Topic Wiki

*=More info below
Company  Price  Sim  Talk/SMS  Web  Free Int'l  Signup Bonus  Israeli CC  Real TZBlackerry
Hot99₪49₪Unlimited3GB31 countries49₪/6 months*  Yes*Yes*
Golan99₪49₪UnlimitedUnlimited  53 countries  ₪59 /1st yearYesNoNo
01292₪Unlimited3GB42 countries*44₪/6 months  YesYes29₪
Rami Levy89₪59₪Unlimited1GB  No1₪/3 monthsYesYesNo
PelephoneYes*Yes*Free
Partner129/135₪*0₪*Unlimited  1GB/3GBAdd'l 20₪NoNoNo*39₪
CellcomA lot of $180₪  NoNo75₪

Rule #1- The Israeli cell phone service market is difficult. But cheap.
Rule #2- It is illegal for a company to "lock you in" a contract. ALL plans may be cancelled at any time with no penalty. Though, they do prevent you from opening and closing plans by charging a sim card "fee". This fee must always be paid even if paid for once before, and ranges from 39₪ to 180₪.
Rule #3- For those places that need an Israeli credit card, you may need to get one from an Israeli bank with a passport and income information although YMMV.
Rule #4- It is rarely, if ever, worthwhile to rent a "vacation plan" or prepaid, as the price for a regular unlimted plan for a month is less that a vacation plan for a week. Get a GSM phone that covers 900/1800 bands and save your money
Rule #5- All Israeli plans, whether regular or prepaid, include free incoming calls/texts.

Hot- 99₪ a month - includes unlimited calls, text and data (3 gb, then slow) and unlimited to 32 countries. Free home internet supply included. They currently have an offer if you port a number from a different network, to get the first six months for just 49₪ a month. You can move your package to a 10₪ a month plan, which includes 50 minutes and texts. You can also freeze the line once a year for up to 3 months. Regarding signup- you can use an American CC and fake TZ over the phone as one user has done.

Golan - Service is passable, but can be subpar in certain areas. There are two plans with Golan. There's the 99₪ unlimited talk/text/internet/international calling plan, which also gives you up to 2 virtual foreign numbers. This plan also includes for many countries unlimited global data roaming (6GB high-speed), incoming calls & texts, and calls & texts to Israel. They also offer a ₪29 per day data-roaming plan which gives 100MB a day in these countries. These roaming options can be very useful for foreigners regardless of whether they need Golan for Israel. See their website for details.There's a promo deal to get the 99 plan for ₪59 /month for the 1st year. There's also a ₪10 a month plan, which includes 60 min for domestic/US & CA and landlines in many countries, unlimited SMS and 10 MB of Internet, with add'l mins ₪.18 domestic, ₪.08 to US/CA and landlines in many countries, and data ₪.09 /MB. Its great for those short trips here. SIM should work in an iPad for data; you can also order a car SIM which will allow you to have 2 SIMs which draw from same plan.
[To get the sim in the USA before your trip:  golanusa.net will ship it to you for $14 (more for rush) and the 49 nis for the sim. Golan bills on the 25th of the month.  The days before the first 25th are freeprorated.(So for a trip between the 26th and the 24th of the month, you don't pay the 59 nis or 99 nis plan fee.)]

012mobile - Runs on Partner service, you will get an 054 number (unless you ported). Unlimited - 49₪ for the first 6 months and 92₪ from thereon after for unlimited everything too. Includes 3GB Data and 500 minutes to US/CA (any phone) and 40 other countries (landlines only). 9₪ plan includes 60 minutes, 60 SMS, and 100MB data. Additional domestic minutes/SMS are ₪ .09, Int'l calls to to US/CA (any phone) and 40 other countries (landlines only) are ₪ .25 per min. Add'l data bundles are available starting from ₪ 19 for 1 GB. 5GB Laptop/Tablet (data only) is 98₪.

Pelephone - Online, they accept fake TZ and US CC.

Partner - 129₪ a month for unlimited talk, text, and 1GB. 135₪ for 3GB. Family plans are cheaper.Free sim for online orders. Extra 20₪/mo. for 500 min. int'l calling. Extra 39₪ for Blackberry. May need to give 500₪ deposit that you (may) get back when you cancel the plan.  One can freeze line without charges for up to 3 months when not needed (not sure if allowed more than once per 12 months).

