subscribers of another Licensee. |
| "The Ministry" | - | The Ministry of Communications; |
| 36"Transfer Switch" | - | A Telecommunications Installation which contains and operates switching, routing and transmission devices which enable the creation of a connection between various switching centers connected thereto , and the transmission of telecommunications messages between them , including monitoring and routing installations; |
| 37"National Roaming" (NR)" | - | The expansion of the services of another MRT Operator (hereinafter-"another operator") to coverage areas of the Licensee through the Licensee's MRT system, as detailed in section 67E. |
| "Officer" | - | 38a person serving as a director, general manager, chief executive officer, deputy general manager, vice general manager, or a person acting as a replacement of one of the above in a company even under a different title as well as any other manager directly subordinate to the general manager of the company; |
34 Amendment No. 87
35 Amendment No. 14
36 Amendment No. 14
37 Amendment No. 59
| Translation from Hebrew | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Binding version is the Hebrew version |
| "Appendices" | - | 39The First Annex and the Appendices set out in the Second Annex to the License;; |
|---|---|---|
| NTP - (Network Termination Point)" |
- | An interface to one end of which a Public Telecommunication Network is connected, and to the other, Terminal Equipment, a private network, a mobile telephone network or another Public Telecommunications Network, as the case may be; |
| "International NTP" | - | An interface to one end of which a Public Telecommunication Network is connected, and to the other, an International Communication Network; |
| "Telecommunication Activity" |
- | Operation of a Telecommunication Installation, its installation, construction or its subsistence, all with the objective of telecommunication; |
| "The Ordinance" | - | The Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance (New Version) 1972; |
| Terminal Equipment" | - | Telecommunication equipment connected or designated to be connected to the Public Telecommunication Network, through an NTP or a private network, including telephones, modems, facsimile machines or private exchanges; |
| MRT Terminal Equipment" |
- | Hand-held, mobile Terminal Equipment, or Terminal Equipment designated for permanent installation in motor vehicles or ships, designated to be connected to the MRT System by radio communication through Cellular Radio Bases. |
| "PTP Line (Point to Point)" |
- | A line which serves for telecommunications, both ends of which are located on an NTP which is not in a public telecommunication network, in which a call or other form of communication which initiates at one end may terminate only in the other end. |
| 40"Interconnection" | - | a physical or logical connection between the Public Telecommunications Network of one licensee and the Public Telecommunications Network of another licensee, enabling the transfer of telecommunications messages between the subscribers of both licensees or the provision of services by one licensee to the subscribers of another licensee; |
39 Amendment No. 14
| "Relative" | - | A spouse, parent, son, daughter, brother or sister and their spouses; |
|---|---|---|
| "The License" | - | This License and all its Appendices as well as any document or condition which has been determined in the License as constituting an integral part of the License or of its conditions; |
| "the Network" | - | The Licensee's MRT system; |
| "Public Telecommunication Network" |
- | a system of Telecommunications Installations serving or designated to serve as a provider of Telecommunications Services to the entire public around the country, or at least in an area of service that includes exchanges and transmission switches, transmission equipment and an access network including an MRT system and an International Telecommunications System, and with the exception of a private network, Terminal Equipment and MRT Terminal Equipment; |
| "Wireline Public Telecommunications Network" |
- | A public domestic telecommunications network, with the exception of an MRT system and an International Telecommunications System; |
| "Access Network" | - | Components of a Public Telecommunications Network used to connect a switching center and a network termination point (NTP) using wireline infrastructure, wireless infrastructure or a combination of the two;" |
| "The Bezeq Corporation Network" |
- | The Public Telecommunication Network which serves The Bezeq Corporation for provision of services in accordance with the general License which it was awarded, as well as other Telecommunication Services provided, in accordance with the Law, either by The Bezeq Corporation or by another body; |
| "Use" | - | Access to a Telecommunications Installation of the Licensee, including to its Public Telecommunications Network or Access Network, in whole or in part, and the ability to use such , for the implementation of Telecommunications Activity and to provide Telecommunications Services thereby, including the installation of a Telecommunications Installation of another licensee on the Licensee's telecommunications facility or premises; |
| Translation from Hebrew | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Binding version is the Hebrew version |
| "Telecommunication Service" |
- | Operation of telecommunication activities for the public; |
|---|---|---|
| "International Communication Service" |
- | Telecommunication Service provided for the public in Israel, in accordance with a License granted by the Minister, through an international communications system of an International Operator; |
| 41 "5G Service" |
- | service provided in a 5G System that is at least one of the following services: a. Data Communications Using a Broad Frequency Band; b. Massive Internet of Things (IoT) – data communications service enabling the transfer of telecommunications messages to a large number of End-Devices in a particular area, with characteristics to be defined in the agreement between a Subscriber and the Licensee; c. Mission Critical – Data Communications service with very high reliability and very low latency, as shall be defined in the agreement between a Subscriber and the Licensee and according to the standards under which a 5G System operates"; |
| "Basic Telephone Service" | - | Switched or routed bi-directional transmission , including via modem, speech or speech-like telecommunications messages, such as facsimile signals; |
| "Telephony Service" | - | Basic Telephone Service and Accompanying Services to such service; |
| " 42International Roaming Service" |
- | An MRT Service provided overseas and in the territories under the Civil Administration of the Palestinian Council via the MRT system of a foreign MRT operator (hereinafter: a "Foreign Operator"), whereby the Subscriber pays the Licensee for the service; and similarly – an MRT Service provided in Israel via the Licensee's MRT system, whereby the Licensee provides a service to a Foreign Operator for the subscribers of such operator; for this purpose, the "Palestinian Council" – as defined in the Law for Implementation of the Interim Agreement regarding the West Bank and Gaza Strip Law (Jurisdictional Powers and Other Provisions) ( (Legislative Amendments), 5756- 1998 [sic] |
41 Amendment NO. 105
| "Accompanying Service" | - | A service as set out in the First Annex to the License, provided on the basis of a Basic Telephone Service, which by its nature can only be provided by the provider of the basic service; |
|---|---|---|
| "Added Value Service"- | - | A service provided based on a Basic Telephone Service, which by its nature can also be granted by another licensee who is not the supplier of the basic service; for the purposes of the services of the Licensee, such service as set out in the First Annex of the License; |
| "Infrastructure Service" | - | an Interconnection or the ability of Use given to another licensee, a Franchisee or to a broadcast licensee;" |
| "Wireline Domestic Telecommunications Services" |
- | Infrastructure Service, transmission, data communications and telephony services |
| "The Licensee's Services" | - | MRT Services, Telecommunications Services and other services that the Licensee is entitled to provide to its subscribers, to other licensees, to broadcast licensees, to Franchisees and to the Security Forces under this License; |
| "MRT Services" | - | Telecommunication Services provided through the MRT Terminal Equipment and through the MRT System; |
| Control" | - | The ability to direct the activity of a corporation, either alone or jointly with others, either directly or indirectly, including the ability that derives from the Articles of the corporation, by virtue of an agreement, either written or oral, by virtue of holding the Means of Control in the corporation or in another corporation or which derives from another source, and excluding the ability deriving solely from holding the office of director or any other office in the company; any person controlling a subsidiary company or another corporation held directly by him/her, will be deemed as controlling another corporation, controlled by the corporation which is held directly, as aforesaid; it should be presumed that an individual or corporation shall control the corporation if one of the following conditions exist: A. If he or it holds, either directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of any Means of Control in the corporation; B. If he or it holds, either directly or indirectly, a percentage of any Means of Control in the corporation which is the greatest part in relation to the holdings of the other Interested Parties in the corporation. C. If he or it has the ability to prevent taking business decisions in the corporation, with the exception of decisions in the matter of issuance of means of control in a corporation or 43decisions in the matters of sale or liquidation of most businesses of the corporation, or fundamental change of these businesses; |
|---|---|---|
| "The Minister" | - | The Minister of Communication, including a person to whom the Minister has delegated his authority in the matter of this License, either in whole or in part; |
| "The Engineering Plan" | - | The Engineering Plan, including the Maintenance Organization and Grade of Services for the Subscribers, attached in the Appendices of the Second Annex to the License; |
| "Numbering Plan" | - | As defined in section 5A(b) of the Law; |
| "Billing Period" | - | A cyclical time period, with a set period, at the end of which a bill is presented to the subscriber for payment for the Licensee's services and for content services that were provided to the subscriber during that period. |
| " Data Communications" | - | transfer of information and software between End-Devices, including computers; "Data Communications Using a Broad Frequency Band" – service enabling a Subscriber to use Data Communications through a 5G System, provided that frequency bands are used at an aggregate bandwidth of not less than 60 MHz, including as an aggregate bandwidth between different frequency ranges"; |
| "Radio Infrastructure" | - | Radio centers by way of the cellular method, monitoring units thereof, if any, and transmission connecting them to the core of the public telecommunications network of the Licensee. |
|---|---|---|
| " 44Post- paid" |
- | Payment for services that is collected from the subscriber after the Bill Period; |
| " 45Pre-paid" |
- | Payment for services that is collected from the subscriber before or at the beginning of the provision of the services; |
| 46 |
1.2 Words and expressions in the License that are not defined in Paragraph 1.1, will be interpreted as in the Law, Ordinance and Regulations which have been enacted in accordance with them, The Law of Interpretations, 1981, or as specified in appropriate paragraphs in the License, unless a different meaning is implicit in the text or in its context.
License.
The paragraph headings in this License are provided for ease of reading only, and they must not be used for purposes of interpretation or explanation of the content of one or all of the Terms of the
Revocation or a decision in the matter of the nullification of a condition of this License or a part thereof will only apply to that condition or the part thereof, as the case may be, and they themselves will not prejudice the binding validity of the License or any other condition it contains.
44 Amendment No. 84
45 Amendment No. 84
The award of this License does not exempt the Licensee from the obligation to obtain, for execution of the License, any License, permit, approval or consent according to all other laws.
In any case of apparent contradiction between the provisions of the License, the Minister will decide on the interpretation of the provisions, or how to settle the contradiction between them, after the Licensee has been given an opportunity to voice its arguments.
The Scope of the License
7.1 The Licensee is permitted, according to this License and subject to all its instructions and conditions, to establish, sustain, maintain and operate an MRT System, and through it provide MRT services; for this purpose, the Licensee is permitted to do the following:
8.1 The Licensee shall not have any form of exclusivity whatsoever in the provision of its services.
10.1 The Minister and the Authorized Party pursuant to the Ordinance may, at the Licensee's request, renew the License for additional periods of ten (10) additional years after having considered all of the considerations specified in section 4(b) of the Law and the Ordinance, as the case may be, including all of the following55:
50 Amendment No. 107
49 Amendment No. 107
61 Amendment No. 107
10.8 The Minister and the Authorized Party pursuant to the Ordinance shall notify the Licensee of their decision regarding the License renewal application by no later than one year prior to the expiration of the Period of the License.62
68 Amendment No. 107
69 Amendment No. 107
70 Amendment No. 107 71 Amendment No. 107 72Amendment No. 31
Notwithstanding the above-mentioned, a transfer or purchase of a percentage of the Means of Control in the Licensee, either directly or indirectly, that requires consent in accordance with Articles 21.1 or 21.3 (other than a transfer or purchase that results in a transfer of control), without first receiving the Minister's prior written consent as required according to these articles, shall not constitute a cause to revoke the License if the Minister's consent was given in writing in advance for a public offering of the Tradable Means of Control or for registration for trading of the Tradable Means of Control, on the securities exchange in Israel or overseas, under which the Means of Control in the Licensee may be transferred in a percentage that requires consent in accordance with Articles 21.1 or 21.3 (other than a transfer or purchase that results in a transfer of control), and it shall all be subject to the conditions to be set by the Minister when he gives his consent. The contents of this article are in addition to and do not derogate from the provisions of Article 21.8 of the License. For the purpose of this Article, "Tradable Means of Control"- as defined in Article 21.5 of the License.73
(J) A receiver or temporary liquidator was appointed for the company that is the Licensee, an order was issued for its winding-up or it decided to be voluntarily wound-up;
(K) Cancelled;
74 Amendment No. 31 75Amendment No. 4
In addition to his authority to revoke the License as set out in Paragraph 14, the Minister may, if the causes set out in Paragraph 14.1 exist, limit or suspend the License, or change its conditions or foreclose the guarantees given by the Licensee to ensure the fulfillment of the License conditions, wholly or in part; the detailed proceedings in the matter of revocation of the License will be applied, with the necessary changes, to limitation of the License, its suspension, and the foreclosure of the guarantees.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the License, the Licensee shall act in accordance with the time-limited instructions set forth in Annex Q of the License.
79
77 Amendment No. 64
78 Amendment No. 107
79 Amendment No. 83
18.4 The provisions of Paragraph 18.1 will not apply to the sale of items of equipment during an upgrading process, including the sale of equipment, as aforesaid, as part of a trade-in.
8118.4A For purposes of sale, lease, mortgage or transfer of the license assets to a Cellular Radio Infrastructure Licensee, whom the Licensee is his client, the provisions of this Article shall not apply.
81 Amendment No. 83 82 Amendment No. 41
19A.1 In this section:
| 19A.1 | "Confidential Commercial Information" | - | Data regarding the Licensee that is not public, and that relates to one of the following: (1) Amount and volume of telecommunication messages transferred through the network, the kinds thereof and their destinations; (2) Number of subscribers, their classification and characteristics; (3) Network structure, its layout and the technology according to which it operates; (4) Plans for the expansion of the network, changes therein and operation of new services therewith; (5) Marketing or other technological plans or activities, the information regarding them was transferred to the Licensee by the MRT licensee, or other business activity, the information regarding which was classified by the MRT licensee as confidential commercial information; (6) Any other information which cannot be legally easily discovered by others, whose confidentiality grants its owners a business advantage over its competitors. |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Passive Component" | - | The passive elements in the cellular radio center's website, including pole, structure, electricity and air conditioning; | |
| "Active cooperation of an antenna" | - | Passive cooperation and in addition, cooperation of the antenna or cable feed to the antenna; | |
| "Active Cooperation of a frequency" (MOCN83) | - | Active cooperation of an antenna, including sharing of radio equipment and frequency that were allotted for use of the MRT licensee; | |
| "Passive Cooperation" | - | Whole or partial cooperation of a Passive Component in a significant number of cellular radio center's websites between two or more of the MRT licensee; |
19B.1 The Licensee may enter into an agreement with another MRT licensee (hereinafter in this section: "Other Licensee") for the purpose of cooperation ("Cooperation Agreement") in any one of the following options only:
19B.2 Without derogating from the aforementioned in Article 19.3B:
2) Active Cooperation of a Frequency (MOCN) in 2nd or 3rd Generation shall be approved only if both cooperating licensee were allocated 4th Generation frequencies and if the cooperating licensee who is not an operator has an Active Cooperation of a Frequency (MOCN) in 4th Generation.
For the purpose of this sub-clause, "Operator" – a licensee who has completely laid out access network in 3rd Generation: Pelephone Communications Ltd., Cellcom Israel Ltd., Partner Communications Company Ltd.;
19C.1 If the Licensee files a request for an Active Cooperation of a Frequency Agreement (MOCN), the Director General shall consider the request, taking into account, inter alia, the existing competition level of MRT services and the potential harm to competition, the existing and expected frequency inventories and the efficiency of use of the frequencies, the survivability and the redundancy of the networks from a national standpoint and ensuring the telecommunication service level over time.
In this regard – "Right to make effective use" – indefeasible right to use, during the relevant license period, the Passive Component, resulting from ownership or other source, which shall allow its owners to perform all actions connected to the establishment, existence and operation of cellular radio centers by way of or on the Passive Components.
In this regard, the indefeasible right of use shall be provided for a period not to exceed 10 years, and shall refer to the relevant access network components for the generation which was agreed upon in the Cooperation Agreement.
19C.4 Any change in the Usage Agreement or in the Cooperation Agreement shall be presented to the Director General for approval no later than ten days from the date of signing the change; the Licensee shall forward to the Director General, upon request, a copy of the Usage Agreement or any change therein.
19D.2 Regarding confidentiality of commercial information, the Licensee shall do as follows:
b) The Licensee shall refrain from transferring Confidential Commercial Information to the Other Licensee, holding the same Cellular Radio Infrastructure Licensee or receives services therefrom;
In this Clause 21, "Tradable Means of Control" – Means of Control, including Global or American Depository Shares (GDR's or ADR's), or similar certificates, registered for trading on the securities exchange in Israel or overseas, and offered to the public by prospectus, or held by the public in Israel or overseas.
21.6 Neither the entry into an underwriting agreement relating to the issue or sale of securities to the public, the registration for trading on the securities exchange in Israel or overseas, nor the deposit or registration of securities with a registration company or with a depository agent or a custodian for the purpose of registration of GDRs or ADRs or similar certificates relating to the issue or sale of securities to the public shall in and of themselves be considered as a transfer of Means of Control in the Licensee88 .
85 Amendment No. 98
86 Amendment No. 52
87 Amendment No. 3
88 Amendment No. 4
Without derogating form the generality of the above:
"Irregular Holdings" – the holding of Tradable Means of Control without the Minister's consent as required under clause 23, and all holdings of a person holding Tradable Means of Control acting contrary to the provisions of clause 24; for so long as the Minister's consent under clause 21 has been sought but not yet granted, or whilst there is a situation of breach of the provisions of clauses 23 or 24.
89 Amendment No. 25
90 Amendment No. 9
91 Amendment No. 28
'For the purpose of this article: "Founding Shareholders or their Substitutes"- Matbit Telecommunications Systems Ltd., Advent Investment Pte Limited, Matav Investments Ltd and Tapuz Cellular Systems limited Partnership as well as any other entity that one of them has transferred the Means of Control in the Licensee to, with the Minister's consent, before 4.7.2004 (each of the above entities shall be termed "Founding Shareholder"), as well as any other entity that a Founding Shareholder will transfer Means of Control in the Licensee to after 4.7.2004, provided that the Minister gave his written consent that the transferree be considered for this matter as the Founding Shareholder's substitute from the date to be determined by the Minister, including anyone that is an Israel Entity as defined in Article 22A.2, that purchased Means of Control from the Licensee and received the Minister's approval to be considered a founding shareholder or their substitute from the date set by the Minister93, unless an instruction was given to the Licensee in accordance with article 13 of the law, as set forth in section 22A.2(2)94. Such consent under this article does not exempt the Licensee from the obligation to receive the Minister's consent for every transfer of the Means of Control in the Licensee that requires the Minister's consent in accordance with any other article in the License.95
21.9 The provisions of clauses 21.5 through 21.8 shall not apply to the founding shareholders or their substitutes.96 .
Any shareholder in the company that holds the License, or a shareholder in an Interested Party in the same company, is not allowed to encumber his/her shares, in a way that the realization of the charge would cause a change in the ownership in ten percent (10%) or more of any of the Means of Control in the Licensee, unless the charge agreement includes a constraint, according to which the charge cannot be realized without prior consent, in writing, by the Minister.
97 Amendment No. 31-Amendment No. 31 will come into effect upon completion of all of the obligations set forth in article 22A and no later than 30 June 2005, in accordance with the Ministry of Communications document 62/05-4031 dated 13 March 2005
22A.2 98(1) The total cumulative holdings of "Israeli Entities", one or more, which are among the Founding Shareholders or their Substitutes, out of the total holdings of Founding Shareholders or their Substitutes as set forth in Article 22.1A above, shall be at a rate not less than five percent (5%) of the total issued share capital and from each of the Means of Control in the Licensee. For this matter, the issued share capital of the Licensee shall be calculated by deducting the number of "Dormant Shares" held by the Licensee.
In this Article-
Israeli Entity"- for an individual-an Israeli Citizen or Resident of Israel, for a corporation- a corporation that was incorporated in Israel and an individual that is an Israeli Citizen and a Resident of Israel, controls the corporation either directly or indirectly, as long as the indirect control shall be only through a corporation that was incorporated in Israel, one or more. However, for the matter of indirect holdings, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Communications may approve holdings through a corporation that has not been incorporated in Israel, as long as the corporation does not directly hold shares in the Licensee, and only if they are convinced that this will not derogate from the provisions of this article. For this matter, "Israeli Citizen"- as defined in the Nationality Law, 5712-1952; "Resident"-as defined in the Inhabitants Registry Law, 5725-1965; "Dormant Shares"- as defined in Article 308 of the Companies Law, 5759-1999.
