Editing Telecommunications in Israel (section)

==2000s==
In the first decade of the 21st century there was a major emphasis on digitization and a shift to mobile technologies, following similar trends in [[Telecommunications in Europe|Europe]] and [[Communications in the United States|North America]].

===Television===
[[File:Eretz Nehederet.JPG|thumb| TV studio of the [[Eretz Nehederet]] program]]

The Israeli satellite television provider [[yes (Israel)|Yes]] was established in 2000, introducing strong competition in the cable television market. Prior to the establishment of [[yes (Israel)|Yes]] there were only three other cable companies in Israel: Tevel, Matav and Arutzay Zahav. The competition with Yes caused a big loss of members amongst the cable TV companies which urged them to merge. In order to strengthen Yes, which was relatively new, the regulator postponed his approval to the merger of the cable companies. The merger was completed in 2003, and the cable companies were renamed under the singular company called [[Hot (Israel)|Hot]].

Throughout the decade, Hot and Yes inserted the use of the digital [[set-top box]]es, and with them it became possible to receive digital broadcasts (improvement in the quality of reception of the television channels), and additionally also enabled games channels, [[video on demand]] (V.O.D) and nowadays they supply digital set-top boxes which contain advanced [[digital video recorder]] (DVR) technologies which are capable of pre-recording shows (Hot Magic, Yes Max). HOT has put a big emphasis on encouraging production of local Israeli movies, while YES, in contrast, puts more emphasis on purchasing foreign TV series and movies.

Under the inspection of the [[Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority]], an additional Israeli terrestrial-commercial channel was established on 28 January 2002: [[Channel 10 (Israel)|Channel 10]]. This move started a competition among the commercial channels. Channel 10 purchased for itself hosts and actors from Channel 2 and Channel 1. In spite of these procurement actions, the channel is still considered to be inferior in the amount of its viewers relatively to the other channels.

In 2005, an additional bid took place in channel 2, in which "[[Keshet (TV)|Keshet]]" and "[[Reshet]]" were chosen to be the channel's broadcasts to the consequent decade. [[Israeli News Company]] won the bid to produce the terrestrial [[Knesset Channel]]. On 30 March 2010, all analogue terrestrial television towers were switched off and digital distribution ("Idan Plus") is the only digital terrestrial system in effect. The first phase includes five SD channels (IBA-1, IBA-33, Channel 2, Israel 10 and The Knesset Channel). The system is [[DVB-T]] and [[MPEG-4]] and in SFN configuration with two frequencies across the whole country (north and south are UHF 26 while central is UHF 29). A second phase with more channels was expected in 2012 (also IBA-1 HD) and a third phase maybe in 2013.{{Update after|2014|3}}

===Internet===
{{Main|Internet in Israel}}
[[File:MedNautilus-route.png|thumb|[[MedNautilus]] [[Submarine communications cable]]s in the Mediterranean Sea, connecting Israel to Turkey, Greece and Italy]]

[[Broadband Internet]] became prevalent in the majority of homes in Israel. [[Bezeq]] ceased to be a monopoly in the field of the [[landline]] communications, when [[Hot (Israel)|HOT]] started offering telephony services through the cables infrastructures.

In the middle of the decade, due to the popularity which the high-speed Internet and VoIP technologies gained amongst the [[Israelis]], at first Israelis were able to conduct international conversations free of charge or at lower rates through the Internet due to the link between VoIP networks such as [[Skype]] and [[Vonage]] and the traditional telephony networks in Israel and abroad. In 2008, [[Partner Communications Company]] and [[XFONE]] joined the high-speed Internet providers market.

===Other communication Fields===
On 1 March 2006, The [[Israel Postal Company|Israel Postal Authority]] became a [[government-owned corporation]], the Israel Postal Company, as a preceding stage to the opening of the mail market to competition. The Israeli radio succeeded to recover from rating problems and opened more regional radio stations.

On 17 December 2007, the Israeli parliament approved a new law which enables the [[Israel police]] and other law enforcement bodies to access communication data without judicial inspection.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

On 4 June 2008, the Ministry of Communications published a concession for operating a system which would enable broadcasting of digital radio transmissions in Israel. Over 50 stations nationwide are estimated to be broadcasting their transmissions on the Israeli digital radio broadcasts.