JERUSALEM-Bezeq Israel Telecom Ltd., the state-owned telecommunications company, announced a plan to allow cellular telephone users to route incoming calls through either their mobile phones or the nearest fixed-line phone.
The proposed One Phone service requires government approval.
The company said it hopes to reach an agreement with one of the country’s three mobile phone providers-Pele-Phone Ltd., Cellcom Communications Ltd. and Partner Communications Ltd.-to offer the service to their customers, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Bezeq owns a stake in Pele-Phone in conjunction with Motorola Inc.
“A single handset will serve both as a wireless telephone in the home and as a cellular phone in all respects when the customer is outside the home,” Bezeq said in a statement.
The service will be particularly beneficial to business customers, according to Bezeq, allowing a customer to give out one number rather than several.
BT Cellnet has offered a similar service in the United Kingdom for some time, and Bezeq said it has held a series of discussions with BT Cellnet representatives regarding the service and possible cooperation between the carriers, including the purchase of phones developed by L.M. Ericsson for BT Cellnet.
“In the future, Bezeq will also consider unifying the charge for fixed-line and cellular services and providing customer services under one roof,” the company said.