(2) Sub-section (1) shall not apply, if the corporation was given an instruction in accordance with Article 13 of the Law, as set forth in Article 22A.2(2).
98 Amendment No. 105
The CSM shall consist of at least 4 Directors with Clearance including at least one External Director. Security matters shall be discussed, subject to Article 22A.5, solely by the CSM. A resolution that was adopted or an action that was taken by the CSM , shall have the same effect as a resolution that was adopted or an action that was taken by the Board of Directors and shall be discussed by the Board of Directors only if necessary in accordance with Article 22A.5 and subject to Article 22A.5.
In this article-"security matters"-as defined in the Bezeq Order (Determination of Essential Service Provided by "Bezeq", the Israeli Telecommunications Company Ltd), 5757-1997, as of March 9, 2005.
22A.5 Security matters that the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee of the Licensee shall be required to consider in accordance with the mandatory provisions of the Companies Law, 5759-1999, or in accordance with the mandatory provisions of any other law that applies to the Licensee shall be discussed, if they need to be discussed by the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee, only in the presence of Directors with Clearance. Directors that do not have security clearance shall not be allowed to participate in this Board of Directors or Audit Committee meeting and shall not be entitled to receive information or to review documents that relate to this matter. The legal quorum for such meetings shall include only Directors with Clearance.
The Licensee may set out in its Articles of Association that an Office Holder, who in the capacity of his position or based on the provisions of the law or the Articles of Association, should have received information or participate in security matter meetings and this was denied him due to Article 22A.5, will be released from any liability for any claim of breach of duty of care towards the Licensee, if the breach of duty of care was a result of his or her inability to participate in the meetings or receive information.
In any case of a dispute regarding a conflict of interest of the observer, the matter shall be decided by the State Attorney General or a person on his behalf.
23.5 The rate of indirect holding in a corporation will be a product of the percentage of holdings in each stage of the chain of ownership, subject to what is set out in Paragraph 23.6; for example:
23.6 For the matter of this Paragraph and Paragraphs 14.1 (G) (6), (7), (8), (8a), (9) and 21.4, if a certain body (hereinafter: "the Controlling Body") controls another body that has holdings, directly or indirectly, in the Licensee (hereinafter: "the Controlled Body"), the Controlling Body, and also any other body controlled by the Controlling Body, will be attributed with the rate of holdings in the Licensee that the Controlled Body has, directly or indirectly; according to the following examples:
100 Amendment No. 10
The Licensee, any body in which the Licensee is an Interested Party, an Office Holder in the Licensee or an Interested Party in the company holding the License or an Office Holder in an Interested Party therein, will not be party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with a Competing MRT Operator, or an Interested Party or an Office Holder in it, or an Office Holder in an Interested Party in a Competing MRT Operator, or any other body in which a Competing MRT Operator is an Interested Party, which are intended to or might reduce or harm competition in anything that pertains to MRT Services, MRT Terminal Equipment or any other Telecommunications Services.
24.2101 Without derogating from the aforementioned in Article 24.1, the Licensee may reach a Cooperation Agreement as set forth in Article 19.1B.
In this part:
"Milestones"- Stages in the establishment of the MRT System, according to the timetable specified in the Engineering Plan - Appendix B to the License.
26B.1 If the License has not begun providing 4th Generation Services within 12 months from the determining date, as stated in Article 2.1(b)(2)(a) to Appendix E, the frequencies allocation that it received for the provision of this service shall expire, and the license fees paid due to the award of the 4th Generation Tender shall not be returned.
The expiration of the frequencies allocation as stated shall be considered a change of the Cooperation Agreement or change of the Usage Agreement, as applicable.
103 Amendment No. 107
104 Amendment No. 83
The rescission of the frequencies allocation as stated shall be deemed a change in the Cooperation Agreement or a change in the Usage Agreement, as applicable. 106
If the Licensee has not begun providing service at the frequencies of 700 MHz and 2,600 MHz within 12 months, and at the frequencies of 3,500-3,800 MHz within 18 months of the frequencies allocation date, the allocation of the relevant frequency bands that it received within the framework of the 5G Tender and in which it did not begin providing the service shall be rescinded, and the obligation to pay the 5G License Fee shall remain in effect.
28.1 A Licensee may not deviate from the Engineering Plan unless permitted to do so by the Director according to the provisions of this Paragraph; however, locating a Cellular Radio Base at a site which is different from the site specified in the Engineering Plan will not be deemed as deviation if done within the Search Area; in this Paragraph, "Search Area" means an area defined in the Engineering Plan, at which the establishment of a Cellular Radio Base was planned, at a specific site in the area, and regarding which it was determined in the Engineering Plan that there might be a need to locate the base at another site in that area.
106Amendment No. 107 107 Amendment No. 107
108 Amendment No. 83
The Licensee shall act to effect the Interconnection subject to all of the following:
(f) The conditions for Interconnection between the Network and the Public Telecommunications Network of an Other Operator shall be arranged by an agreement between the Licensee and the Other Operator; where the parties fail to reach an agreement, the Minister shall rule on the matter;
(g) (1) The Licensee shall allow its Subscribers to receive all of the services offered to them by the Other Operator, and may allow the subscribers of the Other Operator to receive all of the services from the Licensee, provided that receipt of such services is possible under any law.
Where the Minister has not prescribed payment for Interconnection or payment deriving from Interconnection, the Licensee may charge a reasonable and non-discriminatory sum for these.
The Minister shall give the Licensee a reasonable opportunity to make claims regarding the Minister's intention to instruct the Licensee regarding the manner of effecting Interconnection and the scope thereof, activities, services and Accompanying Services for effecting Interconnection, and payment for Interconnection; where the Minister has instructed the Licensee in respect of such matters, the Licensee shall not delay Interconnection to the Network in any manner, and shall fulfill its obligations in accordance with the instructions of the Minister, in good faith and properly, on the date prescribed for such and in full cooperation.
30D.1 The Minister may instruct the Licensee regarding the provision of the possibility of use of its Telecommunications Installation in accordance with his powers under section 5 of the Law.
30.7G All data centers that subscribers have access to and through which service is provided to subscribers of the Licensee, including data centers for content sites must support protocol IPv6.
110 Amendment No. 96
111 Amendment No. 103
112 Except for subscribers that have private terminal equipment that does not support IPv6 Protocol and decided not to exchange it with equipment that supports the protocol. And only if the Licensee notifies them about the allocation of IPv6 addresses, explained to them the meaning of the decision not to exchange the equipment and signed them on a waiver of this allocation.
30.9G The Licensee shall update its subscribers regarding its support of the IPv6 protocol in all of the following manners:
35.2 On completion of the establishment work, the Licensee will make sure that the work site is clean and restored to its previous condition.
Cancelled.
Where electricity lines or electric installations exist before the installation of the MRT System, the Licensee will be subject to the obligations according to the Telecommunication and Electricity Regulations (Proximity of and Crossing Between Telecommunication Lines and Electricity Lines), 1986.
When the Licensee completes the establishment of an exchange or a Cellular Radio Base in any area in a manner that allows to start providing MRT Services through it, the Licensee will advise the Director of the same in writing, in the format as instructed by the Director, complete with the results of the detailed tests that indicate the success of the establishment and operation.
118 Amendment No. 107
902.2 MHz through to 910.2 MHz, and 947.2 MHz through to 955.2 MHz;
(B) Frequency bands that were not exclusively allocated for the use of the Licensee, according to rules and limitations that will be determined by the authorized party pursuant to Chapter E of the Ordinance120:
910.2 MHz through to 912.2 MHz, and 955.2 MHz through to 957.2 MHz
1732 to 1738.4 MHz, and the matching domain 1827 to 1833.4MHz; 1937 to 1942 MHz, and the matching domain 2127 to 2132 MHz;
(2) As of 1 January 2004, the following bands shall be allocated:
1730 to 1740 MHz and the matching domain 1825 to 1835 MHz; 1940 to 1950 MHz and the matching domain 2130 to 2140 MHz;
(4) Notwithstanding the aforesaid, if the Licensee requests to postpone the date of the beginning of use of the bands set out in sub-clauses (1) to (3) or part of them, to a later date, the authorized party pursuant to Chapter E of the Ordinance125 may suspend the band allocation until a date to be decided upon.
121 Amendment No. 68
120 Amendment No. 107
Amendment No. 107 Amendment No. 107 Amendment No. 107 Amendment No. 83
130 Amendment No. 107
131 Amendment No. 107
132 Amendment No. 107.
47.5. The issuance of this License, including the approval of the Engineering Plan, in no way provides protection against harmonies from other radiating bodies, whether operating lawfully or unlawfully, or spurious radiation from other radiating bodies, whether operating lawfully or unlawfully, or protection against other radiating bodies operating outside the territory of the State or in a territory over which the State has no control; however, the Authorized Party pursuant to Chapter E of the Ordinance shall exert every reasonable effort to find a suitable solution for the required protection.134
134 Amendment No. 107
135 Amendment No. 82
In this part:
"Periodic Test"- Test of the network or any part of it, that is conducted in accordance with the License provisions, at fixed intervals and at least annually;
"Special Test" - Test of the network or any part of it, conducted due to a maintenance or repair activity, following an electromagnetic interference, a malfunction, complaint review technological change, modification of the Engineering plan; etc.
"Routine Test"- Testing of the network or any part of it, conducted on a regular basis.
51.1 The licensee shall maintain a test, fault and maintenance log (hereinafter – "maintenance log"), in which details of the faults, the steps taken to rectify them138 and tests of the network shall be recorded.
137 Amendment No. 41
51.2 The licensee shall keep the maintenance log, shall allow the director or anyone authorized on his or her behalf to see the log at any time, to check it, copy it in any manner and to pass it to the director upon his demand.
For this article- "writing"-including an electronic document that can be saved and reconstructed by the subscriber.
139Amendment No. 41-shall become effective no later than 30.4.2007
Insofar as the Licensee does not charge for interconnect fees or smart card fees or plan transfer fees, it shall be noted accordingly.
143 Amendment No. 87
144 Amendment No. 87
145 Amendment No. 90
146 Amendment No. 87
147 Amendment No. 87
148 Amendment No. 87
149 Amendment No. 90
150 Amendment No. 87
141 A transaction at a service station of the Licensee or through peddling, as this term is defined in the Consumer Protection Law, 5741 – 1981, or a transaction via telephone conversation or a transaction via the internet. Amendment No. 87.
142 Business Subscriber or Split Business Subscriber or Non-Business Subscriber. Amendment No. 87
That stated above shall also apply when at issue is a Benefit being given within the scope of the tariff plan, and not necessarily for a particular service included in a plan.
153 For example: as of the date the plan comes into effect, as of the date that the subscriber activates the SIMcard.
154 Amendment No. 87
155 Amendment No. 90
156 Amendment No. 87
157 Amendment No. 87
For this matter-"commitment"-as defined in article 56.1A;
The Licensee must also enable the additional telephone number to be selected by telephone call to the telephone call center. The Licensee must indicate this possibility in the said separate letter and indicate the telephone number that may be called for the purpose of selecting the additional telephone number.
159 Amendment No. 87
160 Amendment No, 58
161 Amendment No. 90
162 Amendment No. 90
If a Subscriber selects the additional number using the form or by telephone call as stated, the Licensee must report the matter of the selection in the next Bill or in the subsequent Bill, while indicating the additional telephone number that was selected, in the space for notices to Subscribers, as specified in clause 8(d) in Annex E1.
Alternatively, the Licensee may indicate in the separate letter, in addition, that the selection of the additional telephone number may be done through the landing page on the Licensee's website, while performing reliable identification of the Subscriber, in lieu of using a form as stated, and shall refer Subscribers to the said page. Upon completing the selection on the website, the Licensee must issue an automatic confirmation of a Subscriber's selection, while indicating the additional telephone number that was selected.
In this clause, "existing private Subscriber" – a private Subscriber who engaged with the Licensee by 28 Sivan 5778 (June 11, 2018).
165 Amendment No. 58
166 Amendment No. 87
167 Amendment No. 87
168 Amendment No. 87
169 Amendment No. 87
164 Amendment No. 57-shall become effective on September 13, 2011
171 Amendment No. 58
180 Amendment No. 61
183 Amendment No. 87
184 Amendment No. 87
185 Amendment No. 58
186 Amendment No. 87
187 Amendment No. 58
188 Amendment No. 90
Alternatively, the Licensee may, in addition, indicate in a notice as stated that the Questionnaire may be completed through the landing page on the Licensee's website, while performing reliable identification of Subscribers, in lieu of attaching it to the Bill as stated, and shall refer Subscribers to the said page. Upon completing the selection on the website, the Licensee must issue an automatic confirmation of the Subscriber's selection.
In this clause, "new Subscriber" – a Subscriber who engaged with the Licensee after 28 Sivan 5778 (June 11, 2018).
(a3)190
(2) Only a business customer may direct a Blocking Request for Portability to the Licensee, provided that the Portability Plan allows the said blocking, and this will be done by the Licensee immediately upon receipt of the request, during the hours of operation of the service centers, free of charge; the business customer may request in the Blocking Request for Portability to block for portability all of the telephone numbers included in the engagement agreement or in the telephone bill without noting the numbers.
(3) The Blocking Request for Portability will be directed to the Licensee in writing and will include the request date, telephone number(s) that should be blocked for portability and the name of the business customer; The Licensee will execute the blocking immediately, free of charge and will maintain such request in its possession and make it available for delivery or transfer to the Director upon his request within five (5) working days of the submission of the request.
(a4)191 The service conditions for the subscriber, including gauges of quality of service to customers and subscribers as set forth in article 2 in Annex E;
193 Amendment No. 58
(g) A condition that states that in case of a contradiction between the provisions regarding the tariffs and the service packages that are detailed in the agreement and the provisions of the license regarding this matter, the provisions of the license shall prevail;
55.5 195In an agreement in the presence of the Licensee's representative and the subscriber, the Licensee shall act as follows:
194 Amendment No. 58
195 Amendment No. 57-shall become effective September 13, 2011.
196 Amendment No. 87
197 Amendment No. 87
198 Amendment No. 87
199 Amendment No. 87
200 Amendment No. 87 201 Amendment No. 87
202 Amendment No. 90
The Licensee shall retain the signed notice, as stated, in its possession and make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, at his request, and this, within five (5) workdays of the submission date of the request.203
55.7 205Notwithstanding the afore-mentioned in Article 55.5, the Licensee may have a subscriber sign a subscriber agreement also by a computerized graphic signature, instead of an original signature, and for this matter the provisions of Appendix E shall apply instead of Article 55.5.
For this matter, "computerized graphic signature"-a signature that is digitally maintained as a graphic file."
204 Amendment No. 87
205 Amendment No. 69
206 Amendment No. 57-shall become effective September 13, 2011
The Applicant must expressly confirm the terms of the transaction, without any written stipulations or qualifications or changes in relation to the terms in the said documents, in his handwriting, his marking and his signature on the Plan Basics, on the service access form on the Questionnaire and on the portability blocking request, insofar as there is one,212 and he must send the three said documents via facsimile to the facsimile number given to him by the Licensee's representative during the conversation between them.
The Licensee shall send the rest of the provisions of the engagement terms document via regular post to the Applicant, on the transaction execution date.
For the purposes of this clause, "change" – the receipt of an additional service, the expansion of a service, subscribing to a service package.
213 Amendment No. 90
214 Amendment No. 95
215 Amendment No. 90
216 Amendment No. 95
217 Amendment No. 90
218 Amendment No. 90
The Licensee is not allowed to make any change, without receiving the subscriber's express consent, in the manner specified in clause 60.6(b)220; that stated above also applies to a service other than a telecommunications service.221
(j)222 Cancelled
For the purposes of this clause, "change" – the receipt of an additional service, the expansion of a service, subscribing to a service package.
220 Amendment No. 87
221 Amendment No. 90
222 Amendment No. 87
223 Amendment No. 90
224 Amendment No. 95 225 Amendment No. 87 The Licensee is not allowed to make any change, including a replacement of an existing plan with a new plan, without receiving the subscriber's express consent, in the manner specified in clause 60.6(b).226
59.1 Should the Licensee fulfill the conditions regarding the operation of the MRT System as stated in Paragraph 44.2, the Licensee will connect any applicant to the MRT System no later than the date determined in the Subscriber Agreement with the Subscriber unless the Director has given his approval to the Licensee not to connect an applicant for reason which he considers justifiable.
226 Amendment No. 87
228 Amendment No. 45
227 Amendment No. 57-shall become effective September 13, 2011
For the purposes of this clause, "service-provider" – whoever provides a service through the network, and the payment in respect of the service is paid through the Telephone Bill.231
232 Amendment No. 57-shall become effective September 13, 2011
(3) A telephone call between the subscriber and the Licensee representative;
234 Amendment No. 60
235 Amendment No. 87
236 Amendment No. 90
237 Interactive Voice Response.
For this matter-"documentation"- (c) The Licensee shall retain the documentation, as stated, in its possession and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, at his request, and this, within five (5) workdays of the date of the subscriber's express request.238
For sub-section (b)(1)-a copy of the document;
For sub-section (b)(4)-a copy of the subscriber's telephone bill that lists under the "call details", the details of the SMS sent by the subscriber and a printout of its contents as received in the Licensee's system;239
For purposes of sub-section (b)(5)- 240 a Log from the short message service center (SMSC) of the Licensee in which the sending of the 2 SMS from the Licensee to the subscriber are documented, as part of the procedure of ordering a service. If the service was ordered on the Licensee's website or cellular portal by using a user code and password as set forth in section 1.3 of Appendix F of the License-the Log from the internet server that indicates the execution of the service order procedure and the Log In of typing the user code and password by the subscriber.
For the purposes of clause (b)(6) – a printout of the calls via internet.241
242For the purposes of clause (b)(7)((a)) – details of calls as specified in clause 11 in Annex E.1, which includes the call requesting the service, a recording of the contents of the call, which is played for anyone requesting the service, documentation in the Licensee's system of the data entered by the Subscriber while listening to the text of the call, the contents of the text message sent to the Subscriber about the details of the service being requested and the contents of the additional text message sent to the Subscriber, insofar as the request was submitted from a different telephone line than the telephone line for which the service is being requested.
For the purposes of clause (b)(7)((b)) – details of calls as specified in clause 11 in Annex E.1, which includes the call requesting the service, a recording of the contents of the call, which is played for anyone requesting the service, and documentation in the Licensee's system of the data entered by the Subscriber while listening to the text of the call
Notes taken by the Licensee representative in the Licensee's information systems does not constitute documentation.
238 Amendment No. 87
239 Amendment No. 87
240 Amendment No. 60
241 Amendment No. 87
243 Amendment No, 57
244 Amendment No. 87
245 Amendment No. 87
247 Amendment No. 87
248 Amendment No. 87
249 Amendment No. 87
250 Amendment No. 87
246 Amendment No. 57-shall become effective September 13, 2011
252 A link entitled "contact us" shall not be deemed a substitute for the said link.
62.1 The Licensee is responsible for the maintenance of the MRT System.
253 Amendment No. 87
254 Amendment No. 87
255 Amendment No. 87
64.1 The Licensee will submit to the Director the specifications of the Terminal Equipment which are compatible with the MRT Network, and will assist, in accordance with the Director's requirements, in converting them to Israeli standards or the Ministry's standards, or to standards and specifications as aforesaid; the Director will present requirements which differ from those of European standards only for the purpose of adapting the specifications of the Licensee to Israeli standards, to the standards of the Ministry, in order to integrate the Hebrew language, to prevent interferences to other systems and interferences from other systems, and in order to achieve compatibility with the Telecommunication Networks in Israel.
257 Amendment No. 55
258 Amendment No. 91
259 Amendment No. 91
The Licensee shall retain a copy of the Purchase Agreement in its possession, and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, at his request, and this, within five (5) workdays of the transaction execution date.
The Licensee shall record, in addition, the telephone conversation held with the Applicant, and shall make the recording available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, at his request, and this, within five (5) workdays of the transaction execution date.
(d) A notice shall be sent to the Applicant asking the Applicant to confirm the execution of the transaction. The Applicant must expressly confirm the terms of the transaction, without any handwritten stipulations or qualifications or changes in relation to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, either via return electronic mail message or return SMS or facsimile, which includes his full name and ID number.
The Licensee shall retain a copy of the purchaser's confirmation in its possession, and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, at his request, and this, within five (5) workdays of the transaction execution date.
