4 million mobile subscribers said to mull move

“The big bang in the mobile market has not yet reached its peak,” Avi Degani says in review of Israeli mobile market.

By YOSSI NISSAN
Cellular phones are displayed in a store 370 (R) (photo credit: Erik de Castro / Reuters)
Cellular phones are displayed in a store 370 (R)
(photo credit: Erik de Castro / Reuters)
“The big bang in the mobile market has not yet reached its peak,” Geocartography Knowledge president Avi Degani said in a review of the Israeli mobile market. “Three to four million mobile subscribers have said they are seriously considering switching their carrier in the near future.”
One million subscribers have already switched carriers, and a further 28 percent are seriously considering switching, including 4% who say they will definitely switch, the report said.
The survey of 1,500 adult Jewish mobile subscribers began following the launch of the first mobile virtual-network operator (MVNO), Rami Levy Communications Ltd., followed by the new mobile carriers, HOT Mobile Ltd. and Golan Telecom Ltd., in May.
Thirty-five percent of mobile subscribers are loyal, saying they have no plans to switch carriers; 22% are somewhat loyal, and 28% say they will likely switch, for a total of three to four million potential floating subscribers, the report said. Ten percent of the respondents said they have already switched carriers, and 5% said they do not own a mobile phone.
“The study found that a large proportion of the switches were mutual transfers between the current carriers, which proves that the bid mobile carriers have nonetheless had some success in their big defensive battles wage before the mobile revolution came into effect,” Degani said.
“On the other hand, many subscribers have been tempted by the benefits and new plans that the current carriers have been offering and ultimately decided not to switch to another carrier.”
Geocartography found that Orange franchisee Partner Communications Ltd. has the biggest net loss of subscribers, with a negative churn rate of 23%, followed by Cellcom Israel Ltd., with a negative churn rate of 6%. Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. subsidiary Pelephone Communications Ltd. has added a net 1% of new subscribers, HOT Mobile/Mirs has added a net 5% of new subscribers, Golan Telecom has added a net 15% of new subscribers (with no losses at all during the survey period), and Rami Levy Communications has added a net 7% of new subscribers.