Hot (Israel)

HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT) is a company that provides cable television, last-mile Internet access, broadband and telecommunication services in Israel. It also provides various data transmission services and network services at different rates, services to the business sector and other ancillary services. In November 2004, HOT Telecom commenced providing domestic fixed line telephone services to residential and business subscribers.
The company’s shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and is a constitute of the TA-100 Index.

History

The company was founded on August 18, 2003 as union of the three national cable companies in Israel – Matav, Tevel, and Golden Channels that can be directly linked to the growing competition of the local satellite television provider Yes. While these companies had pursued a union since the late 1990s in order to save administrative and content purchasing costs, and especially after Yes was founded in order to annihilate it before it could grow, the Israeli government monopoly regulator had denied it until the time when Yes had grown at least a minimum subscriber base. The three original companies had not competed with each other since each had been regulated with specific cities and regions around the country.

Hot offers about 200 local and foreign-language channels in its digital television services. Hot also offers several 'exclusive' channels (not available from the competing Yes company) under the Hot brand name. In addition to the digital television services, Hot still provides analog television service, though plans to abandon it by 2012.

Not long after it was created, Hot began offering local telecom service using VoIP, a voice-over-internet technology, and internet access services as well. Hot is not an Internet service provider and is only permitted to offer last mile access. As of 2006^[update], Hot has about 950,000 clients - 60% of these are using the digital television services, over 400,000 are using the internet services and over 100,000 are using the phone services.^[1]

As of late 2005, Hot offers a wide VOD service, offering contents from almost all channels and content that is not broadcast by other companies. Hot also has a "start over" service in a few of Hot owned channels, as of 2008.

In December 2010, Hot received a license to operate an Internet service provider in the form of a child company.^[2]

Prominent TV channels on HOT

HD Channels

• HOT3 HD
• HOT Movies HD
• HOT V.O.D HD
• MGM Movies HD
• Bollywood Movies HD
• Sport 5 3D
• Sport 5 HD
• IBA HD
• Eurosport HD
• Sport 1 HD
• ONE HD
• National Geographic HD
• MTVNHD
• FTV HD
• Penthouse HD

Former channels

• Xtra HOT (Signed off on January 14, 2009)
• AXN (Signed off on January 14, 2009)
• Star World
• HOT Summer
• Voom HD

Criticism

Hot has been criticized for refusing to provide service to certain areas of Israel, despite being bound by contract to do so. Regions especially lacking are Haredi and Arab-Israeli, as well as the Arava. Hot responded that it already provided service for 95–98% of the country, and sought an official exemption from providing them to certain areas, where the decision lies with the Communications Ministry.^[4]

Patients in area hospitals who wish to make use of internet services provided via HOT are charged 30 shekels a day- a figure representing slightly more than a quarter of internet service for a month.

See also

• HOT3 - The main channel of HOT, which airs both US shows and Israeli originali shows. Replaced Xtra HOT when closed in 2009.
• Xtra Hot - An exclusive Hot channel that airs US shows. It can be purchased À la carte or through a "mini pay" package of other similar channels
• Yes (Israel) - the competing satellite television provider

References

External links

• Official website
• I Hate Hot - Protest site against Hot (Hebrew)
• Cable Internet - Support site (Hebrew)