When executing the transaction, the Applicant and the Licensee's representative must sign the Purchase Agreement submitted to the Applicant for his perusal by original signature.
After signing, as stated, the Licensee's representative must deliver the Purchase Agreement to the Applicant bearing the original signatures of the Licensee's representative and the Applicant, as well as the document specified in subclause (e).
After completing all that stated in this subclause, the Licensee's representative may obtain the Applicant's signature on a Purchase Agreement identical to the one signed with original signatures, while using electronic means.
The Licensee shall retain a copy of the Purchase Agreement and the document specified in subclause (e) in its possession, and shall make them available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, at his request, and this, within five (5) workdays of the transaction execution date.
The Licensee's representative must perform a reliable identification of the Applicant pursuant to the procedure prescribed by the Licensee. The Licensee shall retain in its possession a copy of an identification certificate of the Applicant and a copy of an identification certificate of the payer of the Bill, which were issued to the Licensee's representative at the time of execution of the engagement.
(g) Insofar as the subscriber and the Licensee agreed on payment in instalments for Goods that the subscriber purchased or rented from it, and the subscriber breached the engagement agreement before paying all of the payments for the said Goods, but rectified the breach within forty-five (45) days of the date the Licensee notified the subscriber of the breach, then the Licensee is not allowed to collect the balance of the payments from the subscriber for the Goods in a single payment, and the payment in instalments shall continue as agreed upon between the subscriber and the Licensee ab initio.262
The Licensee may implement the aforesaid through a licensee that routes the call to the public emergency service center.
No later than 2 days270 from the commencement date, the Licensee shall notify all its subscribers, in writing, and in a clear manner, that as of the commencement date, the subscriber's number will be identifiable by the public emergency service centers, and shall also notify in writing all subscribers that request an "unlisted number"-that the number will not be unlisted for calls made to the public emergency service centers.
65A.1 Notwithstanding the above-mentioned in Article 65.1, the Licensee shall block access to public emergency services for Harassing Subscribers; if the access to public emergency services only is not technically possible, the Licensee shall block the Harassing Subscriber's access to all MRT services. For this Article, "Harassing Subscriber"- a subscriber that calls a certain public emergency service, without a justified reason, more than 10 times during one day, through Terminal Equipment in his possession.
262 Amendment 87
265 Amendment No. 19
266 Amendment No. 107
267 Amendment No. 40
269 Excluding a subscriber whose terminal equipment allows him to dial emergency centers only, for example a handset without a SIM card on a GSM network.
270 Amendment No. 42 271 Amendment No. 19
264 Amendment No. 87
268 Israel Police-100, Magen David Adom-101 and the Fire Department-102
272 Amendment No. 98
65B.1 The Licensee shall provide a personal message service (in this section, the Service"), at all times and free of charge, to all its subscribers, including to the subscribers of another licensee, users of handsets that support the Service (thereinafter in this section the "Subscribers"), and in accordance with the "personal service" service file.
In this section:
"Another Licensee" – another MRT licensee that receives service through national roaming or an MVNO that receives service through a hosting agreement on a licensee's network;
"Personal Message" – a message, warning and short explanation of the security forces that is sent immediately, selectively and focused to subscribers with MRT handsets that support the use of the cell broadcast ("CB") technology.
"Security Forces" – representatives of the Ministry of Defense and Home Front Command that are responsible for personal message system;
"Service File "Personal Message" – a service file approved by the Director, including amendments that will be executed in the service file;
Without derogating from the aforesaid, the Security Forces may instruct the licensees to change the operation instructions if they find them to be lacking, however this provision does not limit the responsibility of the aforesaid licensee.
65B.4 The Licensee shall notify the Security Forces in advance of any change to the network that may affect availability for provision of the Service.
273 Amendment No. 73
65B.5 The Licensee may not make commercial use of the CB characteristic without the Security Forces' prior knowledge of at least 30 days before operating the Service and the Security Forces may notify him in writing within 15 days of their objection to the provision of the service or conditions for providing the said Service. In this case, the Licensee will not operate the Service or will only be able to operate it in accordance with the conditions determined by the Security Forces, according to the merits.
The aforesaid does not detract from the License's obligation to receive the Director's approval to the said service.
65B.6 The Licensee will assist in launching the Service for its subscribers in all of the following manners:
274 Amendment No. 79 275 Amendment No. 14
67.1 The bill the Licensee will present to the Subscriber will be clear, concise, legible and comprehensible; the bill will include precise details of the components of the required payments in accordance with the types of payments and the rules detailed in Chapter F.
276 Amendment No. 3 277 Amendment No. 14
In this section, "Variable Tariff"- a tariff that changes during the course of the call based on different parameters, for example, a tariff that is reduced based on the higher the usage or a variable tariff as a result of changing from "peak time" to "off peak time" during the course of the call or vice versa.
278 Amendment No. 57
279 Amendment 87
280 Amendment 87
281 Amendment 87
282 Amendment 87
(4) In addition to the provisions at the end of section 2.2.4 of the Standard regarding the Basket of Services, the bill shall include a detailed list of the services that are included in the basket as well as the total tariff to be paid for the basket.
In this section, "Basket of Services"-a number of services that are marketed to a subscriber as a package in exchange for an all inclusive tariff (and without detailing the payment for each individual service).
(d) (1) Chapter B of the Standard regarding full disclosure in phone bills shall become effective no later than Friday, 18 Tishrei, 5766 (14.10.2005).
(2) Chapter C of the Standard regarding the credibility of the charge shall become effective no later than Sunday, 15 Tevet 5766 (14.1.2006).284
284 Amendment No. 33
288 Amendment No. 57
289 Amendment No. 57
The Licensee must present the five (5) said modes for the subscriber's choice on the Questionnaire. If the subscriber does not select one of the modes, then the Bill must be sent to him by regular post. The subscriber may change the mode for receiving the Bill at any time, by way of an oral or written request.
291A Split Business Subscriber may, at any time, whether orally or in writing, amend the Business Subscriber's application as completed in the Questionnaire.
The Licensee must document the subscriber's request, as stated, and make this documentation available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, at his request, and this, within five (5) workdays of the submission of the request.
If the subscriber submitted his request during the first half of the billing period, then the Licensee shall send him the Bill immediately following the date of his request in the mode selected by the subscriber. Otherwise, the Licensee shall send the subscriber the Bill in the mode selected by the subscriber after the upcoming Bill.
The Licensee is not allowed to demand any payment from the subscriber for issuing the Bill, which includes "itemized calls" either regularly or on a one-time basis, and sending it to him, at his request, through electronic means. The Licensee may demand reasonable payment in respect of "itemized calls" from any particular date, which was sent to the subscriber at his request regularly or on a one-time basis, only in the event that the Bill was received by the subscriber as specified in subclause (a).292
291 Amendment No. 90
292 Amendment No. 87
297 Amendment No. 90
(2) electronic mail with an attached file;
299 Amendment No. 87 300 Amendment No, 14 301 Amendment No. 38
67A.2 Cancelled.302
67A.3 In addition to the above-mentioned in clause 67A.1303, the Licensee may offer, at a reasonable price, either by itself or another on its behalf, an information service, through any other method, including a national access code or through a short message system service (SMS).
67A.4 For the execution of the aforesaid in Article 67A.1 and 67A.3:
For this Article-
"database"- a pool of data that includes the name, address and telephone number of every subscriber that is not classified, including a subscriber that is a business.
302 Amendment No. 87
303 Amendment No. 87
(b) The Licensee shall comply at no cost with every subscriber's initial request to remain classifed.
In this Article, "new subscriber" –a subscriber that registered with the Licensee after the commencement date as set forth in Article 67A.7 below.
309 Amendment No. 87
Without derogating from the above-mentioned, the Minister may instruct the Licensee regarding the manner and format for the publication of the information services.
310 Amendment No. 87
311 Amendment No. 41
Adult Voice Services provided through the Network, shall be done in accordance with the provisions of Annex "M", in the Second Supplement .
For the purpose of this Article-
"Adult Voice Services"- as defined in Article 1 in Annex M, in the Second Supplement.
31567D1.1 The Licensee may provide Premium Services in one of the following manners:
a) Premium Service, for which the payment is charged according to the Premium Tariff and is collected through the Telephone Bill shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Appendix N.
Amendment No. 22 Amendment No. 75 Amendment No. 76, 80
For this article,
"Fixed-line telephone number"- a number format of geographic numbers and national fixed line numbers or number format star 4 digits (*XXXX), in accordance with that defined in the numbering plan317 .
"Premium Service" and "Premium Tariff" as defined in Appendix N
The Licensee shall prepare for the execution of National Roaming in accordance with the following:
316 "Network access code" as defined in the numbering plan.
317 For example numbers in the format 03-XXXXXXX and 07Z-xxxxxxx or *XXXX
318 Amendment No. 59
319 Amendment No. 107
b) Issues that are not agreed upon, as set forth in sub-section (a) above, if there are any, shall be decided by the Director. The directions of the Director for this matter shall form an integral part of the operational arrangement.
The host Licensee shall begin providing National Roaming services in accordance with the operational arrangement no later than three months from the date that the Roaming Licensee presented to the host Licensee the Minister's confirmation as set forth in section 5B(b)(2) of the Law.
"Proper call"- a call that takes place in accordance with the minimal reception definitions set in the international standards according to which the network operates.
67G.1 The Licensee shall notify its subscribers with respect to offensive sites and content as defined in section 4i of the law, as set forth in section 4i(b)(1) of the law; said notification shall be done in the manner set forth in section 4i(c) of the law.
320 Amendment No. 65
(b) The Licensee shall send the Message to the number or telephone numbers for which the transaction was made and to the additional subscriber number set out in the contract agreement for the receipt of various notices from the Licensee.
"You are eligible to receive an abusive internet content filtering service for free from [here comes the marketing name of the Licensee as known to the customer [. The service is especially recommended for mobile devices for children and youth. To join the service, reply with the mobile number for which the service is required. For each number for which the service is requested, a separate message must be sent. For inquiries you can dial [here comes the Licensee's call center number"].
(d) The subscriber or anyone holding the terminal equipment can reply to the message by SMS and confirm that they would like to receive the Filtering Service. The subscriber may reply for all phone numbers for which he has an agreement.
(e) If a subscriber is not registered for the receipt of SMS service, contact will be done through the IVR to the subscriber according to a wording similar to the text of the message and the subscriber will be able to notify of his wish to join the service.
(f) If the subscriber or the person that has the terminal equipment replies that they are interested in the service, the Licensee will provide them with the service as soon as possible and not later than one working day from the date of the request. At the time of connection to the service, the Licensee will send to the subscriber and to the phone number that joined the service (if not identical) a text message and update that they have been connected to the service. The Licensee shall also state that only the subscriber will be allowed to disconnect from the service at any time and will detail the methods to disconnect from the service.
(g) If the Licensee is unable to remotely verify that the service was activated for a specific subscriber, the Licensee will reasonably verify with the subscriber within one working day from the date of the request that the subscriber is indeed able to connect to the service.
| "Termination of Service" - |
permanent disconnection of any of the Licensee's services to all of the subscribers; | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Suspension of Service" - |
temporary halting of any of the Licensee's services or of all of the Licensee's services, which are being provided to a subscriber; | ||
| "Disconnection of Service" - |
Permanent disconnection of any of the Licensee's services, which are being provided to a subscriber; | ||
| "Termination of an Engagement" | - | Disconnection of all of the Licensee's services being provided to a subscriber, and termination of the engagement agreement with him.323 |
The Licensee is not entitled to suspend or disconnect MRT Services and other services, which the Licensee is obliged to provide in accordance with this License, unless that which is stated in this part, or that stated in Paragraph 48 exists.
The Licensee is not allowed to terminate MRT Services and other services that the Licensee is obligated to provide pursuant to this License, unless that stated in this part or that stated in clause 48 have been fulfilled.
322 Amendment No. 87
The Final Bill must specify the execution date of the termination of the engagement and it must bear the heading "Final Bill."
69D.5 That stated in this clause in no way derogates from a termination of engagement by way of number portability, according to a numbering plan relating to number portability – consolidated version, of 22.8.2005, inclusive of amendments thereto.
325 A link called "contact us" shall not be deemed a substitute for the said link.
71. Cancelled328
326 Amendment No. 87
329 Amendment No. 46
330 Amendment No. 87
332 Amendment No.90
333 Amendment No. 90
334 Amendment No. 87
337 Amendment No. 48
338 Amendment No. 48
71A.7 Deleted340
340 Amendment No. 98
345 Amendment No. 90
346 Amendment No. 90
348 Amendment 87
349 Amendment 87
355 Amendment 87 356 Amendment 87
(c) Notwithstanding the above-mentioned in Article (a)(2) and (b), if the subscriber's terminal equipment does not support the receipt of SMSs, the Licensee shall send the subscriber voice messages instead of SMSs, if the subscriber's terminal equipment supports the receipt of voice messages.
Notwithstanding the aforesaid, the Licensee may disconnect361 service to a dormant subscriber that notified the Licensee that he is not interested in disconnecting from362 services, after sending the subscriber at least two messages, as set forth in Article 72A.3 (a) and 72A.5 (a), and, in the second message, the Licensee notified the subscriber that if, within one year of the second message, the subscriber will not use the MRT service, service will be disconnected363 to the subscriber, and will not have to send another notification.
360 Amendment 87 361 Amendment 87
364 Amendment 87
365 Amendment 87
366 Amendment 87
367 Amendment 87
368 Amendment 87
72A.7 In the event of disconnection370 of service to a dormant Prepaid subscriber, that has a remaining balance, the Licensee shall refund the dormant subscriber for the remaining balance within 30 days after receipt of a written request from the dormant subscriber that proves that he is the owner of the line to which service was disconnected,371 if the request is received by the Licensee no later than six months after the service disconnection372 date.
72.1B The Licensee may disconnect or temporarily limit services that it is obliged to provide, in order to allow a quick recovery of the network at the time of a significant malfunction.
For this matter- "significant malfunction" – a malfunction that causes the disconnection of service to 10% of the subscribers or to at least 100,000 subscribers, the lower of the two.
In this section, "subscriber" – including a subscriber of an MRT licensee in another network and a subscriber of a roaming licensee that use the network.
73.1 The Licensee may temporarily disconnect or limit services which it is obliged to provide, if the requirement to execute vital actions of maintenance or if establishment of MRT Network obliges this (hereinafter "Disconnection due to Maintenance"), provided all the following exist:
(A) Duration of Disconnection due to Maintenance does not exceed twelve (12) consecutive hours;
370 Amendment 87
371 Amendment 87
372 Amendment 87
374 Amendment No. 5
In this Chapter: 37573A. Definitions
"Basked of services" - a number of services marketed to the Subscriber in a package, for which a tariff has been set as prescribed in clause 75.2;
"Public shall include an International Communications System;
Network"
a payment made by the initiator of a call, which commences at the Terminal Equipment connected to one Public Telecommunications Network and terminates at another Public Telecommunications Network or at Terminal Equipment connected to such a Public Telecommunications Network for the completion of the call on the other Public Telecommunications Network.
74.1 377The Licensee shall be allowed to collect payments from its Subscribers for MRT Services, as follows:
(a) one-time installation fees for the connection of mobile or hand-held Terminal Equipment in the possession of the Subscriber, to the MRT Network, 378(hereinafter: "Connection Fees");
(e) Payment for Basic Services, Accompanying Services and Value Added Services, as specified in the First Annex to the License.
74.3384 The Licensee shall collect payments from a subscriber in accordance with the following:
381 Amendment No. 56
382 Amendment No. 57
383 Amendment No.84
386 Amendment No. 90
388 Amendment No. 90
For this article, "constant"-each tariff before V.A.T. that the Subscriber must pay as set out on the day of the agreement, shall not be raised during the Commitment Period.
Notwithstanding the aforesaid, the Licensee may supply it services to Subscribers at lower tariffs than those set out beforehand in the subscriber agreement during a limited time period, to all it Subscribers or to a certain type of subscribers.
75.8 (a) The Licensee may not collect any payment from a Subscriber for a call not initiated by the Subscriber (hereinafter: an "Uninitiated Call").
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-clause (a), the Licensee may collect payment from the Subscriber for an Uninitiated Call in the following Cases:
39775.9 (a) Deleted398
390 Amendment No. 87 391 Amendment No.54
396 Amendment No, 53
397 Amendment No. 16
Effect- Article 75.9 shall take effect as of 15.12.02
398 Amendment No. 54
For the purpose of this sub-clause, a Subscriber receiving a call includes voicemail.
401"Voice Mail"- a device or mechanism that is part of the MRT system, that is meant to allow the calling Subscriber to leave a voice message for the receiving Subscriber.
(d)402 For a call that is transferred to Voice Mail, the Licensee shall play an introductory recorded message to the calling Subscriber, that is at least 2 seconds long (in this sub-section-"a message"), and will allow the calling Subscriber, in accordance with his choice, to disconnect the call without a charge, in the course of the Message, or within a reasonable amount of time that will not be less than 1 second after its termination ("reasonable time"). In this case, the timing of the execution of the call with the receiving Subscriber shall be as set forth in sub-section (c) above, as occuring after a reasonable time.
The Message text shall be "the call is being transferred to voice mail" and it shall be played in a clear manner and a reasonable pace.
In this sub-section, "a call that is transferred to voice mail"- except for a call that originated in the International Bezek system.
40375.11 (a) In this article:
"Limited Package"- a package of minutes that is limited to a number of minutes, in accordance with the subscriber's plan.
"Unlimited Package"- an unlimited package of minutes for which the subscriber pays.
"Free of Charge Number"- a phone number that is determined that a call to it from any network will not be charged to the initiator of the call;
400 Amendment No. 56
401 Amendment No. 39
402 Amendment No. 39 403 Amendment No. 70
"A Special Telephone Number at a Composed Tariff"- a national or network telephone number in an unusual numbering plan, for which the call tariff to it is a composed tariff;
"A Special Telephone Number at a Regular Tariff" – a national404 or network405 telephone number in an unusual numbering plan, for which the call tariff to it does not exceed the normal tariff;
"Unusual Numbering Plan"- a numbering plan that is not a regular numbering form;
"Usual Numbering Plan"-a numbering plan of geographic numbers and national numbers in accordance with the definitions in the numbering plan406 .
"Composed Tariff"- a tariff composed of a regular tariff in addition to a tariff for service provided by the Licensee or someone on his behalf or a service provider;
"A Regular Tariff"- a tariff per minute for a call to telephone numbers in a regular numbering plan, in accordance with the subscriber's tariff plan.
The Licensee may charge the subscriber for the services that are provided as part of calling telephone numbers that are charged according to a composed tariff, whether the charge is per minute of the call or whether the charge is a constant charge for a call, in addition to the regular payment for the package of minutes.
404 A telephone number that can be accessed from any network.
405 A telephone number that can be accessed only from the Licensee's network.
406 For example numbers in the 03-XXXXXXX, 05Y-XXXXXXX and 07Z-XXXXXXX
The payment which the Licensee shall collect for Call Completion shall not be greater than the interconnect tariff set forth in the Telecommunications Regulations (Payments for Interconnection) 57600- 2000.
The Licensee may charge a Subscriber for transferring a Short Message Service, from Terminal Equipment connected to the Network to Terminal Equipment connected to an MRT system of another MRT licensee, payment that shall not exceed the payment the Licensee charges Subscribers for transferring a Short Message Service, from Terminal Equipment connected to the Network, to Terminal Equipment connected to the Network, in addition to a charge that shall not exceed the fee for transferring a Short Message Service as set forth in the Communication Regulations (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) (Payments for Interconnection), 2000.
In this Article-
"Short Message Service"- (SMS) - A telecommunication message that includes writing, including letters or signs, that are transferred from Terminal Equipment connected to the Network, to Terminal Equipment connected to the Network or connected to an MRT system of another MRT licensee."
Notwithstanding the above-mentioned in Article 75B, for the period beginning 9 May 2004 until 9 February 2005410, the following provisions shall apply:
411 The reduction in the amount of 0.7% is based on reports received from some of the MRT operators, regarding the rate of Short Message Services between Networks that did not reach their destination. Article 75C was set as a temporary provision, during which time the MRT operators shall carry out the necessary adjustments between their MRT networks and interconnection arrangements for the complete application of Article 75B of their license. For the avoidance of doubt, it should be clear that this temporary provision is set for a limited period of time only, due to the difficulties that MRT operators experienced regarding the possibility to receive information regarding the inability to complete a Short Message Service in another MRT network. However, it should not be inferred from this temporary arrangement to the matter of allowing collection of payment for a Short Message Service that did not reach it's destination, and it does not detract from the Ministry's basic position that as a rule, no payment shall be charged for a Telecommunication Service that was not completed.
