Exclusive Offer Only from Glassman Aurora Ringing In A New Era State-owned Bezeq battles for market share as new Israeli phone companies slash long-distance rates. AVI MACHLIS ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT doubt that Bezeq's old ones were artificially inflated. Calls to the United States, including value added tax, for example, cost Is- raelis between 63 cents and $1.14 per minute with Bezeq as the only player. But now Israelis can call America for a mere 21 cents a minute through Barak or Gold- en Lines, the new long-distance companies. This is just a penny more than what it costs to call from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv dur- ing peak hours. It is also far cheaper than the same call placed from the Unit- ed States to Israel, reversing the previous situation. The cheapest U.S.-to-Israel rate offered by U.S. long-distance service MCI, for example, is 62 cents per minute; and this is available only those who pay $3 per month for a special long-dis- tance package. In response, Bezeq also has lowered its international rates to competitive lev- els. It is hoping the bargain-base- ment prices will spark an in- creased volume of international calls to compensate for profits it surely will lose. The new firms must also pay the state- owned company fees for the calls it processes in ex- Cheap calls: Israelis, like these at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, change for hook- ing up through are about to benefit from long-distance competition. Bezeq's systems. tanyahu's approval ratings into Despite this compensation, the deep freeze, the telecommu- and although Bezeq has im- nications upheaval has provided proved service tremendously in a jaundiced public two good rea- recent years to become one of the sons to celebrate. most technologically advanced Most important, of course, they phone networks in the world, the are enjoying the cheap interna- company is braced for a profits tional calls. But many are rel- hit. Last year, nearly 30 percent of ishing also the spectacle of the two new companies chipping Bezeq's revenues of $2.42 billion away at Bezeq, the long-reviled, came from international calls. imperious monopoly that has Some financial analysts have pre- been scrambling to hold on to its dieted Bezeq's profitability could market share. drop as much as 25 percent when Bezeq executives, with some its lost market share begins to eat reason, fear the public will flock away at revenues. The current competition was to the new companies en masse. "If they can reduce the prices kicked off last November when by 80 percent, how much profit the Communications Ministry has Bezeq been making all these chose Barak and Golden Lines years at the public's expense?" from a tender in which six groups said Ethel Schiffinan, a 74-year- participated. Each consortium old retiree who moved to Israel contained local companies and from the United States in 1984 international players eager to se- and is an avid international cure a foothold in Israel. ❑ caller. The new rates have left no New York Jewish Week I AP PHOTO BY NATI HARNI K flong-lost friends and relatives from Itrael suddenly start call- ing you this week, don't be sur- prised. Israel's liberalized international telecommunica- tions market is officially open for business. And suddenly, long-suf- fering international callers are getting a break. In a nutshell, two new private companies have been licensed to compete on international calls with Bezeq — until now the state-owned telephone monopoly. Both are offering rates up to 80 percent cheaper on internation- al calls than those Bezeq had charged. 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