Freedomhot.com - 2/19/2023 - They have local pickup in lots of major frum areas and delivery too. They accept US CC. Runs on Hot Mobile. Copying and pasting from their website.
All monthly plans include: Unlimited Calls & Texts to Israeli phone numbers Unlimited outgoing calls to USA and Canada and landlines to 33 additional countries.
Unlimited incoming calls and texts from anywhere in the world. Prices include all taxes.
59 Shekels - 70GB LTE Internet Data
79 shekels - 150GB LTE Internet Data
KOSHER - Voice Only - 64 Shekels
One-time SIM card fee: 49 Shekels
Optional: add a virtual USA number for $15 per month

Misc. Info
APN settings

On Hot Mobile you can check how much data was consumed either by downloading the app or by texting גלישה  to phone number 530 from your hot mobile phone,you can as well try calling this number *6733.

Note by Menucha:
Please note: as of 4/1/13, most carriers reduce period of intro rates and at times increased cost for monthly intro. I suggest we leave the above as is, but please keep in mind new changed, which are not negotiable and based on govt agreements. monthly flat rate is still great and same. (post intro)
Also, while reps wont tell you, typically you will get longer intro rate if you activate account on your own on line, and not via rep (phone or store). confirmed with carrier. Enjoy! flat monthly, even without intro rate is still one of the lowest you will come across in the west!

Israeli cellphone rentals:

1) Talkinisrael.com
Phone: +972587564477
Whatsapp: +972536299365
Email: info@talkinisrael.com 
if you should have any problems feel free to send me a pm and I will try to help you the best I can.
Plans for sale here are primarily for long term rentals.(students and the like.)


2) Israel Rent-a-cell SIM card or eSIM with calling and data. Also you can get SIMs for Israel Kosher phones!
Contact at Israelrentacell@gmail.com or WhatsApp 972-55-333-1234
Overnight or standard delivery in USA/delivery in Israel! Pickup locations in Lakewood and Israel.
* Unlimited calls and texts in Israel
* Unlimited calls to USA, Canada and landlines in 35 countries
* Unlimited incoming calls
* 70 GB of data (can add an extra 80GB of data)
* eSIMs available!
* Free voicemail
Student discount available, $29.97 monthly, including tax! Never surprise charges or hidden fees!

3) Cellular Israel - 072-224-3300 or 718-289-0195 Full Service - short term and long term, rent phones, Kosher phones, SIM cards, mifi devices, Waze by the day or month. American Customer Service!
info@cellularisrael.com

4) Simforisrael@gmail.com free delivery to anywhere

5) UnlimitedIsrael (DansDeals Advertiser with many positive reviews on DDMS & DDF) is the leading provider of SIM card & iPhone rentals for Israel in the US.
  • Unlimited calls & texts within Israel
  • Unlimited calling to the US and Canada
  • Lightning Fast 4G Internet Speeds
  • Unlimited 4G data
  • Sim Cards - $5/day
  • iPhones - $45/week
  • Kosher Phone - $4/day
  • Mifi Hotspot - $6/day
Use code SUAVE10 for 10% off any order
« Last edited by shmuelb on August 06, 2023, 12:48:30 PM »

Author Topic: Cell Phones in Israel  (Read 1355286 times)

Offline Live N Learn

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4720 on: April 15, 2016, 06:10:02 PM »
No matter what they say about themselves there are big chances that they will be out of business soon.

Even if they will close down, other companies will be taking them over.
".איזהו חכם, הלומד מכל אדם"

Offline golanusa

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4721 on: April 16, 2016, 02:54:42 PM »
fact is Golan is bankrupt. All the news agencies in Israel are discussing the options. Fact is the misrad hatiksoret threatened Golan that they will lose their license to operate. Netanyahu blocked the plan to have cellcom take over.
Nobody knows what will happen as of yet and bottom line the government won't let 800k clients be left without service....... I am not leaving just yet.

Offline ExGingi

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4722 on: April 17, 2016, 01:24:06 AM »
fact is Golan is bankrupt. All the news agencies in Israel are discussing the options. Fact is the misrad hatiksoret threatened Golan that they will lose their license to operate. Netanyahu blocked the plan to have cellcom take over.
Nobody knows what will happen as of yet and bottom line the government won't let 800k clients be left without service....... I am not leaving just yet.