407 Amendment No. 23
408 Amendment No. 23
409 Amendment No. 24
410 Amendment No. 27
75D.1 Cancelled.416
In this regard, "service package" – a number of services being marketed to subscribers as a package at a fixed monthly payment, including domestic calls, an international call service, SMS service or cellular data service, when an inclusive Quota of Units is defined for the package,417 or if a particular Quota of Units has been defined for each of the services included therein,418 or if the subscriber set a consumption maximum for the package in order to control consumption.
414 Amendment No. 87
417 For example: in a package including 100 units of call minutes, SMSs and cellular data (in MB) for NIS 15, the subscriber shall receive an SMS according to his consumption in relation to all of the aforesaid services. For example: an SMS shall be sent after 75 units have been utilized and an additional warning message after 100 units have been utilized.
415 Amendment No. 72
416 Amendment No. 87
When engaging in the engagement with the Licensee, the subscriber may refuse to continue receiving the cellular data service for an additional payment after he utilizes 100% of the quota defined for the cellular data service prior to the end of the billing period.
This shall be conspicuously stated in the advertisements of the relevant plans on the Licensee's website, insofar as they are advertised on the website, and by a representative of the Licensee when conducting a sale conversation.
(c) If a Subscriber purchases a package that includes cellular data, which is comprised of a basic cellular data package and of additional cellular data packages for utilization if he utilizes all of the basic cellular data package before the end of the billing period, for which a quantity of service units and a price has been defined, the Subscriber, including a Split Business Subscriber419 may completely cancel the purchase of the additional cellular data packages that it purchased at any time, in writing or orally, and the Licensee shall stop providing him the additional cellular data packages and shall no longer charge him in respect thereof as of the date of his request and thereafter.
This shall be conspicuously stated in the advertisements of the relevant plans on the Licensee's website, insofar as they are advertised on the website, and by a representative of the Licensee when conducting a sale conversation. 420Insofar as a Subscriber completely cancelled the additional cellular data packages, but began consuming an additional cellular data package, the charge in respect thereof shall be done according to that stated in clause 74.3(c).
(d) If a subscriber purchases a package that includes a basic cellular data package, the subscriber may ask the Licensee to block the access to the cellular data service at any time, in writing or orally, and the Licensee shall comply with his request.
419 Amendment No. 90
420 Amendment No. 90
421 Amendment No. 90
75E.1 Definitions425 in this article:
| "arrangement"- | - | a package or plan that includes cellular data or calls or SMSs;426 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| "cellular data arrangement" | - | package or plan that includes cellular data;427 | |
| "call or SMS arrangement" | - | package or plan that includes calls or SMSs;428 | |
| "cellular data offer429"- | - | an offer of three packages or various plans that the Licensee may have that include data that have been offered to the Licensee's | |
| subscribers in the month preceding the month in which the package offers were sent to the subscriber; | |||
| "call or SMS arrangement offer" | - | an offer of three packages or various plans including a call or SMS service, insofar as the Licensee offers them, which have been | |
| offered to the Licensee's subscribers in the month preceding the date on which the arrangement offers was sent to the subscriber.430 | |||
| "package" | - | a limited quantity of service units, that can be used during a limited period through international roaming abroad, that are sold at a | |
| known and predetermined price and is valid for certain destinations | |||
| "abroad or destination" | - | a country, including a vessel at sea and an aircraft; | |
| "Mb" | - | Mbyte | |
| "blocked subscriber" | - | subscriber who did not request constant access to cellular data services on the service access form; | |
| "open subscriber" | - | subscriber who requested constant access to cellular data services on the service access form;431 | |
| cellular data or cellular data service" | - | cellular data service abroad | |
| "plan" | - | a tariff plan for a limited period of time or for a specific trip abroad432 for the use of services through international roaming abroad (for | |
| example: voice service, sending and receiving sms and cellular data) to destinations included in the plan and the payment for the | |||
| services shall be made in accordance with the use; the service tariffs included in the plan are different from the tariffs for these | |||
| services for a subscriber that did not enroll in the plan; the plan can determine a set payment that does not depend on usage | |||
| "Full tariff" | - | tariff per call minute, for an SMS and for 1 MB other than within the scope of an arrangement; | |
| "Discount tariff" | - | tariff per call minute, for an SMS and for 1 MB within the scope of an arrangement.433 | |
| 423 Amendment No. 87 | |||
| 424 Amendment No. 72 | |||
| 425 Amendment No. 87 | |||
| 426 Amendment No. 87 | |||
429 Amendment No. 87
(6) The Licensee shall document the SMSs referred to in this clause, as specified in clause 60.6(c), shall retain the documentation in its possession and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of the day they were sent.
434
(a) If a Non-Business Subscriber or a Split Business Subscriber that is charged in respect of cellular data service via international roaming (hereinafter – "Split Business Subscriber with Cellular Data Service via International Roaming") or a blocked Business Subscriber purchases a package that includes cellular data, the Licensee shall block the access to the cellular data service after the full utilization of the package or upon the expiration of the validity of the package, whichever is earlier, at no charge, and the subscriber shall not be required to pay any payment whatsoever for the cellular data service beyond the payment known in advance for the package that it purchased. The Licensee shall send an SMS to the subscriber, at no charge, about the blocking as stated, shortly before the blocking date. The SMS shall include a cellular data arrangement offer.
434Amendment No. 87
435 Amendment No. 73
436 Amendment No. 87
437 Amendment No. 87
If a Non-Business Subscriber or a Split Business Subscriber with Cellular Data Service via International Roaming or a blocked Business Subscriber purchases a package that includes cellular data, which is comprised of a basic cellular data package and additional cellular data packages for utilization after the full utilization of the basic cellular data package, for which a number of service units and price has been defined for each of them, or which is comprised of a basic cellular data package, when after its full utilization or until it expires, the subscriber is charged according to a discount tariff, the subscriber may cancel the purchase of the additional cellular data packages that he purchased or the additional cellular data at a discount tariff that he purchased, at any time, in writing or orally, and the Licensee shall stop providing him the additional cellular data packages or the additional cellular data at a discount rate and shall no longer charge him in respect of cellular data as of the date of his request and thereafter.
The Licensee shall document the subscriber's explicit request as stated, as specified in clause 60.6(c), shall retain the documentation in its possession and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of the submission of the request.
When engaging in the order of the service from the Licensee, a Non-Business Subscriber or a Split Business Subscriber with Cellular Data Service via International Roaming or a blocked Business Subscriber may refuse to continue receiving the cellular data service for an additional payment after he utilizes 100% of the basic package defined for the cellular data service, as specified in clause 75E.2(b)(1).
This shall be conspicuously stated in the advertisements of the relevant plans on the Licensee's website and by a representative of the Licensee when conducting a sale conversation.
439 An "open" status on the service access form, without a cellular data arrangement, is relevant solely to a Business Subscriber; a Non-Business Subscriber and a Split Business Subscriber with Cellular Data via International Roaming, without a cellular data arrangement, shall be blocked from cellular data as the defult mode.
(a) The Licensee shall send a test message, at no charge, to an open Business Subscriber who did not purchase a cellular data arrangement, or if the cellular data arrangement that he purchased does not include the country to which he arrived, immediately upon his arrival abroad, which shall include a warning about possible consumption of chargeable cellular data service, without the subscriber initiating any action to consume cellular data, and the message shall also include the tariffs for cellular data without a purchase of a cellular data arrangement. The SMS shall also include a cellular data arrangement offer.
The Licensee shall document the sending of the said SMS to the Business Subscriber, as specified in clause 60.6(c), shall retain the documentation in its possession and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of the sending of the SMSs.
(b) The Licensee shall send SMSs, at no charge, to an open Business Subscriber who purchased only a basic package whereby the tariff after the full utilization of the package is a discount tariff or a full tariff, and the messages shall include notice regarding the package utilization ratio, as stated in clause 75E.2(b), and the tariff, as stated.
440 Amendment No. 87
441 Amendment No. 87 442 Amendment No. 87
The Licensee shall document its sending of the said SMSs to the Business Subscriber, and about the subscriber sending the said SMSs to the Licensee, if sent, as specified in clause 60.6(c), shall retain the documentation in its possession and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of the sending of the SMSs.443
Insofar as the transaction for the purchase of calls or SMSs does not include destinations abroad, the said SMS shall advise that outgoing calls and the sending of SMSs to destinations abroad shall be charged according to the Full Tariff.
The Licensee shall document the sending of the said SMS, as specified in clause 60.6(c), shall retain the documentation in its possession and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of the transaction execution date.444
443 Amendment No. 87
444 Amendment No. 87
In addition, the Licensee will note information regarding the said " remote sales transaction " in the telephone bill following the date of the execution of the transaction, in accordance with the billing period of the subscriber, that includes the telephone number for which the transaction was executed, the date of the transaction, the amount and types of services that were purchased through international roaming services, the number of days allocated for the use of the services, the date and time of beginning of provision of the services, the price of the services purchased, the price according to which the charge will be done for consuming the services beyond the package, if a package is purchased and the manner of rounding up every amount consumed (hereinafter- "transaction details").
The Licensee shall retain a copy of the Telephone Bill that specifies the details of the transaction in its possession and shall make it available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of the transaction execution date.
76.1 The Licensee shall make available to anyone who requests, at the service offices and referral centers, and without charge, full and detailed information regarding updated tariffs for all its services including payment for Call Completion; the Director may instruct the Licensee in regard to the manner and form in which tariffs are to be published, as aforesaid.
445 Amendment No. 87
446 Amendment No. 87
447 Amendment No. 87
448 Amendment No. 87
76.2 The Licensee shall specify in every account statement sent to the Subscriber, the Basket Of Services for which the Subscriber is being charged.
450 Amendment No 41
The obligation to send notice of a change to the Director shall not apply to a change defined from the outset in the engagement agreement, when the subscriber subscribed to the service or the service bundle.
(b) that it sent prior written notice to every Subscriber who subscribed to the service, 452and to the additional telephone number as specified in clause 55.4(a)(1), specifying the name of the service, the tariff or the new Number of Units, and their effective date. 453The notice to the additional telephone number shall also include the Subscriber's telephone number in which the change shall be made and the tariff or Number of Units prior to the change, between fourteen (14) and twenty-one (21) days before the effective date.
Notwithstanding that stated, with regard to a tariff reduction, the Licensee may send the notice to the subscriber up to one month after the reduction.
For the purposes of this section, "change" means – any change in tariff that could cause an increase or decrease in the pre-VAT payment that a subscriber must pay for the Licensee's services or any reduction in the number of service units allotted for a billing period, without a change in tariff.
(2) recording of the voice message as specified in clause 106A.
The Licensee shall make the documentation of the sending of the notice available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of the sending thereof.
The Licensee shall make a copy of the Telephone Bill available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of its production date.
(g)454 Insofar as the Licensee provided a service to a private Subscriber, which is other than a voice service or text messages or cellular data, at a discount or for free for a defined period, including a service that is other than a telecommunications service, the Licensee must send to the Subscriber and to the additional telephone number specified by the Subscriber, as specified in clause 55.4(a) (1), which are accessible to text message services, a text message about the change in tariff, as specified in clause 78.1(b), to which a single-value link shall be attached to each service, which shall be valid for seven (7) days after the text message was sent, in which the Subscriber shall be asked to enter the attached link if he is not interested in continuing to receive the service for payment. The said link must lead to a landing page through which the service shall be cancelled; during the service cancellation, the Subscriber shall be identified solely by his ID number; the Subscriber may cancel the service from each of the two telephone numbers to which the text message was sent; the Licensee must send a text message to the Subscriber's telephone number through which the service was cancelled to confirm the cancellation of the service; if the Subscriber cancelled the service through the said landing page, the Licensee is not allowed to continue or to begin charging the Subscriber in respect of the said service at the end of the said period. The sending of the text message by the Licensee to the Subscriber must be documented as specified in clause 60.6(c) and the contents of the text message shall be documented.
The Licensee must make the said documentation available for delivery or forwarding to the manager upon his request within five (5) workdays of the date the text message was sent.
The Licensee must send a voice message as specified in subclause (c) to telephone numbers having no access to text message services, and must document it as specified in subclause (d). Subscribers may also cancel a service as stated in other ways, including via regular post, electronic mail, internet chats and via facsimile.
454 Amendment No. 90
The Licensee must send notice of the change in tariff to Business Subscribers and to Split Business Subscribers in the Bill details of the Bill preceding the date the change in tariff shall take effect or via text message with a link as specified above, or via electronic-mail message.
If the amount of any tariff for MRT services pursuant to the provisions of the license has been raised or lowered, the increase or decrease shall not apply to payments made for such a service prior to the date of commencement of the increase or decrease; the increase or decrease shall apply only with regard to payments for MRT services that were provided to the Subscriber after the date of the increase of decrease. The provisions of this clause shall not apply in the case of an amendment of a tariff pursuant to the instructions of the Minister under clause 83.
80.1 The Licensee may charge a Subscriber interest, linkage and collection costs for payments for MRT services not paid by the Subscriber on the due date as specified in the payment notice that was sent to the Subscriber, in accordance with the service contract455 between them (hereinafter: the "date of payment").
80.2 Deleted456 .
For this matter, "collections costs"-including legal actions that the Licensee or anyone on the Licensee's behalf takes to collect the amount due before filing an application with the courts.457
455 Amendment No. 32
456 Amendment No. 41
The Licensee is permitted to collect the Collection Fee set out in Paragraph 82 for connection to the MRT System in a number of payments, on dates agreed with the Subscriber and in amounts set out in the service contract.
465 Amendment No. 87
466 Amendment No. 87
The Licensee shall document the contents of the complaint in its information system immediately upon its submission, and the outcome of the clarification of the complaint, immediately upon completing the clarification, and shall make this documentation available for delivery or forwarding to the Director, upon his request, within five (5) workdays of completing the clarification of the complaint.469
467 Amendment No. 57
468 Amendment No. 87
469 Amendment No. 87
471 Amendment No. 90 472 Amendment No. 87
The Licensee shall pay linkage differentials, arrearage interest and collection costs as set out in the Royalty Regulations, on royalties not paid in the time prescribed for their payment under said regulations.
Royalties and linkage differentials, arrearage interest, and collection fees therefor, shall be paid to the accountant of the Ministry of Communications by way of bank transfer into the account of the Ministry of Communications.
The royalties under this section shall be in addition to any fee, tax or other obligatory payment that the Licensee is required to pay under the provisions of any law.
In this section:
"Use of the License" - The establishment of an MRT System, its installation, subsistence, maintenance or operation, either by the Licensee or through its agent, including its employees, contractors, agents or representatives.
89.3 For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this paragraph do not place liability on the Licensee beyond the damage liability set out in the regular Civil Wrongs Laws or detract from such liability.
91.2 The Licensee will indemnify the State for all financial liability, as set out in Paragraph 89.1, that the State will be bound to any third party as a result of the Use of the License; indemnification in accordance with this paragraph will be insured by the Licensee in liability insurance.
91.3 The Licensee will insure itself, including its employees and contractors, against any financial liability as set out in Paragraph 89.1, which might bind it pursuant to all laws as a result of damage caused to person or his property, from Use of the License and against any loss or damage caused to the MRT system, wholly or partially, from Use of the License, and including third party risk.
Should the Licensee not draw up an insurance contract, or if it becomes clear that the insurance contract it drew up has been cancelled or it has expired, and the Licensee has not drawn up a new insurance contract as set out in Paragraph 92.6, the Director may execute the insurance in its place and pay the insurance fees, and may foreclose the bank guarantee to cover the expense incurred by payment of the insurance fees, or collect them in any other way; all of the above without derogating from the authority to cancel, limit or suspend the License because of non-execution of the insurance according to the conditions of this License by the Licensee.
484 Amendment No. 107
96.1 The Director may confiscate all or a portion of the relevant guarantee up to the sum specified therein, provided that he warned the Licensee that if, within the timeframe specified in the warning, the Licensee does not rectify the act or omission that is the subject of the warning, the relevant guarantee shall be fully or partially confiscated.
486 Amendment No. 107
487Amendment No. 107
488 Amendment No. 107
489 Amendment No. 107
490 Amendment No. 107
The Director or a person authorized by him may supervise the activities of the Licensee in all matters pertaining to the implementation of the License and the observation of the provisions of the Law, the Ordinance and the Regulations therein.
The Director and any person engaged in supervision activities on his behalf over the Licensee, will not disclose any information or document that comes into their hands in the course of their duties, to a person not authorized to receive them, unless they have been made public, or if the disclosure is necessary for the purpose of fulfilling their duties in accordance with this License and in accordance with all laws.
For the purposes of the supervision as set out in this section, the Director may:
The Licensee will cooperate with the Director in all matters concerning the execution of the supervision over its said activities, and without detracting from the generality of the above, it will enable them the execution set out in Paragraphs 100 and 101 and will provide them, on request, any information in its possession or under its control that is required for execution of the supervision.
492 Amendment No. 98
103. Deleted494
493 Amendment No. 98
494 Amendment No. 98
495 Amendment No. 41
496 Amendment No. 98
500 Amendment No. 41
501 Amendment No. 87
502 Amendment No. 41
510108.5 The Ministry may publish the License, other than the Appendices set out in clause 108.2, on such date and in such manner as it sees fit.
109.1 If an obligation imposed on the Licensee in this License has a set date for its fulfillment, the Licensee will fulfill it on that date.
109.2 The Director may, upon the Licensee's request, defer a date set as stated above, if he deems that fulfillment of the obligation on that date is impossible for reasons of force majeure.
The approval or supervisory authority conferred upon the Minister or the Director in accordance with this License, including the employment of the said authority, does not impose on them any responsibility whatsoever, that is imposed in accordance with this License on the Licensee, and it does not harm or detract or remove or diminish the responsibility of the Licensee as stated above.
112.1 The Licensee shall contact the communications staff officer in the Judea and Samaria Civil Administration Area for the allocation of frequencies, the expansion of its license in the Judea and Samaria areas, for the expansion of the MRT system and for the provision of 4G and 5G513 Services in the areas in which the authorities in the telecommunications sector are of the Civil Administration.
Amendment No. 14 Amendment No. 4 Amendment No. 83 Amendment No. 107
112.2 The Licensee will operate in the Judea and Samaria areas in accordance with the license and frequencies allocation from the communications staff officer of the Civil Administration; the frequency allocation and the license in the Judea and Samaria area, including the deployment, the minimum requirements and the service level to the subscriber shall be mostly based on the allocation terms in Israel and the provisions of this license, mutatis mutandis, as shall be determined by the Civil Administration manager and in accordance with the law and the Security Legislation applicable to the Judea and Samaria areas, including the need to receive an individual approval for the establishment of each telecommunications facility.
Licensee shall pay the 5G License Fee at the sum of ILS 31,190,000 after 4.9.2022, but by no later than 8.9.2022 and by this date only. The timely payment of the License Fee is a material condition of this License
514 Amendment No. 57
515 Amendment No. 87
Is this a new service/expansion of an existing service/combination of services/is there a need for preliminary test; The manner of operation of the service; Date of commencement of the service; Availability and gauges for quality of service; Support centers; Service price; The target clientele of the service; The manner of ordering the service; The process of connecting to the service; The ramifications or influences of this service on other services.
517 Amendment No. 14 518 Amendment No. 41
A description and diagram of the system; Handsets-target equipment for receipt of the service;
The need for number portability necessary coordinations with the licensee or other factors.
| No. | Service Name |
Service Description | Supply Date** | Service Quality Measures* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Basic Telephone service (cellular calls) 521 |
Telephone conversations to and from Subscribers of the Licensee to any telephone or other Terminal Equipment appropriate to the Licensee's Network and to any other Public Telecommunications Network in Israel or around the world. |
Exists | High sound quality and high level of privacy | |
| 2. | Telephone access to emergency call services522 |
Free dialing to such emergency services as shall be prescribed by the Director (e.g.: police, ambulance, fire department, and others). Caller to be directed to an emergency call center by way of definition of the service provider in the place where the Subscriber is. These services are available also without a SIM card in the handset. |
Exists | The phone number of the caller shall be identifiable by the public emergency service centers. Dialing without a SIM card shall be possible to number 112 according to ETSI nad directed to the police. |
|
| 2A | Data Communications523 | connecting a subscriber via telephone or independent modem to TCP/UDP/IP communications for message transmissions via packet switch. |
Exists | according to the global GSM organization's definitions and according to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute's (ETSI) standards. |
* The Licensee shall act in accordance with the definitions of the World GSM Organization, and in accordance with the standards of ETSI (the European Telecommunications Standards Institute), to the extent relevant for each service.
