Paltel Group
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| Company type | Public Shareholding Co. Ltd |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1995[1] |
| Founder | Sabih Masri |
| Headquarters | , Palestine |
Area served | Palestine |
Key people | Sabih Masri (Chairman) |
| Products | Fixed, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, SMS, MMS, ISP, Fiber-optic communication |
Number of employees | 3,000 |
| Parent | Paltel Group |
| Subsidiaries | Paltel, Jawwal, Reach |
| Website | paltelgroup |
Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel) Company (Arabic: الاتصالات الفلسطينية شركة), listed in the Palestine Exchange (PEX) as Paltel, is a Palestinian telecommunications holding company based in Ramallah, Palestine.[2] It consists of Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel), Palestine Cellular Communications Ltd (known as Jawwal), internet provide Hadara, Reach call center, and Palmedia broadcast media.[2]
Founded in 1995, today Paltel stands as one of the largest employers in the State of Palestine.[2] It is one of the largest telecommunication companies of the country alongside Ooredoo Palestine and Jawwal, which is a subsidiary of Paltel itself.[2] The company have more than 3,000 employees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Paltel's net earnings have grown from $12.1 million in 2000 to $120 million in 2014.[2]
History
[edit]1995–2000
[edit]The Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) was established in Jericho in the West Bank on 28 August 1995.[3] The next year, the Palestinian Authority granted Paltel a 20-year license to build and operate cellular, data, and landline communications.[3] In 1999, Israel released cellular frequencies, and the Palestine Cellular Communications Company (Jawwal) was established as Palestine's first cellular communications network.[4]
The Palestine Telecommunication Company, known as Jawwal, was established in 1995 as a public joint stock company.[3] After obtaining a license from the Palestinian Authority in 1996, its shares were listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange.[3] Starting its operations on January 1, 1997, Jawwal became the operator and provider of telecommunications services, including fixed lines, internet services, cloud computing, and information security in Palestine.[3]
In 1999, Jawwal expanded its services to become the first provider of cellular communications in Palestine.[3] This milestone was marked by a call made by the late President of Palestine, Yasser Arafat.[3] Over the years, Jawwal has continually upgraded its services and adopted cutting-edge technologies from global technology developers.[3] As a result, it has become the most efficient local provider, boasting a subscriber base of over three million.[3]
2000–2019
[edit]In 2005, Jawwal launched its home ADSL service, aimed at providing high-speed internet to subscribers through various commercial campaigns.[3] By 2007, the number of Jawwal subscribers exceeded one million, reaching two million by 2010. In 2011, the company successfully entered the Gaza Strip with materials, equipment, and cellular stations for the first time since 2007, enabling commercial sales in the region.[3]
As of 2007, Paltel Group was the largest employer in Palestine, after the government.[5] In 2015, Paltel and fellow provider Ooredoo were granted access by Israeli authorities to use 3G, something they were previously restricted from doing.[6]
In 2019, Jawwal expanded its services further by opening the first data center in Palestine, catering to the institutional and corporate sectors.[3] This data center provides managed hosting solutions, allowing companies to host websites or applications and access the latest technology available in the Palestinian business sector.[3]
One of Jawwal's significant achievements came in 2022 with the launch of Fiber to the Home Services (FTTH).[3] This development raised the average internet speed in Palestine and met the requirements of future virtual technology worldwide.[3] In the same year, the company established and listed Arkan Real Estate Company on the Palestine Stock Exchange, ensuring maximum shareholder rights by distributing shares to telecom company shareholders.[3]
2019–present
[edit]In early 2023, Jawwal partnered with the Arab Bank to launch Reflect, the first neo bank in Palestine.[3] Reflect aims to provide simulated digital technology for banking services, connecting different customer needs in their daily lives.[3]
When Paltel was founded, only 3% of Palestinians owned a telephone;[7] applicants would have to wait years for a connection by Bezeq, the Israeli state-owned provider.[8] The initial three-year plan was to invest $600m in the West Bank and Gaza in order to increase customers from 85,000 to 250,000.[9] An agreement was reached in 1997 to acquire fixed-telephony from Cable & Wireless,[10] and in 1998 Ericsson won the contract to supply a GSM cellular network.[11] That year Arafat called on mobile users to switch to Paltel which would soon become the sole provider in Palestine.[12]
The mobile operator of PaltelGroup, Jawwal, with its 2 million subscribers,[13][14] stopped a merger operation with Zain,[15] but joined the One Network project in 2010.
Services and products
[edit]Palmedia
[edit]Palmedia for Multimedia Services Company is the media arm of Paltel.[4] Based in Ramallah, it provides media broadcast services and production services to media outlets such as Russia Today, the BBC, Al-Mayadeen, Al-Manar, and Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV, Al-Aqsa TV, and Palestine Today.[16][17]
In July 2017, the Israeli military raided Palmedia's offices in Ramallah on suspicion of "incitement to terrorism."[16] Their offices throughout the West Bank were raided again in October 2017 because of their provision of production services to Hamas-affiliated media outlets Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa, and Palestine Today.[17]
Products
[edit]- Fixed telephony
- Global System for Mobile
- General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
- EDGE
- SMS
- MMS
- ISP
- Fiber-optic communication
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Palestine Telecommunications Company P.L.C.: Private Company Information". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e https://www.weforum.org/organizations/palestine-telecommunications-company-paltel-group/
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "...:: Paltel Group ::..." www.paltelgroup.ps. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ a b Abudaka, Mashhour (2013-10-01). "The Effects of the PA's Dissolution or Collapse on Telecommunication and Postal Services". Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ Devi, Sharmila, Financial Times, 29 March 2007
- ^ "Israel Agrees To Allow Palestinian Telecommunication Companies Access To 3G". imemc.org. November 20, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- ^ Prusher, Ilene R. Palestinians sprint to break Israeli grip on phone lines, The Christian Science Monitor 20 August 1996
- ^ Dempsey, Judy. Paltel on fast track to solve communication problem Financial Times 11 December 1996
- ^ Machlis, Avi. Palestinian telecoms plan Financial Times 19 November 1996.
- ^ Dempsey, Judy. C&W appeals to Israeli PM: Financial Times 25 November 2011
- ^ Ericsson, Financial Times 9 July 1998
- ^ Christopher Walker Arafat renews vow to declare independence The Times 10 July 1998
- ^ Palestinian Market Briefs - U.S. Commercial Service West Bank and Gaza Archived 2009-08-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Palestinian Authority to stop use of Israeli mobiles". Ynetnews. 29 April 2010.
- ^ Zain-Paltel share swap deal abandoned - Telecoms - News & Features - ITP.net
- ^ a b "Israeli soldiers raid offices of Palestinian media production company citing 'incitement'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Israeli forces raid several Palestinian media production companies". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
External links
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