I don't know if they are bankrupt or not, they were allowed (by having a blind eye turned at them) to violate the terms of their license which required them to set up their own towers. They started doing that while leasing Cellcom infrastructure, but then dismantled the few towers that they did set up. This is one of the reasons of the strong regulatory backlash that disallowed the merger.
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

Offline Boruch999

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4723 on: April 17, 2016, 02:12:16 AM »
http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-scrappy-co-op-thats-banking-on-breaking-the-monopoly/

Quote
But late last month, Israel’s symbol of competition and lower prices, Golan Telecom, announced that it is seeking to be bought or to merge. Many analysts believe this may spell the beginning of the end of low cellular prices. What happened?

Shorer says he doesn’t know what happened in Golan Telecom’s specific case, but in an economy with so much banking concentration, the number of players in other industries tends to shrink as well.

This is often because new players can’t get loans from banks due to what he calls “cross-interests.” To make his point, he recalls that when the mobile carrier tender was issued in 2011, Golan was not the winner.

“The company that won was called Bezalel. Bezalel approached Bank Leumi and asked for credit. The bank said, sorry, buddy, we can’t do it. Just so you know, Bank Leumi had a large stake in Partner Communications, a competitor.

Is that legal?

“It is not for me to judge,” Shorer says, laughing.

What happened next is that the next bidder, Michael Gelfand, tried to secure a loan from an Israeli bank and was also refused. Golan was the third candidate. The company’s CEO, Michael Golan, was from France and didn’t need Israeli financing.

“He showed up with several suitcases of dollars and got the license,” says Shorer. “But he didn’t fund it through Israeli banking. If he had to get money in Israel, there would have been no competition in the cellular market.”

The Times of Israel tried repeatedly to reach Bank Leumi for a response but no one in its spokesperson’s office answered the phone.

Shorer asserts that in the United States, banks don’t have same the power to shut out new businesses.

“In the US, there are 20,000 banks.”

In English,  that's called a conflict of interests.  In Israel they can't call it that because the ALL of the country's industries and govt agencies are caught up in similar "crosses."

Offline B.D.Da'ehu

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4724 on: May 01, 2016, 10:33:45 AM »
Is the wiki still updated? It seems the best plan I can  get would be the Golan 99 shek plan (based on quality of service provided etc)..is that right?

Offline Got a clue

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4725 on: May 01, 2016, 10:44:04 AM »
Is there is a way to block a number from being able to call me if I have Golan service? I signed into my account online but cannot seem to find such an option..

Offline Live N Learn

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4726 on: May 02, 2016, 11:25:06 AM »
Is there is a way to block a number from being able to call me if I have Golan service? I signed into my account online but cannot seem to find such an option..

What phone do you have? A lot of phones have it on the phone itself.
".איזהו חכם, הלומד מכל אדם"

Offline Got a clue

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4727 on: May 02, 2016, 11:47:17 AM »
Kosher  :(

Offline Emkay

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4728 on: May 02, 2016, 12:16:55 PM »
Is the wiki still updated? It seems the best plan I can  get would be the Golan 99 shek plan (based on quality of service provided etc)..is that right?
If you don't need a virtual American number then you can get for less then half that price.

Offline Hidden

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4729 on: May 02, 2016, 01:00:44 PM »
You can get a virtual American number for ten dollars a month

Offline sammy n

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4730 on: May 02, 2016, 01:01:04 PM »
You can get a virtual American number for ten dollars a month
From?

Offline Hidden

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4731 on: May 02, 2016, 01:01:53 PM »
I have to look for the number

Offline sammy n

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4732 on: May 02, 2016, 01:02:23 PM »
I have to look for the number
What company?

Offline Hidden

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4733 on: May 02, 2016, 01:03:57 PM »
Don't remember
It was discussed up thread I think

Offline Boruch999

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4734 on: May 02, 2016, 02:55:17 PM »
From?

Jivetel, don't know how much.  They have a few options.

Offline Live N Learn

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4735 on: May 02, 2016, 02:59:13 PM »
Kosher  :(

Should have it as well. Which model?
".איזהו חכם, הלומד מכל אדם"

Offline B.D.Da'ehu

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4736 on: May 02, 2016, 11:31:21 PM »
If you don't need a virtual American number then you can get for less then half that price.
No need. So I got the Golan plan for 39/month

Offline gtyossi

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4737 on: May 04, 2016, 10:35:30 AM »
Need a sim card for a week. Whats the cheapest option?

Offline B.D.Da'ehu

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4738 on: May 04, 2016, 11:36:22 AM »
I have Golan. Is there any way to get LTE service?

Offline SamKey

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #4739 on: May 04, 2016, 11:51:40 AM »
FYI Callcentric.com gives you a free American number without any monthly fees. Only charges are about 2 cents a minute.