** 3G services are provided from January 2005 unless stated otherwise (notice of activation of 3G services as of February 2, 2005).
519 Amendment No. 63
520 Amendment No. 107
521 Amendment No. 107
522 Amendment No. 107
| No. | Service Name | Service Description | Supply Date** | Gauges of Quality of Service* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | Voice mail | Leaving and retrieving voice messages stored in a personal voice mailbox when the customer is not available or does not wish to answer. Sending an indicator when a message is waiting in the mailbox. Licensee to support various languages. |
Exists | Leaving and retrieving messages from voice mail box even when dialing from other networks. |
|
| 4. | "Follow me" | Direction of incoming calls to another telephone number at the Subscriber's election (permanently, only when the Subscriber's number is engaged, only when the Subscriber does not answer or when the Subscriber is not available). The service operates in accordance with the subscriber's choice when the handset is not turned on or is outside a coverage area. |
Exists | Availability at peak hours at 99% probability |
These services are available also without a SIM card in the handset. |
| 5. | "Selective follow me" | Direction of certain incoming calls at te Subscriber's election to another telephone number at the Subscriber's election (permanently, only when the Subscriber's number is engaged, only when the Subscriber does not answer or when the Subscriber is not available). The service also operates in accordance with the subscriber's choice when the handset is not turned on or is outside a coverage area |
Future | Availability at peak hours at 99% probability |
These services are available also without a SIM card in the handset. |
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
| 6. | "Hold call" | Directing a caller to a "hold" status, when the Subscriber answers another call or calls another number. Skipping between the two calls. |
Exists | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | Call waiting | The ability of the Subscriber to transfer from one call to another (after indication of a second incoming call using special sounds) at the same time. The Subscriber can choose to answer, not answer, or ignore. |
Exists | Availability at peak hours at 99% probability |
|
| 8. | Selective call waiting | Only calls from a list of telephone numbers determined by the Subscriber will activate a sound that lets the Subscriber know about the waiting call. |
Exists | Availability at peak hours at 99% probability |
|
| 9. | Caller id | Display of the number of the caller (at the time of the call) on the display screen of the handset. |
Exists | Dependent upon the number not being blocked by the caller or the implementation by the other operator |
| 10. | ID call concealer | Allows concealment of the Subscriber's number from being displayed on the screen of the handset receiving the call. The concealment can be one-time or permanent. |
*4/1998 | In accordance with a a notice dated 15/12/2011 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | Call blocking | The ability to limit making calls to certain destinations and in addition the ability to block receiving a call while overseas, in accordance with the Subscriber's preference. |
2/2005 | Availability at peak hours at 99% probability |
The blocking for outgoing calls is for specific numbers. There shall not be a comprenhesive blockage for access to an MRT or fixed-line operator. |
| 12. | Short message service (SMS) | Sending, receiving, storing and routing of text messages in different languages, graphics, voice and picture messages to and from Subscribers' handsets in the Licensee's Network or Subscribers' handsets on other networks in Israel and overseas who have reached an agreement with the Licensee. Sending such messages from a personal computer. Sending incoming messages to a facsimile machine. |
Exists | Speed of transferring a graphic message-in accordance with the speed supported by the handset and dependent on the abilities of the network to supply data communications. |
Dependent upon terminal handsets |
| 13. | Multi media message | The ability to send/receive/store/route messages, while utilizing a wide range of media types, such as: text, audio, fax, e-mail, video. |
2/2005 | Based on the speed supported by the handset and the ability of the network to supply data communications. |
|
| 14. | Unified messages | The Subscriber's ability to access various messages through one access point without depending on the type of media that was used to send the message. |
Future | Availability at peak hours at 99% probability |
|
| 15. | 24 hour subscriber service | Receipt of assistance from subscriber service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in four languages (Hebrew, Arabic, English and Russian). |
Exists | See Appendix E | |
| 16. | Information service | Finding out telephone numbers in Israel. | Exists | See Appendix E | Pursuant to provisions of the License |
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
| 17. | Billing summary | Sending an invoice containing a summary of all billing (e.g., subscription fees, airtime billing, taxes, other expenses). Information on billing via interactive answering service and SMS. |
Exists | 100% matching with company records |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18. | Detailed billing | Sending an invoice containing details of all calls made for the entire billing period, upon request. Receipt of accounts, or specific parts of accounts. |
Exists | 100% matching with company records |
|
| 19. | Controlled billing | The Subscriber determines the maximum level of use for each billing month in order to assist with budgeting. Receipt of Short Message System (SMS) when billing reaches pre-determined level of use. Increase or decrease of level in real time. |
Future | 100% matching with company records |
|
| 20. | Personal number | The Subscriber can use a single number for all his communications (voice, fax and data) |
Exists | ||
| Able to combine with call screening while activating a "follow me" feature based on the time of day, identity of the caller or type of communication. |
Future | ||||
| 21. | Transfer of calls | Transfer of calls to third party | Exists | ||
| 22. | Call screening | Receipt, transfer or rejection of calls based on identity of caller or time. |
Future | ||
| 23. | List of preferred callers | Allows Subscribers to receive calls from a list of preferred callers. Other calls are sent automatically to the voice mail box or to another number. |
Future |
| 24. | Selection of number | Subscriber can choose his telephone number in accordance with the Numbering Plan in Israel, as part of the Licensee's allotments |
Exists | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25. | Ability to change number | Change of Subscriber's telephone number, at Subscriber's request |
Exists | ||
| 26. | Access services to information in accordance with location |
Access from MRT Terminal Equipment to specific information per geographic location of Subscriber |
Exists | Coordination of information within cell – accuracy of several kilometers |
Subject to provisions of protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981 |
| 27. | Loading "telephone book" | Loading of telephone numbers by Licensee directly into a "telephone book" on Subscriber's SIM card, per list that Subscriber enters into system via exchange operator, answering service or internet. |
2005 | In accordance with a notice dated 15/12/2011 | |
| 28. | Voice operated dialing | Dialing numbers via Subscriber's voice command (instead of manual dialing) |
Exists | Dependent upon terminal handset | |
| 29. | Voice mail | The ability of callers to record messages and of addressees to return calls |
2/2005 | Availability at peak hours at probability of 99% |
|
| 30. | Automatic redial (completion of calls to engaged subscribers) |
The system 'locks' on to an engaged line and the Network rings the Subscriber back automatically when the engaged line becomes free. |
Exists | Dependent upon terminal handset | |
| 31. | Renewal of line that drops out | Automatic renewal of calls that drop out | Future | ||
| 32.524 | Two Number of SIM cards/MRT Terminal Equipment units on |
Operating a number of MRT Terminal Equipment using an identical number and |
Exists | Orange 2 |
identical account (eg. one handset in the car
and one mobile).
524 Amendment No. 93
one number
| 33. | Two numbers for one SIM card Operating two separate telephone numbers from the same MRT Terminal Equipment and SIM card (eg. a private line and a business line) The lines may be billed separately or together. |
Future | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34. | Blockage of international access |
Blocking of a Subscriber's ability to make outgoing international calls in Israel; and incoming or outgoing calls when roaming outside of Israel |
Exists | |
| 35. | Collect calls | Collect calling for calls to pre-determined numbers. The recipient of the call pays for the call |
Future | |
| 36. | Virtual private network (VPN) Dialing MRT Terminal Equipment of Subscribers within a corporation by calling extension numbers on corporation's private exchange (PBX) or truncated number. |
Exists | For corporations | |
| 37. | Wireless Centrex services | Receipt of some of the benefits of VPN for groups of subscribers who are not connected to a PBX. Dialing members of the group via truncated code instead of whole numbers |
Future | |
| 38. | Closed user group | Allowed calls between subscribers in pre determined groups |
Future | |
| 39. | Automatic subscriber location (Hunt Group) |
Transfer of incoming calls automatically to a list of telephone numbers in order to locate Subscriber |
Future | |
| 40. | Conference call | Addition of third party to a call without disconnecting the second party and without needing to set up the service in advance through an exchange operator |
Exists | Dependent upon terminal handset |
| 41. | Data communications service | Transfer of data communications service via subscriber's telephone handset/ PC/PDA/Laptop that is connected to the Subscriber's handset. Possible to transfer the data at the time the call or afterwards. |
Exists | Speed of up to 42Mbps and in the future up to 300 Mhps |
Dependent upon terminal handset and coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42. | Over the air activation and alterations |
On line activation and alteration of SIM card memory so as to save a Subscriber's having to come to a service center |
Exists | ||
| 43. | Temporary disconnection | Disconnection of service for a Subscriber for a pre-determined period of time without losing the specific telephone number (eg. during holidays or temporary stay overseas) |
Exists | ||
| 44. | Consolidated billing | Receipt of one bill combining charges for all handsets for Subscribers with a number of telephones and/or services |
Exists | Full coordination with system records for bills sent out |
|
| 45. | Clarification of bill status | Clarification of up-to-date bill status via voice response, SMS or internet |
Exists | ||
| 46. | Account billing | Typing in an identification code before every call (so as to distinguish between business calls and private calls made on the same line). Receipt of monthly invoice with details of use per billing code. |
Future | Full coordination with system records for 100% of bills sent |
|
| 47. | Electronic billing / reporting | Control and analysis of information on billing and treatment of bills by Subscriber, using special software |
Exists | Full coordination with system records for 100% of accounts sent |
|
| 48. | Additional copy of account | Receipt of more than one copy of every bill, upon request |
Exists | ||
| 49. | Billing on demand | Supply of report of all bills and credits as at the period requested by the Subscriber. |
Exists | 100% coordination with system records |
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
| 50. | POC (Push to talk over Cellular) |
Holding a conversation by the push of a button on the MRT Terminal Equipment. The call may be private (between Subscribers) or a group call on the data communications network |
7/2004 | In accordance with the Service File Based on a temporary provision 525 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51. | Free of charge service for the caller |
The initiator of the call shall not be charged for the call. The receiver of the call shall be charged in accordance with appropriate billing arrangements |
3/2010 | In accordance with the service file526 | |
| 52. | Commerce telephone service (premium) at a low price |
Provides a commerce telephone service (premium) at a low price, via the Licensee or content provider. |
9/2008 | Prefix in accordance with the numbering program |
|
| 53. | Commerce telephone service (premium) at a fixed price |
Provides a commerce telephone service (premium) at a fixed price, via the Licensee or content provider. |
future | Prefix in accordance with the numbering program |
|
| 54. | Ring Back Tone | Playing of music or content pre-selected by the Subscriber for those calling, instead of a waiting tone |
4/2003* | *In accordance with a notice dated 30.4.2003 |
525 Temporary Provision - The Licensee will allow the activation of the "Push to Talk" service (hereinafter- the " Service") for any Subscriber that is a legal entity (an individual or corporation), provided that the number of users (the number of MRT Terminal Equipment units that are designated for the Service, hereinafter- Terminal Units) that the Subscriber has, does not exceed 20 during the first year from the beginning of the Service. Notwithstanding the above, if a significant change shall happen in the MRT sector that can affect the provision of the Service, the Ministry will consider shortening the period.
Commencement- The beginning of the service not before 18.7.04
526 In accordance with the service file "free of charge call for the caller" ("1-800 service")
| 55. | Access to internet / intranet | Access to internet or to the private intranet network of a company through an account the access to which is via the Subscriber's Terminal Equipment (including a mobile handset), computer, PDA or similar device and the ability to transfer files, e-mails and streamline video/audio data. |
Exists | In accordance with the speed supported by the handset and dependent on the network's ability to supply data communication. |
Access to internet via special internet services licensee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56. | Access to internal organizational internet (Intranet) and external (Extranet) |
The ability to supply access to the organizational network either directly to the local organiznational netowrk (LAN) or to the private virtual network (VPN). |
2/2005 | In accordance with the speed supported by the handset and dependent on the network's ability to supply data communication. |
Dependent on the performance of the organizational network. |
| 57. | Identification and verification | Identification and verification of user upon access to an internal organizational network (intranet) using Terminal Equipment |
Future |
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
| 58. | Access to an electronic mailbox available on various devices (PDA, PC, mobile handsets). Sending and receiving messages, indication upon receipt of message into mailbox of Subscriber. Support in various languages |
2/2005 | In accordance with the speed supported by the handset and dependent on the network's ability to supply data communication. |
Dependent upon terminal handset | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59. | Video communications | Sending photos, graphics or live video via the Network (eg. Subscribers who are far from one another can exchange photos and work interactively) |
2/2005 | ||
| 60. | Video Call | The ability to make a bi-directional video call between two callers. |
2/2005 | Data transfer speed-up to 46K | Dependent upon terminal handset |
| 61. | International roaming | Provision of MRT Services when visiting Israel (for "roamers" from overseas). Transfer of calls to a Subscriber overseas via a international long distance provider and the provision of the possibility for Subscribers that are overseas to receive MRT services from overseas operators, including call filtering and call back and the provision of cellular telephone services and accompanying services to those visiting Israel (for "roamer" from overseas) all by way of roaming agreements with operators in other countries. |
Exists | Under GSM MoU | |
| 62. | Information regarding international ascription |
A Subscriber that calls the service receives information regarding ascription to international operators. |
Exists |
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
| 63. | Advanced voice mail box | Sending and receiving speech messages with more advanced features and abilities: Fax box sending messages to more than one person at once Sending messages from one voice box to another, including transfer of messages received to another person, or direct response to sender. |
Exists | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64. | Personal secretary service | Connection of callers to an exchange operator to deal with more complex messages than voice mail service. Notice passed to Subscriber via speech or Short Message (SMS), per customer instructions (can work as a beeper service) |
Future | ||
| 65. | GSM / satellite roaming | Licensee to support handsets with double GSM / satellite operating statuses |
1/2005* | Conditional upon roaming agreement |
Conditional upon roaming agreement with satellite operator and upon satellite network operator's having a license from the Director to provide its services in Israel. In accordance with a notice dated 15/12/2011* |
| 66. | Information, enterntainment and content services according to subscriber needs |
Access to wide variety of information, enterntainment and content services based on various media types via sms messages/picture/multi media and cellular internet (receiving or transmitting) or via audio or visual content (eg. financial information, traffic reports, sports news and weather reports). |
Exists | In accordance with the speed supported by the handset and dependent on the network's ability to supply data communication |
Dependent upon terminal handset and network capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67. | Services based on location | Combination of various services with location abilitites in the network or a satellite navigation system (GPS) so as to offer customers location based services (eg. whilst driving in a car). Subscriber can be quickly and accurately located. Receipt of navigation instructions based on location of Subscriber. Various services based on receipt of information regarding traffic situation on roads in Israel based on Subscriber's location. Following up movements of subscriber's vehicle (eg if car is stolen) |
1/2004* | Subject to the Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981. In accordance with a notice dated 15.12.2011 |
|
| 68. | Managing mobile workforce/location/navigation |
The ability to supervise, control and manage mobile employees, assist with their navagation while monitoring their location. |
1/2005 | Subject to the Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981. |
|
| 69. | Notification of activation of alarm |
Checking status of Subscriber's house alarm, car alarm or any other alarm using Terminal Equipment |
Future | ||
| 70. | Marketing and shopping by telephone |
Receiving advertisements for products via speech or written messages (by request). Ordering products via Subscriber's terminal equipment |
Future |
| 71. | Electronic Money | Storage and transfer of "electronic money" in the memory of the Subscriber's SIM card. Loading of SIM card with money using various, convenient means (such as direct transfer from bank account, from ATMs, from appropriate public telephones or computerized public information stands). |
Future | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72. | E-Commerce | Purchase of products and services via Terminal Equipment, being billed via telephone account. |
Exists | To be updated in accordance with the "Mobile Electronic Commerce" regulations, when published and in accordance with the Ministry of Communications' policy. |
|
| 73. | Payments via the cellular handset |
The ability to effect on line purchases directly from the the cellular handset. The service allows the complete execution of the transaction-verfication of the Subscriber, ordering the goods and execution of the payment |
2/2005 | Dependent upon terminal handset | |
| 74. | Electronic Banking | Effecting basic banking operations using Terminal Equipment as a terminal (eg. ordering check books, inspecting bank account statements) the information being transferred to a Subscriber's Terminal Equipment via Short Message System (SMS) |
Exists | In accordance with bank requirements |
Conditional upon the approval of the Supervisor of Banks |
| 75. | Electronic clearance | Ability of clearance between a trader and the credit card company, using cellular Terminal Equipment |
Future | In accordance with requirements of credit card companies |
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
| 76 | Facsimile | Receipt, storage and retrieval of facsimile message via Subscriber's Terminal Equipment (fax mail). Subscriber receives a Short Message (SMS) when new fax arrives. Retrieval of fax by redirecting fax message to the fax of the Subscriber's choice. |
Exists | Direct or via the voice mailbox-dependent on the handset. The service does not exist on the 3G network. |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77. | Telemetry applications | Enables Subscribers to perform remote controlling and monitoring (such as electricity and water meters, traffic lights, cargo, safety warnings, remote readings from computer equipment, environmental monitoring, car parking, medical observation) |
Exists | In accordance with the speed supported by the handset and dependent on the network's ability to supply data communication |
|
| 78. | "Yellow Pages" type directory Access to "Yellow Pages" type information via exchange operator using truncated dialing |
Future | |||
| 79. | Provision of MRT Terminal Equipment |
Provision of Terminal Equipment for use in countries with different service bands than Israel (such as in GSM 1800 and 1900 networks) all charges being transferred to the Subscriber's GSM account in Israel |
Exists | Not relevant |
| 80. | Provision of SIM card | Provision of SIM card to visiting "roamers" from countries with whom there is no roaming agreement |
Future | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81. | Regional tariffs | A special tariff for calls that begin and end in a pre-ordained area (eg. house, office) |
Future | ||
| 82. | Pre-paid card | Enables a Subscriber to load his MRT account with a pre-defined amount of money |
Exists | ||
| 83. | Advertisement during call | Lower tariffs for Subscribers willing to listen to an advertisement at the beginning of the call. Advertiser pays for this discount |
Future | ||
| 84. | Deleted527 | ||||
| 85. | Deleted528 | ||||
| 86. | Filtering of offensive sites and content on the internet |
4/12 | The service is provided to a subscriber that uses internet access service. No additional charge in additional to the payment charged from the subscriber for internet access service. |
||
| 87529 | Personal Message | a message, warning and short explanation of the security forces that is sent immediately, selectively and focused to subscribers with MRT handsets that support the use of the cell broadcast ("CB") technology. |
10/2014 | As set out in the service file | In accordance with Article 65B and the "Personal Message" service file |
527 Amendment No. 100
528 Amendment No. 100 529 Amendment No. 74
Translation from Hebrew The Binding version is the Hebrew version
| 88530 | Premium service at a premium tariff |
Premium service provided by dialing a designated prefix that has been allocated for this (1-900, 1-901, 1-903) |
2/2015 | The service will be provided in accordance with the provisions of Appendix N. |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89531 | Premium service at a regular tariff |
The premium service will be provided by: 1) Network access code-as an internal network service Dialing a Fixed-line telephone number 2) as a general national service. |
2/2015 | A fixed-line telephone number and a regular taiff as defined in article 67D1 of the license |
|
| 90 | Partner WiFi Calling | Making and receiving calls in Israel over the internet network, via wireless access point (WiFi) and keeping the subscriber's telephone number in the Licensee's network. |
7.8.2016 | GOS 2% only in the Licensee's network |
In accordance with the service file Partner WiFi Calling only in supporting MRT Terminal Equipment. |
| 91 | Partner WiFi Calling abroad | Making and receiving calls abroad over the internet network, via wireless access point (WiFi) and keeping the subscriber's telephone number in the Licensee's network. |
Future | In accordance with the service file. |
530 Amendment No. 80 531 Amendment No. 80
Second Annex - Appendixes
The appendixes in this Annex include the following appendixes and information:
Appendix
Appendix A - Deleted532
Appendix B - Engineering Plan
Appendix C - Maintenance Organization-Annulled533
Appendix C - National Roaming (NR)534
Appendix D - Standard Agreement-Annulled535
Appendix D1- Preparations for managing cyber defense;536
Appendix E - Minimum Requirements and Grade of Service to Subscribers
Appendix F - Service order on the Licensee's or content provider's website537
Appendix G - Insurance Contract
Appendix H - Guarantees and letters of undertaking538
Appendix I - Written Undertakings
539Appendix J- Access to International Telecommunication Services
540Appendix K-Special Services for the Security Forces (Confidential)
541Appendix L-Security Provisions (not for Publication)
Appendix M- Adult Voice Services
Appendix N- Premium Service that are provided at a Premium Tariff
Appendix O- Timely instructions
542Appendix P – 5G Service other than Data Communications Using a Broad Frequency Band
543Appendix Q – Entitlement to a grant for a 5G rollout
544Appendix R – Conditions and restrictions on the use of radio frequencies
532 Amendment No. 98
533 Amendment No. 41
538 Amendment No. 107
540 Amendment No. 4
542 Amendment No. 107
Appendix A - Deleted545
545 Amendment No. 98
2.1 Blockage of cellular terminal equipment, as set forth in Article 71A, shall be in accordance with the functional characterization dated November 2, 2008.
