Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner" or the "Company")
(Nasdaq:PTNR)(TASE:PTNR), a leading Israeli communications operator,
announces
today, following the Company's immediate report on form 6-k dated
September 27, 2010 and the Company's 2010 Annual Report (20-F), that on
April 12, 2011, Mirs Communications Ltd. (an existing cellular operator)
and 018 Xfone Communications Ltd. have won the Ministry of
Communications’ UMTS frequencies allocation tender for two additional
cellular operators.
Each of the beneficiaries is committed to a payment of license fees in
the amount of more than NIS 700 million (US$ 205 million).
The beneficiaries shall be awarded various benefits and leniencies, such
as:
(a) A minimal license fee of NIS 10 million (US$ 2.9 million). The
remaining amount of the license fee will be paid at the end of the five
year period following award of the license. Each of the beneficiaries
will be eligible for reductions in the license fee to a minimum of NIS
10 million, according to the market share achieved in the private
(residential) segment of the market in the five years following award of
the license. For each percent of the private market captured by the
beneficiary, the beneficiary will be awarded a reduction of one-seventh
of the remaining license fee (less NIS 10 million). The beneficiaries
will be required to deposit a guarantee with the Ministry of
Communications for the full license fee less the minimal fee of NIS 10
million. The guarantee will be reduced at the end of the second and
fifth year according to the market share achieved at that time.
(b) The winners will be allowed gradual geographic deployment of the
infrastructure over a period of seven years and use of national-roaming
services on the networks of existing cellular operators ("Roaming
Services").
In accordance with an amendment to the Telecommunications Law, existing
cellular operators will be required to allow the winners to use Roaming
Services for a period of seven years, commencing on the date of the
Ministry of Communications’ approval that cellular services can be
provided by the beneficiary, not through Roaming Services, to an area
with at least 10% of the population, and as long as at the end of four
years from the beginning of this period, the beneficiary will be able to
provide cellular services, not through Roaming Services, to an area with
at least 40% of the population. The Minister of Finance and the Minister
of Communications can extend each of the above periods for one
additional period that will not exceed 3 years. Until the determination
of a final tariff by the Minister of Communications with the consent of
the Minister of Finance, due no later than February 1, 2012, the
existing cellular operator will only be allowed to charge the
beneficiary prices for Roaming Services that do not exceed the
Interconnect Tariff that will be in effect at that time (with regard to
cellular data, the price per 1MB shall not exceed 65% of the
Interconnect Tariff set for minute of a voice call). For more
information with regard to Roaming Services see the 2010 Annual Report
(20-F), under "Item 3D. Key information – Risk Factors" and "Item 4B –
Business Overview".
There is a possibility that the beneficiaries shall be awarded in the
future additional benefits and leniencies such as the regulation of
telecommunications infrastructure sharing as well as a rebates mechanism
for spectrum fees, based on the market share gained by the beneficiaries
in the private sector over a 5 year period after being awarded the
license.
The entrance of new competitors is a significant development in the
already vibrant competitive cellular environment in which we operate.
This development may cause a further strengthening of the already
significant upward trend in subscriber acquisition and retention costs
for cellular subscribers and a further strengthening of the downward
trend in cellular tariffs, and may also cause an increase in the
cellular churn rate above that which has already been experienced, and
may further affect our business and operating results.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release 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
press release regarding our future performance, plans to increase
revenues or margins or preserve or expand market share in existing or
new markets, reduce expenses 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 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 we face, see "Item 3D. Key
Information - Risk Factors", "Item 4. - Information on the Company",
"Item 5. - Operating and Financial Review and Prospects", "Item 8A. -
Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information -
Legal and Administrative Proceedings" and "Item 11. - Quantitative and
Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk" in the Company's 2010 Annual
Report (20-F) filed with the SEC on March 16, 2011. In light of these
risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events
discussed in this press release 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.
About Partner Communications
Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner") is a leading Israeli
provider of telecommunications services (cellular, fixed-line telephony
and internet services) under the orange™ brand. The Company provides
mobile communications services to over 3 million subscribers in Israel.
Partner’s ADSs are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market™ and its
shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NASDAQ and TASE: PTNR).
Partner is an approximately 45%-owned subsidiary of Scailex Corporation
Ltd. ("Scailex"). Scailex's shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange under the symbol SCIX and are quoted on "Pink Quote" under the
symbol SCIXF.PK. Scailex currently operates in two major domains of
activity in addition to its holding in Partner: (1) the sole import,
distribution and maintenance of Samsung mobile handset and accessories
products primarily to the major cellular operators in Israel (2)
management of its financial assets.
For more information about Scailex, see http://www.scailex.com.
For more information about Partner, see http://www.orange.co.il/investor_site
