The Director General of the Ministry of Communications, MK Dudi Amsalem, in coordination with the Commander of the Israeli Civil Administration, recently announced that the HOT telecommunications company will be expanding services to the 220 settlements located in the West Bank. A letter was sent to the heads and secretariats of the local authorities of each settlement informing them of the ministry’s decision.
“This is a wonderful and joyous opportunity for settling Judea and Samaria," he said. "I promised to address the issue and prevent the feeling of deprivation among the residents - and indeed many communities in Judea and Samaria will now be provided practical solutions for TV, Internet and cellular phones." In areas without physical access to telecommunications infrastructure, services will be provided via wireless connections. Amsalem further noted that, "This is the right given the circumstances, and I would not give up on the issues, because the settlements, and the pioneering settlers, are an integral part of the State of Israel and very close to my heart."