Table of Contents
Chapter A: General- shall be presented in tracked changes version549
In this chapter, update the activities performed over the last year compared to the Engineering Plan that was prepared and presented in last year's report; present the annual planning for the coming year in a detailed manner so that it includes, inter alia, the number and location of the planned sites, planned changes in services or in the network core, coverage expansion, improvements to performance.553
549 Amendment No. 107
a. Concentration and explanation of terms that are included in the engineering plan report, including details of abbreviated terms.
a. I, the undersigned [the highest ranking engineering officer in the company] hereby confirm that this engineering report accurately and completely describes the engineering outline of the company and its engineering plans as they are known to me.
Chapter B: Summarized Description
a. A summarized description of the engineering outline that includes a description of the engineering system configuration, deployment and quantities of the system components.
_________________________
| No. | Subject | 2G (GSM) | 3G (HSDPA/HSPA/HSPA+) |
4G (LTE/Adv LTE) |
5G | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | No. of subscribers (m) | ||||||
| 2. | Frequency ranges (MHz) | ||||||
| 3. | No of core sites Principal manufacturer Additional manufacturer |
||||||
| 4. | Number of interim sites (such as RNC) Principal manufacturer Additional manufacturer |
||||||
| 5. | Number of end sites (such as BS) Principal manufacturer Additional manufacturer |
||||||
| 6. | Average voice transmission per end site (mbps/E1) | ||||||
| 7. | Average data transmission per end site (mbps) | ||||||
| 8. | Congestion management system – yes/no | ||||||
| 9. | Interconnections (mbps) | ||||||
| 10. | Number portability Who is the supplier? Backup – yes/no |
||||||
| 11. | Billing system Postsale billing supplier Presale billing supplier |
||||||
| 12. | Cellular coverage [%] compared to the milestones defined in clause 1.2(4) of Appendix E |
Area | Area | Statistical Region | |||
| Population | Population | Residential area | |||||
| 1-3-digit roads, passenger train route 1-3-digit roads, passenger | train route | Open/ institutional area |
|||||
| 4+-digit roads, cargo train route | 4+-digit roads, cargo train route |
Public/ industrial complex |
|||||
Chapter C: Detailed Description- shall be presented in tracked changes version555
556Attach a table in an Excel file containing the following data: site name, site location, type of technology, type of transmission to the site (microwave, fixed-line, etc.), the transmission bandwidth, number of sectors, frequency ranges, quantity of carrier aggregation, overall bandwidth in MHz per sector (20/30/40/45 or more).
For each sector in a site: indicate the actual division of the data files (adjusted for the last week of November each year) in the network according to a table: More than 300 Mbit/s – T % of the traffic; 200-300 Mbit/s – X % of the traffic; 100-200 Mbit/s – Y % of the traffic; 50-100 Mbit/s – Z % of the traffic; 0-50 Mbit/s – K % of the traffic;
Additionally, indicate those sectors that are not complying with the quality requirements (according to an average peak hour of the 5 workdays in the last week of November); Specify the names and locations of the sites that were cancelled and the reason for it. With regard to 5G, attach a table with the following data:
| City | Statistical Region number | Statistical Region classification | % rollout | Community in central Israel/ outlying regions557 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
556 Amendment No. 107
557 As defined in clause 1.1 of the License.
- Location and quantity of MRT Voice switches (Voice, Data), including additional components of the switching systems in various technologies that the Licensee uses (for example-routers, HLR servers, AUC, EIR, MSC, BSC, TRAU, PCU, SGSN, GGSN, BG, RNC, MGW);
In addition, to the general description, the Licensee shall indicate the changes that it made in its systems over the year, such as: upgrading of hardware/software systems, addition of new capabilities, new features, new systems.558
558 Amendment No. 107
559 Amendment No. 107
560 Amendment No. 107
Shall be updated according to changes in the systems or additions of systems or additions of services.562
Shall be updated according to changes in the systems or additions of systems or additions of services.563
Shall be updated according to changes in the systems or additions of systems or additions of services.564
Shall be updated according to changes in the systems or additions of systems or additions of services.565
562 Amendment No. 107 563 Amendment No. 107
Shall be updated according to changes in the systems or additions of systems or additions of services.566
565 Amendment No. 107
570The Licensee shall specify the indicators and standards for the quality of the Services that it provides to its customers, according to that specified hereunder:
The technical quality of the Services and the performance of the MRT System being operated by it, and particularly the following:
Unavailability: affecting more than 10% of the subscribers to a particular service;
The Licensee shall forward a table of all services and systems and shall specify in relation to each of them how many minutes per annum the system had not been available and what availability had been received.
Including details about the availability of key systems (transmission, sites, switches, data network), average time between malfunctions, quantity and nature of communications disruptions during a defined period, definition of the systemic redundancy, etc.;
570 Amendment No. 107
Electromagnetic spectrum: Details of the manner of providing the required quality of services under constraints of the spectrum in each of the frequency bands alloted to the Licensee, including:
571 Amendment No. 107 572 Amendment No. 107
| "Hand-Over"- | continuation of a call by handing it over through MRT terminal equipment from a coverage area of a cellular radio base of one licensee to the coverage area of a cellular radio base of another licensee, continuously and without disconnection or interference; |
|---|---|
| "Call"- | including sms, data communication, cellular internet browsing, application use, etc. |
| "Subscriber of a Roaming Licensee"- |
including a subscriber of an MRT licensee on another network, if said licensee makes use of the roaming licensee's network; |
| "Lock"- | A situation in which the terminal equipment of a subscriberof a roaming licensee that roamed to a host network continues to receive service on the licensee's network after the call has ended, even if that area has coverage of a roaming licensee; |
| "The Specifications"- | The most updated 3rd generation project partnership (3GPP) regarding National Roaming that are published from time to time. |
575 For example, a licensee that operates UMTS networks in the 850/900 and 2100 Mhz spectrums, will give a Subscriber of a Roaming Licensee services through the network in the 850/900 spectrum in the same manner of preference as his own subscribers.
576 GSM/GPRS/EDGE
574 HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS and in the future LTE
577 Service Level Agreement (SLA)
10) Prevention of transfer of information-The Licensee shall keep completely confidential all information regarding the Roaming Licensee, and shall prevent the transfer of any information regarding the Roaming Licensee from its employees and anybody on its behalf that handles NR operations to any other entity of the Licensee, particularly its sales and marketing personnel.
| "Interim Site" | - | A site that includes sub-systems of the network for the performance of connection and control of end sites; |
|---|---|---|
| "Alternate Site" | - | A site that is maintained in a state of readiness and is designated for use during an emergency, in which the activity will continue to ensure functional continuity; |
| "Core Site" | - | A main site that includes central systems of the network including switch, databases, computer systems, storage and a control and management center; |
| "End Site" | - | A cellular radio base on an MRT Licensee network; |
| "Sharing Agreement" | - | An active frequency sharing agreement, as defined in Section 19A of the License; |
| "Recovery Target" | - | A target that the Licensee has determined to restore technological activity and support systems to a defined service level and within a defined period of time; |
| "Portable Site" | - | A portable end site; |
| "Functional Continuity" | - | Ensuring operation continuity of the Licensee's services, that includes a network recovery plan from a disaster and a business continuity plan; |
| "The Plan" | - | A plan for ensuring the functional continuity; |
| "Business Continuity Plan" | - | An activity plan that is executed by the Licensee during an emergency to ensure the functional continuity of processes that are defined as critical and of telecommunication, computerization and storage systems (BCP). |
4.3. The Licensee will appoint a Functional Continuity manager and will define the areas of his responsibility and authority that will include ensuring implementation of the Plan and adapting it to technological changes, the existence of an assimilation plan, practice drills and lesson drawing as well as mapping and monitoring existing deficiencies and reporting thereon to the management.
4.4. The Plan will be audited periodically by the internal auditor or an executive office holder of the Licensee.
6.5. The Licensee will ensure transportation for its employees to and from its sites in accordance with the workforce that it determined for each area of activity as set forth in section 6.2
7.10. In the event of a failure at the Core Site or an Interim Site, the backup plans will allow additional reception of at least fifty percent (50%) of the disconnected End Sites.
7.11. The Licensee will formulate a plan for regular backup of data and information systems on a routine basis and in emergencies at another geographic site, at a distance of at least thirty (30) km; notwithstanding the aforesaid, at the Licensee's written request, the Director General may approve an Alternative Site at a shorter distance.
7.12. The Licensee will maintain backed up transmission infrastructures to link the Core and Interim Sites.
9.2. The Licensee will prepare for energy and electricity backup at the End Sites for an alternative supply of electricity through batteries for two hours for each End Site whose activity is required to meet the coverage level set forth in the provisions of the license; such batteries shall be owned by the Licensee.
9.3. The Licensee will maintain at least six (6) generators for continuous operation of End Sites in the event of a power outage; such generators shall be owned by the Licensee. Notwithstanding the aforesaid, in the event that the Licensee entered into a Sharing Agreement with another licensee, the Licensee may maintain the aforesaid together with the other licensee.
(a) Dialing and maintaining a voice call between subscribers of the Licensee and between its subscribers and the subscribers of another license holder;
15.1. The Licensee will formulate designated procedures for various emergency scenarios in the framework of the plan, as specified below:
(a) Procedure for handling malfunctions and irregular events in emergencies and recovery therefrom;
(b) Procedure for skipping and transition to an alternative management and control center;
15.2. The procedures will be approved by relevant office holders at the company and will be updated once a year.
"Population" - the entire population in the area, according to the publications of the Central Bureau of Statistics;
"Statistical Region" 583 – contiguous unit of land created by geographic-statistical parcelization, defined as a statistical region according to the latest publication by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
"Layout Ratio"- the ratio between the household rates in the peripheral settlements and the household rate in central settlements;
"Central Settlement" – A settlement defined by the Central Bureau of Statistics as a settlement of a "intermediate" level (clusters 5,6), at a "central" level (cluster 7) and at a "very central" level (clusters 8, 9, 10);
"Peripheral Settlement" – A settlement defined by the Central Bureau of Statistics as a settlement at a "very peripheral" level (clusters 1, 2, 3) and a "peripheral" level (cluster 4);
"Street" - the area (length x width) of any street whose number is up to 4 digits inclusive, and the national and local railroad route in the area of the State of Israel, during the license period; when the width of the street or the national and local railroad route shall include the actual width of the street/route + 5 meters from each side of the street/route;
"Coverage Level"- Broadcast and reception of electromagnetic signals which allow for the proper existence of any service to the mobile telephony communications end equipment, rising to a height of one and a half meters (1.5) above the surface;
In this regard, proper existence of the service shall be considered the service provided in the Coverage Area, while meeting the minimum requirements in regards to the service level, as specified in this Clause;
"Area"- the overall area regarding which the Law, jurisdiction and Administration of the State of Israel apply.
581 Amendment No. 14
582 Amendment No. 83
"Blocked Calls"- calls and data communication or links that cannot be established or messages that cannot be transferred immediately upon an order to establish contact due to unavailability of the network resources or resources for linkage between the network and other networks;
"Dropped Calls"- calls and data communications or links that were terminated not by the initiation of the subscriber who initiated the call/link or the call recipient.
"VoLTE Call" 584– technology enabling a call to be made via 4G Network."
(a) The network and its services shall meet the performances, features and indicators defined in the engineering plan – Annex B, including an engineering plan attached to the 4th Generation Tender; (b) The milestones for the establishment of the network and provision of service: (1) canceled;
(2) network using 4th Generation technology: ((a)) Stages and dates
Stage A at the end of 18 months from the determining date; Stage B at the end of 36 months from the determining date; Stage C at the end of 48 months from the determining date; Stage D at the end of 24 months from the date of the Director General's announcement;
"Determining Date" - date of amendment of the license;
"Date of Director General's Announcement"- a date on which the Director General shall provide the Licensee with written notice regarding the performance of Stage D. The notice shall be provided after the end of 60 months from the determining date.
((b)) The Licensee shall operate to establish the 4th Generation network as follows:
((1)) shall submit a deployment plan in a format set forth in the provisions of this Annex no later than sixty (60) days after the Determining Date; the deployment plan shall constitute part of the engineering plan.
((2)) the deployment plan shall include the following data:
(((a))) all of the settlements in Israel shall be detailed therein, in accordance with the Central Bureau of Statistics, divided into two groups – Central Settlements and Peripheral Settlements; the number of households in each settlement shall be stated next to the name of each settlement, and the total number of households in central settlements and in peripheral settlements shall be stated; the planned date for the completion of the deployment plan for each settlement shall be stated next to each settlement;
(((b))) all of the Streets shall be detailed therein; next to each Street the number of the Street shall be stated and across from each Street, the planned date for the completion of the deployment plan for that Street shall be stated.
((3)) The Licensee may update the deployment plan and change the order of the settlements or Streets in which the network deployment is planned by providing notice to the Director General up to 60 days before the date the deployment is planned, provided that the updated deployment plan meets the provisions set forth in this Annex.
((4)) The network layout pace shall be as follows:
(((a))) at the end of one year from the Determining Date, the Licensee shall deploy the network so that at the end of said period, there will be access to the network at a certain rate of households, according to the determination of the Licensee, provided that no later than 12 months from the Determining Date, the Licensee shall commence providing service;
(((b))) As of the beginning of the second year from the Determining Date, the Licensee shall deploy the network at the Deployment Ratio that is no less than one (1), and according to the following:
At the end of Stage A – coverage of 30% minimum requirements of the network coverage obligation, as stated in Article 1.3(b)(1);
At the end of Stage B – coverage of 65% minimum requirements of the network coverage obligation, as stated in Article 1.3(b)(1);
At the end of Stage C – coverage of 100% minimum requirements of the network coverage obligation, as stated in Article 1.3(b)(1);
At the end of Stage D – coverage of 100% minimum requirements of the network coverage obligation, as stated in Article 1.3(b)(1);
585(3) Rollout using frequency 700 MHz:
The network's performance and services shall be provided in stages and at the times specified hereunder and while achieving a coverage level that does not undershoot the following minimum requirements:
Stage 1 – by the end of 36 months after the Record Date:
((a)) Service area: area in which 70% of the Population resides and not less than 65% of the area;
585 Amendment No. 107
((b)) Road/route: 70% of the area of a single-digit road up to a three-digit road, route of a national and local railway track including stations, etc. and 60% of the area of a four-digit road and the route of cargo trains.
((a)) Service area: area in which 99% of the Population resides and not less than 95% of the area;
((b)) Road/route: 99% of the area of a single-digit road up to a three-digit road, route of a national and local railway track including stations, etc. and 90% of the area of a four-digit road and the route of cargo trains.
In this clause – "the Record Date" – date of allotment of the frequency as a result of the 5G Tender;
((b)) The Licensee shall take action to rollout the network while making use of the frequency 700 MHz, as follows:
((1)) The Licensee shall submit a rollout plan in the format prescribed in the instructions of this appendix by no later than sixty (60) days after the Record Date; the rollout plan shall be attached to this License and shall constitute a part of the Engineering Plan.
((2)) The rollout plan shall include the following data:
(((a))) details of all communities in Israel, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics' publication, divided into two categories – communities in central Israel and communities in outlying regions; the number of households in each community shall be specified beside each community and the total number of households in communities in central Israel and in outlying regions shall be specified; the planned date for completing the rollout plan in each community shall be specified beside each community;
(((b))) specify all roads; the road number shall be specified beside each road and the planned date for completing the rollout plan on the road shall be specified beside each road.
((3)) The Licensee may update the rollout plan and change the order of communities or the roads in which the network rollout is planned.
(4) 5G System at the frequencies of 3,500-3,800 MHz for Data Communications Service Using a Broad Frequency Band:
The system's performance and services shall be provided in stages and at the times specified hereunder and while achieving a coverage level that does not undershoot the following minimum requirements:
Stage 1 – by the end of 36 months after the Record Date: coverage of 40% of the minimum requirements for the system coverage obligation as specified in clause 1.3(d)(1);
Stage 2 – by the end of 48 months after the Record Date: coverage of 70% of the minimum requirements for the system coverage obligation as specified in clause 1.3(d)(1);
Stage 3 – by the end of 60 months after the Record Date: coverage of 100% of the minimum requirements for the system coverage obligation as specified in clause 1.3(d)(1)(2.1);
Stage 4 – by the end of 84 months after the Record Date: coverage of 100% of the minimum requirements for the system coverage obligation as specified in clause 1.3(d)(1)(2.2);
In this clause – "the Record Date" – date of allotment of the frequency as a result of the 5G Tender;
((b)) The Licensee shall take action to establish a 5G System for Data Communications Service Using a Broad Frequency Band as follows:
(1) The Licensee shall submit a rollout plan in the format prescribed in the instructions of this appendix by no later than sixty (60) days after the Record Date; the rollout plan shall constitute a part of the Engineering Plan;
(2) The rollout plan shall include the following data:
| City | Statistical Region number | Statistical Region classification | Community in central Israel/ outlying regions |
Expected rollout date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
(3) The Licensee may update the rollout plan subject to advance notice to the Director.
(4) The Licensee shall report the completion of a rollout in a Statistical Region according to that stated in clause 1.3(d) as of the date of Stage 1, according to the data included above in (2).
1.3 Minimum Requirements of the Obligation Network Coverage:
(a) In the 3 generation technology:
(1) The performance and services of the network will be provided while meeting the coverage level and shall be no less than the following minimum requirements:
Service area: an area in which 99% of the Population resides, and not less than 92% of the area; (b) In the 4th Generation technology:
(1) in stages A through C, the network performances and its services shall be supplied while meeting the coverage level, and shall be no less than the following minimum requirements:
((a)) Service area: an area in which 97% of the Population resides, and not less than 75% of the area;
((b)) Settlement: each settlement separately, the coverage level shall be at least 90% of the settlement area.
((1)) 90% of the area of a single digit, double digit and triple digit street, national and local railroad route, including stations, road structures and operational areas and tunnels in each street or national and local railroad route;
((2)) 75% of the area of a four digit street and national railroad route for cargo trains.
(2) in stage D, the network performance and its services shall be supplied while meeting the coverage level, and shall be no less than the following minimum requirements:
((a)) Service area: an area in which 99% of the Population resides, and not less than 90586% of the area; ((a1)) at the end of 48 months from the date of the Director's notice, instead of "service area" as set forth in section 1.3(b)(2)((a)) shall come: Service area: an area in which 99% of the Population resides, and not less than 95% of the area.587
((b)) Settlement: each settlement separately, the coverage level shall be at least 95% of the settlement area.
((c)) Street / Route:
((1)) 95% of the area of a single digit, double digit and triple digit street, national and local railroad route, including stations, road structures and operational areas and tunnels in each street or national and local railroad route;
((2)) 80588% of the area of a four digit street and national railroad route for cargo trains. Except for roads: 3922, 8510, 6531, 3866, 8833 where the minimum requirements will be 85% of the road area589 .
(c) Canceled.
586 Amendment No. 110 587 Amendment No. 110
588 Amendment No. 110
(d)590 Minimum requirements for the obligation to rollout a 5G System at the frequencies of 3,500-3,800 MHz for service using a broad frequency band:
5G System performance and its services shall be provided while achieving a level of coverage that does not undershoot the following minimum requirements:
| Classification of a Statistical Region according to CBS classifications | Community in central Israel | Community in outlying regions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 1 point | 2 points | |
| Open area | |||
| Institutional | 2 points | 3 points | |
| Public complex | 3 points | 4 points | |
| Industry |
(2.1) By Stage 3:
((a)) Statistical Region classified as a residential area according to the CBS classifications – coverage level of at least 80% of the Population residing in that area.
((b)) Statistical Regions classified as nonresidential areas according to the CBS classifications – coverage level of at least 80% of the area of that Statistical Region.
(2.2) Stage 4:
590 Amendment No. 107
((a)) the measurement shall refer to a one-hour time frame;
((b)) the peak time to which the measurement shall refer shall be the busiest time of the system, during the week, which is not a Hol Hamoed or holiday eve;
((c)) the measurement and the calculation of the percentage of Blocked or Dropped Calls shall be performed by the Licensee of each sector and the system in general. The data shall be presented in a graphical manner and shall be forwarded to the Ministry in the framework of the engineering system report 592while segregating the generations and combining all generations.
The Licensee will perform a prediction once a year for each section and for each cell. The data will be presented and given to the office as a national coverage map and in a defined format as part of the Summary of the Engineering Report
592 Amendment No. 107
(2) The reception of a reference signal for 4th Generation services to networks on a broadband of 15/20 MHz of signals received from descending/upward channel, according to the limiting of the two, under the ETSI593 standard, according to a bandwidth of 5 MHz, shall be:
| 4th Generation network | Reception Range (dbm) |
|---|---|
| Descending Channel | Upward Channel |
| 1800 frequencies | -101.5 (Site in open area) |
| Mhz | -93.5 (site in constructed area) |
| For indoor coverage – relief of 20db. |
The examination shall be performed once per year by the Licensee for each sector and each cell. The data shall be presented and delivered to the Ministry by way of a national coverage map in the framework defined in the engineering system report.
594(3) Level of signal reception attributed to 5G Services to networks at a bandwidth of 15/20 MHz of the signals being received from the decreasing/increasing channel, whichever is more limiting, according to the ETSI standard, according to a bandwidth of 5 MHz shall be:
| 5G Network | Reception threshold (dBm) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Decreasing channel | Increasing channel | Type of area | |
| - 98.5 | -101.5 | Open | |
| Frequencies of 3,500-3,800 MHz | -93.5 | Built-up |
593 http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/136100_136199/136104/10.01.00_60/ts_136104v100100p.pdf 16
Tables 7.2.1-3, 7.2.1-2, 7.2.1-1
http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/136500_136599/13652101/11.02.00_60/ts_13652101v110200p.pdf
Table 7.3.3-1
For indoor coverage – relief of 20 db.
| Table 1 | Record data pace (Mbps) in a network of 20 megahertz bandwidth |
|---|---|
| Data Upload | At least 100 |
| Data Download | At least 50 |
| Table 2 | Record data pace (Mbps) in a network of 15 megahertz bandwidth |
| Data Upload | At least 80 |
| Data Download | At least 40 |
The Licensee shall measure once per quarter the provision of record service pace and shall present the data and the method of examination in the framework of the engineering system report.
| 5951A. | LTE Technology Network | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1a | Definitions | ||
| "Population" | - | The general population in an area, according to the publications of the Central Bureau for Statistics; | |
| "Coverage Ratio" | - | The ratio between the rate of households in Periphery Settlements and the rate of households in Central Settlements; | |
| "Central Settlements" | - | A settlement that is defined by the Central Bureau for Statistics as a settlement at a "middle" level, at a "central" level and a "very central" level; |
|
| "Periphery Settlements" | - | A settlement that is defined by the Central Bureau for Statistics as a settlement at a "very peripheral" and "peripheral" level; | |
| "Road" | - | The area (length x width) of every road whose number is up to 4 digits inclusive as well as the route of the national and local train tracks in the area of the State of Israel, during the License term; The width of the road or the route of the national and local train tracks will include the width of the road/actual route+5 meters on each side of the road/route; |
|---|---|---|
| "Population Concentration" | - | An area in which from time to time or continuously there is population concentration, for example designated beaches, sports stadiums, parks, nature reserves, markets, etc. |
| "Coverage Level" | - | Broadcasting and reception of electromagnetic signals that allow normal existence of any service for cellular handsets that are 1.5 meters above sea level; |
| For this matter-normal existence of a service will be considered a service that is provide in the coverage level, while complying with minimum requirements for environmental matters as set forth in this article; |
||
| "Area" | - | The total area that the Law, jurisdiction and administration of Israel apply to; |
| "Blocked Calls" | - | Calls and data communication or interconnections that cannot be completed or messages that cannot be relayed immediately upon the communications order as a result of unavailability of network resources or resources related to interconnection between the network and other networks; |
| "Dropped Calls" | - | Calls and data communication or interconnections that were terminated not by the initiative of the Subscriber that initiated the call/interconnection or the receiver of the call. |
Upon building an LTE technology network, the Licensee will act as follows:
The Licensee, who is operating a network at the frequencies of 3,500-3,800 MHz shall comply with the frequency, time and phase synchronization requirements as defined in the standards IEEE 1588v2 and ITU-T G8271.1.
Bills shall be sent in a fixed structure as set out below:
(1) After payment, the bill shall act as a receipt which includes:
the sum to be paid without VAT, the amount of VAT and the total to be paid including VAT. This part shall also contain details of the identity of the Licensee and of the Subscriber.
(2) The Licensee may include information regarding special offers and personal notices to the Subscriber.
596 Amendment No. 91
597 Amendment No. 91
599 Amendment No. 50
601 Amendment No. 41 602 Amendment No. 90
603Amendment No. 69 604 Amendment No. 90
(1) The subscriber may choose from two possibilities for receiving documents at the time of execution of the transaction (by marking x in one of two boxes):
(a) First box-receipt of only the "the Plan Basics page"605; (b) Second box-to receive the entire signed agreement.
605 Amendment No. 87
606 Amendment No. 90
608 Amendment No. 87 609 Amendment No. 90
1A.The telephone bill will include the payment for all of the services and goods that are present in the Plan Basics.611
The Bill shall include the following parts:
(a) "Billing Summary";
(c) "Call Details".
The Bill shall be constructed using a bottom-up method, with its bottom level being Part C - "Call Details", above it Part B - "Billing Details" and at the top level Part A - "Billing Summary".
The Company name and logo shall be displayed on each page of the Bill, including on the "Call Details".
The licensee shall issue a "Billing Summary", "Billing Details" and "Call Details" for each telephone number separately. The licensee may issue to a subscriber holding several telephone lines one "Billing Summary" to refer to all the telephone numbers in the possession of the subscriber, provided that the "Billing Summary" sets forth each of the telephone numbers to which the Bill relates (see examples 1 and 2). "Call Details" and "Billing Details" shall be issued by the licensee for each telephone number separately. Notwithstanding the above, a subscriber in possession of several telephone numbers may demand from the licensee to receive a separate "Billing Summary" for each telephone number in his possession. In this regard, a PRI line shall be deemed one telephone number.
Amounts in the Bill shall be rounded off and shall be set forth according to the provisions of section 2.2.2 of Israeli Standard 5262 - "Honesty in Billing and Fair Disclosure in Telephone Bills" (hereinafter referred to in this Appendix as the "Standard") and the provisions of the General License on this matter. It should be clarified that in respect of the manner of calculating the billing amount, in contrast to the manner of presenting the "Call Details", and the "Billing Details", as determined in the provisions, the licensee must calculate this pursuant to the tariff provided in the Regulations, with no rounding off.
610 Amendment No. 50 611 Amendment No. 87
1) Notice on the option of filing a complaint to the Ombudsman of the Licensee and regarding his authorities and ways of contacting him as set forth in section 61.3 and 61.4.614
2) The licensee's address, telephone number, facsimile number and email address by means of which the subscriber may request the Licensee to suspend, disconnect or terminate the service or deliver to the Licensee a notice of cancellation, within the meaning in section 13D of the Consumer Protection Law, 5741- 1981.615
612 Amendment No. 87
3) Information on offers and personal notices to the subscriber, at the decision of the licensee.
1) Fixed charges - charges applying to the subscriber not dependent on the scope of usage;
2) Variable charges - charges applying to the subscriber dependent on the scope of usage;
3) One-time charges, such as charges for "Exit Fee", linkage and interest differentials charge for a monetary debt, charge for collection expenses, etc. (hereinafter referred to in this Appendix as "One-Time Charges");
4) 617Benefits/Credits- for example: Benefit of providing a service at a discount or free of charge for a fixed period or a benefit of providing a discount for the entire rate plan for a fixed period of time, credit for return of old terminal equipment, etc. (in this Appendix-"Benefits/Credits");
5) Financial reimbursements for surplus charges and interest and linkage differentials in respect of excess charges618 (hereinafter referred to in this Appendix as "Reimbursements").
6) Purchase of products619
1) Total payment amount exclusive of VAT; the amount shall be calculated according to the charges summary presented in the "Subtotals Summary" and the "Billing Summary";
2) VAT amount;
3) Total payment amount, plus VAT.
F. All charges appearing in the "Billing Summary" shall be presented as a decimal number in New Israeli Shekels to a degree of accuracy of two digits after the decimal point.
Part 1 of the "Billing Details" will include information on fixed charges, variable charges, One-Time Charges, Credits and Reimbursements, as set forth below:
(a) "Billing Details" will include general information on the tariffs plan according to the terms of which the subscriber is charged, including the date on which the tariff plan takes effect, detailing its principal rates, including VAT, insofar as the amount of the payments or tariffs for the services purchased by the subscriber are to be changed, the licensee shall indicate the amount of the new payments or rates for the said services or the amount of the said benefits, including VAT, or the quantities of new consumption units and the date of entry into effect.620
(b) If the subscriber's agreement includes a commitment period the licensee must note on every bill in the "Billing Details" the following details:
Amendment No. 87 Call units, texts, internet data Amendment No. 87 Amendment No. 87
Calls in respect of which the tariff varies in the course of performance, such as a transition from off peak to peak rates and from peak to off-peak rates, a change in tariff in the course of a conversation, including a conversation started within the scope of a "pay as you go" plan and exceeding the minutes in the course of performance, will be presented collectively within the "Calls at Variable Tariff in the Course of a Call" service; the tariff will be presented under the column "Average Tariff" and will be calculated by dividing the charge amount in the "Subtotal Row", within the meaning in section 11I of the Appendix by the quantity (see Example 5 – Version A). To the extent that a call in the "Calls at Variable Tariff in the Course of a Call" is presented as set forth in the concluding part of section 11L below, the "Average Tariff" will not be required to be presented and the tariff will be presented according to each segment separately (see Example 5 - Version B).
Tariff for calendar time unit625- the tariff will be presented as a decimal number in NIS with an accuracy of 2 digits after the decimal point.
626 Amendment No. 87
627 Amendment No. 87
629 Amendment No. 87
(h) The "Billing Details" shall include subtotals of charge amounts inclusive630 of VAT, for fixed charges, variable charges, One-Time Charges, Credits and Reimbursements ("Subtotal Row"). The amount to be charged in each Subtotal Row will be moved from "Bill Details" to "Bill Total"631 .
(l) The Licensee is not permitted to present in the Billing Details tariffs and amounts to be charged without VAT.635
In Part 2 of the "Billing Details" the licensee shall present in graph form or in any other manner in respect of each telephone number to which the telephone bill relates information about usage patterns, as set forth below:
(a) The rate of utilization of each package of services included in the tariffs plan to which he is a subscriber, including packages of services granted to a subscriber within the scope of the fixed charge including international roaming packages636;
The details set forth below shall be presented in the "Call Details":
(a) "Call Details" shall include information about all the services provided to the subscriber in the period to which the Bill relates.
630 Amendment No. 87
631 Amendment No. 87
632 Amendment No. 87
633 Amendment No. 87
634 Amendment No. 87
635 Amendment No. 87
637 Amendment No. 87
638 Amendment No. 87
643 Amendment No. 87
(i) Any "Category of Service" appearing in the "Call Details" will include a summary row in which will be set forth only645 the total quantity for which the subscriber is charged 646(hereinafter referred to in this Appendix as the "Subtotal Row"). The total quantity in the Subtotal Row will be moved from the "Call Details" to the "Bill Details".647
645 Amendment No. 87 646 Amendment No. 87 647 Amendment No. 87
Name of the Licensee
Methods for sending the form: Address E-mail address Fax number
Date:______________
I, the person whose details appear below, request access to the services detailed below, for the telephone number noted in this form as follows:
Name of the subscriber/company:___ I.D./Company No._____________________ Address:____Telephone No.__________
Mark X according to your choice and sign. For your information, not marking shall mean blocking the possibility to receive the service except for outgoing international call services.
| Type of Service | Block | Open | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | o | ||||
| 1.652 | International cellular data service without a package/international cellular data plan o |
||||
| (a) | This section is intended only for a business subscriber; | o | o | ||
| (b) A subscriber who finances cellular data from his own pocket will be blocked for international cellular data and will not be charged for it and he does not have a o package/international cellular data plan; |
|||||
| (c) Blocking does not prevent cellular data through WiFi; o o |
|||||
| (d) Marking "Open" in this section does not include the opening for services in Jordan and Egypt. o o |
|||||
| 1A.653 | Cancelled | o | o | ||
| 2. | Content service and/information in or in a one-time payment |
a. | Receipt or download of content through the internet, watching it and/or listening to it on a one time basis (for example: download or watching a video clip, listening to a song, download of a ringtone, download of a video clip, download of a game and all on a one time basis) |
o | o |
| b. | Sending of an sms at a special date in order to vote as part of a televised show on a one time basis (for example: voting for a reality show on a one time basis). |
o | o | ||
| c. | Making a donation by sending an sms on a one time basis (for example: a donation to an organization on a one time basis) | o | o | ||
| d. | Receipt of useful654 information on a one time basis (for example: information about transportation routes, professionals, financial information, information regarding receipt of registered mail655, and all on a one time basis). |
o | o | ||
| e.656657 Receipt of content on a one time basis (for example: a quiz, lottery, survey, poll, astrology forecast, receipt of a link to download a video and all on a one time basis) |
o | o | |||
| 3. | Content service and/or continuous information |
a. | Receipt or download of content through the internet, watching it and/or listening to it on a one time basis (for example: a subscription to download or watch a video clip, a subscription for a music service, or a subscription to download ringtones or a subscription to download video clips and a subscription to download games) |
o | o |
| b. | Receipt of content and/or information not on a one time basis (for example: a subscription for the receipt of news updates, a subscription for the receipt of sports results, a subscription for the receipt of trivia questions and a subscription for the receipt of diet recipes) |
o | o | ||
| 4. | Voice or visual content service to 1-900 and 1-901 numbers at a special tariff | o | o | ||
| a. | Numbers in the 1-900 prefix at a rate of up to 50 agorot per minute And not more than NIS 30 for the entire conversation. | o | o | ||
| b. | Numbers in the 1-901 prefix at a tariff that does not exceed NIS 50 for the entire conversation. | o | o | ||
| 5. | International call service658 | o | o | ||
| 6. | Cancelled659 | o | o | ||
| By signing this agreement in the presence of a Licensee representative-I declare that this form was marked and signed by myself | |||||
| Name of Licensee representative:__Signature of Licensee representative____ | |||||
| Subscriber Signature______ |
649 Amendment No. 57
650 Amendment No. 58
651 Amendment No. 72
652 Amendment No. 87
653 Amendment No. 87
654 Amendment No. 87
655 Amendment No. 87
656 Amendment No. 87
657 Amendment No. 87
658 Amendment No. 87
Questionnaire on the mode of receipt of the Bill and on publishing the telephone
number/s, which are billed in the Bill, in the telephone directory ("144") and on the internet Questionnaire on the mode of receipt of the Bill and on publishing the telephone number/s, which are billed in the Bill, in the telephone directory ("144") and on the internet Licensee's name Methods for sending the Questionnaire: Address Electronic mail address Facsimile no. Date: ____________ I, according to my details listed below, request to receive the Bill and to publish my telephone number/s, which are billed in the Bill, in the telephone directory ("144") and on the internet, as follows: Subscriber's details Name of the Subscriber/Company: _________________ ID/Co. no. ________ Address: __________________ Mark your choice with an x, complete as needed and sign. 1. Mode of receipt of the Bill ☐ Regular post ☐ Electronic mail with a file attached ☐ Text message (SMS) with a link – telephone number: ☐ The Licensee's website ☐ Other electronic means at the Licensee's discretion 2. Publishing the telephone number/s, which are billed in the Bill, in the telephone directory ("144") and on the internet ☐ All telephone numbers – unlisted ☐ All telephone numbers – published ☐ Particular telephone numbers – unlisted; and the rest – published The unpublished / published telephone numbers (mark your choice) are: _________, __________, ____________, ____________, _____________ And the rest are unlisted / published (mark your choice). In this engagement, in the presence of a representative of the Licensee – I declare that I marked and signed this form Name of Licensee's representative: ___________ Signature of the Licensee's representative: ___________ The Subscriber's signature: _______________
661 Amendment No. 91
(a) Upon the initiation of interactive communications between a caller and the Interactive Voice Response system installed at a telephone call center ("IVR System"), the Licensee must enable a caller to select the response language that he/she requires if the Licensee provides service in more than one language, the name of the requested service, and the caller must be asked to identify himself/herself. The listening order of the selection of services and of the request for identification on the IVR System shall be at the Licensee's discretion.
663 Such as: a networked number, a speed dial number for businesses.
(a) In this annex –
"Waiting time" – The measured interval between the caller's selection on the IVR System and the response;
"Human response" – Response provided by professional and skilled staff possessing suitable qualifications to handle calls.
shall be a maximum of 15% during two consecutive weeks for each of the three types of circumstances specified in this subclause, for each of the three types of calls specified above in clause 4(c), out of the inclusive number of calls in each of the three types of calls during those two weeks.
During two certain weeks, there were 1,000 calls that received a human response regarding "account inquiry." 900 of which were answered within 6 minutes waiting by a human response, 100 more were answered after waiting more than 6 minutes for a human response, and the average waiting time for a human response of all the 1,000 calls was 7 minutes. During these two weeks, the Licensee complied with the license instructions on waiting time for a human response regarding "account inquiry" of up to 6 minutes (the rate of calls answered after 6 minutes waiting for a human response-10%) (less than 15%).
During these two weeks, the Licensee did not comply with the license instructions on waiting time for a human response regarding "account inquiry" regarding waiting time for a human response (the average wait time for a human response of all 1,000 calls-7 minutes (above the average required of up to 45 minutes))."
665 Amendment No. 97
666 Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.
667 Amendment No. 98
668 Amendment No. 98
(b) The Licensee must retain documentation in its possession of every call that was disconnected by the caller without having received a human response, for each of the three types of calls specified above in clause 4(c), which must include the following fields:
(2) source of the call;
8. Deleted671
670 Amendment No. 98
1.1 A service order from the Licensee's website or cellular portal (both hereinafter- "the website") shall be done by way of one of the alternatives detailed in section 1.2 or 1.3.
672 Amendment No. 60
673(MSN)-Mobile Subscriber Number
2.1 A service order on the service provider's website shall be done in the following manner:
674 Amendment No. 87
675 It is forbidden to contract with a service provider in response to an offer that was sent to terminal equipment or by way of a message that was sent from terminal equipment.
676 Amendment No. 89
h) If the subscriber is not blocked from receiving the service, and the details are identical, as aforesaid, the Licensee shall send the subscriber a text message, at no charge, that includes only the following:
The Licensee shall issue two unconditional Guarantees to the Director in favor of the State of Israel.680 The Guarantees shall be in the version presented hereunder and at the following sums:
(1) License Guarantee at the sum of ILS forty-five million (45,000,000)681. This guarantee shall replace any previous guarantee issued by the Licensee to the Director according to the provisions of its License. If the Licensee fulfills the provisions of Appendix E, the sum of the guarantee shall be reduced to ILS five million (5,000,000)682 .
(2) 5G Guarantee at the sum of ILS six million (6,000,000).
Jerusalem 91999
Re: Insurance/bank guarantee number ......
This guarantee shall be in effect until ________;
A demand pursuant to this guarantee should be sent to the bank branch/insurance company, whose address is _______. The demand for payment should be delivered to the bank branch/company specified in this deed of guarantee, during the workhours when the branch is open. A demand via facsimile, telex, email or telegram shall not be deemed a satisfactory demand for the purpose of this guarantee.
Name of the bank/insurance company
State of Israel – Ministry of Communications 23 Jaffa Street, Jerusalem
Further to autonomous bank/insurance guarantee no. _____ issued to you pursuant to the provisions of the General License for MRT Services (hereinafter: "the Guarantee"), we [Licensee's name] (hereinafter – "the Licensee") undertake that, by no later than sixty days before the expiry of the period of the Guarantee, it shall be extended for a period of five additional years and so on each time for an additional period so that the Guarantee shall be in effect until [two years after the expiration of the License granted to us]; however, if, by the said date, we have not discharged all of our obligations to your satisfaction, the Guarantee shall be extended each time for a period of one additional year according to your written demand.
Sincerely, [the Licensee]
678 Amendment No. 83
679 Amendment No. 107
680Amendment number 107 [Inception: this clause shall come into effect as of the date of its signature and by no later than 06.10.2020]
681 Amendment No. 108 682 Amendment No. 108
Appendix I - Written Undertakings 683The Letter of Undertaking shall be in this form
To: The Director General Ministry of Communications 23 Jaffa Road Jerusalem
This undertaking is irrevocable, and shall remain in force so long as the License granted to us, if granted, remains in force.
[Name of person making undertaking]
Name of Signatory / Signatories: His / her / their position:
____________________
I hereby certify that the signatories to this Letter of Undertaking are authorized to bind [name of company ] by their signature.
__________, Advocate.
( __ ) ____________________
Limor Livnat Minister of Communications
Jerusalem, April 7, 1998
1.1. In this document the following words and phrases shall have the meanings set out beside them, unless the language or context of this document indicates a different meaning:
| Bezeq International | Bezeq International Corp. Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Barak | Barak I.T.C. (1995) The International Telecommunication Company. |
| 685 Occasional Caller |
A Subscriber of the Licensee, who calls abroad by means of an International Operator using a three digit dialing code, as detailed out in section 2. |
| Subscriber Number (or Telephone Number) |
A group of digits in a certain order, including prefix, which, if dialed, should create telecommunications connection between the calling Subscriber's terminal equipment and the terminal equipment of the called Subscriber; A called Subscriber's number may be a Subscriber's number of a number to a Subscriber's telephone call centre or a number to a Licensee's telephone service call centre686687 |
| International Operator | A person supplying international telecommunications services to the public in Israel, pursuant to a general license granted by the Minister. |
| Preselected Operator | The International Operator selected by a Subscriber, pursuant to the provisions of Section 4688689 |
684 Amendment No. 1
685 Amendment No. 2
686 Amendment No. 2
687 The Telephone Number is set by the Licensee, in accordance with the rules and guidelines set by the Director General.
688 Amendment No. 2
689 The selected Operator can be one of Bezeq International, Barak or Golden Lines.
| Access Code | A group of numbers in a certain order, the dialing ofwhich enables access to a particular telecommunications services provided by a given operator; the dialing of further access codes, as required, and a Subscriber Number, should create a telecommunications connection to the Subscriber's terminal equipment. Where the access code is to a manned centre, the service is provided by a telephone operator.690 |
|---|---|
| Short Dialing Code | The "00" or "188" Access Codes, which are designated for the receipt of International Telecommunication Services, whether by direct dialing or by means of an operator as specified in section 2. |
| Golden Lines | Golden Lines International Communications Services Ltd. |
| Subscriber Allocation | The technical definition effected by a domestic operator at its switch allowing for calls made by its Subscribers, by means of a Short Dialing Code, to be redirected to the switch of the Preselected Operator. |
| Outgoing International Telecommunication |
The transfer of a speech or facsimile message via an International Telecommunications system initiated by a Subscriber of the Licensee. |
| Incoming International Telecommunication |
The transfer of a speech message or a facsimile message via an International Telecommunication system initiated by a caller from abroad. |
| International Telecommunications Service |
A telecommunications service granted to the public in Israel pursuant to a license granted by the Minister, by means of an International Telecommunications system of an International Operator. |
| International Telecommunications |
A bi-directional simultaneous transfer of speech or a bi-directional simultaneous transfer of facsimile messages through an International Telecommunication system. |
1.2. Words and phrases in this document, insofar as not defined above, shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Law, the Regulations enacted pursuant thereto, the Interpretation Law, 1981, or as specified in the appropriate places in the General License of the Licensee and in the licenses of International Operators, save where the language or context indicate a different meaning.
2.1. In order to access the International Telecommunications Services the Licensee shall redirect to the International Opertors' switches the Subscribers' dialing of the following Access Codes:
a) A two-digit Access Code – the '00' Access Code, which will serve as the Abbreviated Access Code for International Telecommunications Services provided by the Selected Operator. Should the Subscriber dial the prefix '00', the call will be routed by the Licensee to the Pre-selected Operator.
b) A three-digit Access Code – a '01X' type Access Code, which will serve as the Access Code to International Telecommunication Services provided to an Occasional Caller; should a Subscriber dial the '01X' prefix, the call will be routed by the Licensee to the appropriate International Operator according to the variable number 'X'; the variable number X is the code of the International Operator, in accordance with the following breakdown:
(i) '2' – the code for Golden Lines services;
(ii) '3' – the code for Barak services; and
(iii) '4' – the code for Bezeq International services.
c) 691The '188' Access Code-this shall serve as the number for operator services; when a Subscriber dials '188' the call will be transferred by the Licensee to the operator services of the Preselected Operator.
d) Four digit Access Codes- a number of type '18XY', which will serve as an Access Code for the various International Telecommunications Services provided by each International Operator; when a Subscriber dials '18XY', the call will be redirected by the Licensee to the appropriate International Operator according to the digit X; the digits X is the International Operator code set out in section 2.1 (b); the digit Y may be any digit from 1 to 9, and the digit 0; the use of the number Y shall be determined by the Director General, in consultation with the International Operators, in order to ensure uniformity; every International Operator should be allocated ten (10) four-digit Telephone Numbers as aforesaid; these numbers will be accessible by both Subscribers of the Preselected Operator and by Occasional Callers.
2A.1 The Licensee shall allow a Subscriber to act as one of the following, regarding Outgoing International Telecommunications:
• The rest within five working days.
c) As an Occasional Caller.
692 Amendment No. 21
693 Amendment No. 21
4.5 For the purpose of carrying out the procedure for appointing a Pre-selected Operator, and without derogating from the foregoing, the Licensee will act in the following manner:
696 Amendment No. 21
697 Amendment No. 21
698 Amendment No. 17 699 Amendment No. 98
700 Amendment No. 21
7.3 For the implementation of all the foregoing in this Appendix, the Licensee will act, inter alia, as follows:
e) The Licensee will offer non-discriminatory terms to each International Operator, including with respect to commercial terms, billing and collection arrangements, the availability of the connection facilities and the quality of service; without derogating from the generality of the foregoing, the Licensee will provide service to all the International Operators on non-discriminatory terms including with respect to Interconnection, the supply of infrastructure facilities and Network connection services, the execution of changes to switching, Facilities, protocols and Network Interfaces;
1.1 In this Annex:
| "Licensee" | - | A party that has received from the Minister a general license to provide Wireline Domestic Telecommunications Services or to provide MRT Services; |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| "Telephone Bill" | – | A statement that the Licensee provides to a Subscriber for services rendered; | |
| "Writing" | - | Including by means of a facsimile machine or electronic mail; | |
| "Service Number" | - | A set of numbers that have been allocated by the Licensee to a Service Provider of Adult Voice Services, available by dialing a phone number, subject to the provisions of the Numbering Plan and administrative provisions for this purpose, and which the dialing of such numbers after the Dialing Code will allow the Subscriber access to Adult Voice Services; |
|
| "Service Provider" | - | Whoever provides Adult Voice Services through the Network and the payment for the service is done through the Telephone Bill;for the purpose of Adult Voice Services available by dialing a phone number, the access to the service shall be done by a Service Number, |
|
| 705"Adult Voice Promo"- | The playing or display of a voice or contractual message of sexual content, including a recorded message, provided through a public - telecommunications installation, either directly or indirectly, and the said message intends to relay information regarding the service that will follow the message or encourage use of it, as long as there is no additional charge for the playing or the display of the message besides the cost for the call that is charged through the telephone bill. For this matter, "indirectly"- including a connection from the terminal equipment of the Subscriber as a condition for the provision of the Adult |
||
| Voice Promo." |
704 Amendment No. 34
| - | A domestic dialing code by a plan set by the Ministry for the purpose of Adult Voice Services; | |
|---|---|---|
| - | the Public Telecommunications Network of the Licensee; | |
| - | A voice service or display of a voice or contractual message of sexual content, including a recorded message, provided through a public telecommunications installation, either directly or indirectly, including a service for encounters, conversations (chat) or relaying of messages between occasional callers, that are intended or serves as, even partially, for sexual purposes, and including the following: |
|
| service available by dialing a telephone number provided by the Service Provider; (1) |
||
| access service to a closed database of content, including multimedia files provided by the Licensee or someone else that provides the (2) service with the consent of the Licensee (" the Cellular Portal"); 706 |
||
| For this matter, "indirectly"-including connecting from terminal equipment of a subscriber as a pre-requisite for providing the service or charging for it; |
||
| - | Communication Regulations (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) (Payments for Telecommunication Services), 2005 |
|
| - | A fee set forth in Article 6, and which the Subscriber must pay for Adult Voice Services in addition to the Regular Payment; | |
| - | A Special Payment set in accordance with the the amount of time that the Subscriber uses the Adult Voice Services; | |
| - | One of the following: | |
| In a call within the Network-payment that shall not exceed the fixed payment in accordance with the tariff settlement between the (a) Subscriber and the Licensee regarding a call to another subscriber within the same network; |
||
2.1 Subject to Article 4 below, the access to Adult Voice Services for a Subscriber available by dialing, shall be done through the Dialing Code and the Service Number.
3.1 For Adult Voice Services available by dialing, the Licensee may allocate a Service Number to a Service Provider; If the Licensee allocates such a Service Number, the Licensee shall allow the Service Provider to offer its services both to the Licensee's Subscribers as well as to the subscribers of other licensees.
b) 707If the Ministry of Communications should notify the Licensee that an AdultVoice Promo is being provided through a telehone line on the Licensee's network and the access to it is being provided not through a service number, the Licensee will disconnect the said line, or shall block the line for incoming calls.
4.2
708 Amendment No. 44
709 Amendment No. 87
Notwithstanding the abovementioned in Article 4, the Licensee may deem necessary preliminary registration of the Subscriber in order to receive a password that will be conditional for receiving Adult Voice Services.
The provisions of this Article shall not derogate from the abovementioned in Articles 4.2-4.3
If Special Payment is set for Adult Voice Services, the amount shall be set by the Licensee or by an agreement between the Licensee and the Service Provider.
The Licensee may collect a reasonable payment for providing the details of the Special Payment.
8.1 If Special Payment is set for Adult Voice Services provided through the Network, the Licensee shall play, either himself or through the Service Provider at the beginning of the call, a recorded message that includes the following details: a. The essence of the service;
10.1 The conditions for Interconnection between the Network and the Public Telecommunication Network of another licensee, with respect to the provision of services for charging and collecting by one licensee for another licensee, for the provision of Adult Voice Services through the network for the subscribers of another licensee, shall be set forth in an agreement between the Licensee and the other licensee; should the parties not reach an agreement , the Minister shall decide the matter.
10.2 The Licensee shall pass to the Director, upon his request, a signed copy of any agreement between the Licensee and another licensee regarding the matter of Interconnection.
| "Licensee"- | One who has been given a general license pursuant to the law; |
|---|---|
| " Hosting Licensee"- | A Licensee that through its network the service provider provides its services; |
| "Origin Licensee"- | A domestic fixed-line or cellular Licensee, whose subscriber wishes to purchase a premium service; |
| "Service Order"- | Any action that the subscriber initiates in order to receive a premium service, including calling a prefix code, entering the subscriber's telephone number, entering a password and entering a code; |
| "Telephone Bill" | A bill given to the subscriber by the Licensee for services provided to him; |
| "Writing" | Including via facsimile or electronic mail; |
| "International Operator"- |
One who has been given a general license for the provision of international telecommunication services; |
| "Subscriber"- | An Origin Licensee's subscriber; |
| "Service Number"- | A 10 digit telephone number that was determined in accordance with the provisions of the numbering plan and the administrative provisions for this matter, that include a predestined prefix code with additional digits, that the Hosting Licensee will allocate to the Service Provider and which number if dialled allows the Subscriber access to the Premium Service; |
| "Service Provider"- | One who provides a Premium Service via the telecommunications network of a Licensee, and payment for the service is made through the telephone bill; |
| 710 Amendment No. 75 711 Amendment No. 80 |
| "Prefix Code"- | A national prefix code in such model as prescribed by the Ministry for access to a Premium Service; |
|---|---|
| "Network" - | A set of telecommunication facilities through which the Licensee provides its services; |
| "Premium Service"- | Audio broadcast or presentation of an audio or visual message, including a recorded message, provided via a telecommunications facility, directly or indirectly, for among others, one of the following: provision of information and content, entertainment, receipt of consultation, dating service, chats, participation in competitions, lottery, game or voting or a service provided via the internet, excluding erotic services; for this matter, "indirectly"- including by way of creating a connection from the Subscriber's end user equipment, or entering the Subscriber's telephone number, including through the internet, as a condition for providing the service or for charging for it; |
| "Premium Tariff"- | The tariff for payment for a Premium Service, in accordance with the Hosting Licensee's requirement; this tariff will include a tariff for completion of the call on the Hosting Licensee's public telecommunications network, that was determined in accordance with the Telecommunications Regulations (Bezeq and Broadcasting) (Payments for interconnection), 2000, and for the matter of a service provided by an International Operator as a Hosting Licensee, the tariff will include the payment that the International Operator will retain; |
| "Regular Tariff"- | A tariff that is collected from the Subscriber by the Origin Licensee, in accordance with the tariff plan set forth in the engagement agreement it has with the Subscriber.712 |
1.2 Words and expressions in this Appendix that are not defined in this section, shall have the meaning as ascribed to them in the law, its regulations enacted by virtue thereof, in the Interpretation Law, 1981, in article 1 of the License or as set out in other places in this Appendix, unless otherwise deriving from the language or context.
2.1 An Origin Licensee shall allow every Subscriber access to all Premium Services that are provided via all of the networks of the Licenses.
712 In case the Subscriber has a limited monthly minutes plan, the Licensee will deduct the payment according to the length of the call from the monthly allocated minutes; in case the Subscriber has an unlimited plan, he will not be charged for an additional payment for dialing a Service Number; in case the Subscriber has a tariff plan that is not part of a package, his Regular Tariff will be identical to the tariff for a one minute domestic call.
713 Amendment No. 78 714 Amendment No. 78
5.6 The prices set forth in this article include VAT.
715 Amendment No. 78 716 Amendment No. 81
717 Amendment No. 81
9.1 An International Operator is allowed to be a Hosting Licensee, and to allow the provision of Premium Services via its network, without being required to route the call abroad.
10.1 The Hosting Licensee may allow the Service Provider to execute telecommunication activities through the facilities of the Licensee for provision of the service; the Service Provider is exempt from the requirement to receive a license or general permit for the execution of telecommunication activities, in accordance with the provisions of article 3(5) of the Law.
10.4 The Hosting Licensee is not allowed to make use of the payment details that were given to him by the caller for payment for other services, in order to collect a premium payment.
11.1 (a) The Hosting Licensee will play a message for the caller according to which the Premium Service is provided only by using 1-900, 1-901 and 1-902 Prefix Codes in the following cases:
.
718 Amendment No. 78 719 Amendment No. 90
720 Amendment No. 106
The following provisions shall apply to the provision of 5G Service that is other than Data Communications using a Broad Frequency Band, notwithstanding any other provision prescribed in this License:
To dispel any doubt, if two or more operators fulfilled the Engineering Condition for Entitlement during the same quarter according to their Notices of Eligibility for a Grant, then their entitlement date shall be that same last day of the quarter;
1.6.2 During the period between 1.1.2022 and 30.6.2022 – the last day of the month in which an Eligible Operator fulfilled the Engineering Condition for Entitlement, according to the Notice of Eligibility for a Grant issued to it;
To dispel any doubt, if two or more operators fulfilled the Engineering Condition for Entitlement during the same month according to their Notices of Eligibility for a Grant, then their entitlement date shall be that same last day of the month;
1.11 "Engineering Condition for Entitlement" rollout and operation of 250 Cellular Radio Base Stations in a 5G System and operation of a minimum bandwidth of 60 MHz at frequencies in the range of 3,500-3,800 MHz in a network or via the shared network, for the provision of 5G Service through this frequency range, all prior to the Deadline for Eligibility for a Grant.
For example, if there are two First Entitled Winners of a Grant, each of them shall be entitled to a Grant at the sum of ILS 74 million (74,000,000), and the sum of the Grant to the Third Entitled Winner shall not change.
Translation from Hebrew
The Binding version is the Hebrew version
Addendum A to this appendix – Reporting format


Addendum B to this appendix – Officers' affidavit
We the undersigned _____ the general manager and ___________ the deputy general manager for engineering/technologies of the company, hereby certify and declare on behalf of the company that:
All of the information attached in Appendix A is correct and accurate, according to our personal examination.
Deputy General Manager, Engineering/Technologies: ________
CEO: _______________
Date: ___________
Confirmation
I certify that, on __________, Mr. ______________, bearing ID number __________ and Mr. __________, bearing ID number __________ appeared before me, __________ Adv., and, after I warned them that they must state the truth and that they can expect the punishment prescribed by law if they do not do so, confirmed the veracity of their above affidavit and signed it in my presence.
________________
___________, Adv.

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements on Forms S-8 (Nos. 333-101652, 333-137102, 333-153419, 333-206420, 333-207946, 333-210151, 333-222294 and 333-228502) of Partner Communications Company Ltd., of our report dated March 24, 2021 relating to the financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in this Form 20-F. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading Selected Financial Data in this Form 20-F.
Tel-Aviv, Israel March 25, 2021
/s/ Kesselman & Kesselman Certified Public Accountants (Isr.) A member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited
Derech Menachem Begin 146, Tel-Aviv-Yafo 6492103, Israel, P.O Box 7187 Tel-Aviv 6107120 Telephone: +972 -3- 7954555, Fax:+972 -3- 7954556, www.pwc.com/il
8 Amal Street Afeq Industrial Park Rosh-Ha'ayin 48103 Israel
Dear Sirs:
On behalf of BDO Ziv Haft Consulting & Management Ltd, Amot BDO House Building 46- 48 Menachem Begin Av. Tel-Aviv (the "Consultant"), I hereby confirm that the Consultant has reviewed the information set forth in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the "Form 20-F"), for the financial statements of Partner Communications Company Ltd., under Note 4(a)(2) " Assessing the recoverable amount for impairment tests of non-financial assets ", Note 4(3)" Assessing the recoverable amount for impairment tests of goodwill ",and Note 13 "Impairment tests"; Item 5A.1e " Impairment tests ", Item 5A.1q(2) "Assessing the recoverable amount for impairment tests of non-financial assets " , and Item 5A.1q(3) " Assessing the recoverable amount for impairment tests of goodwill" in the Form 20-F all with respect to testing for impairment of assets and the results thereof.
The Consultant hereby confirms the information referred to above and consents to being named in the Form 20-F as an "expert".
BDO Consulting Name: Moti Dattelkramer Title: Partner Signature: ___/s/_______ 4/3/2021
I, Isaac Benbenisti, certify that:
Date: March 25, 2021
By: /s/ Isaac Benbenisti
——————————————
Isaac Benbenisti Chief Executive Officer I, Tamir Amar, certify that:
Date: March 25, 2021 By: /s/ Tamir Amar
Tamir Amar Chief Financial Officer
——————————————
In connection with the Annual Report of Partner Communications Company Ltd. (the "Company") on Form 20-F for the period ending December 31, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the "Report"), the undersigned hereby certify that to the best of our knowledge:
The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
Date: March 25, 2021
By: /s/ Isaac Benbenisti
—————————————— Name: Isaac Benbenisti Title: Chief Executive Officer
Date: March 25, 2021
By: /s/ Tamir Amar
Name: Tamir Amar Title: Chief Financial Officer
——————————————
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