Sources inform ”Globes” that Golan Telecom Ltd. has asked the Ministry of Communications for the refund of NIS 360 million guarantee, after the mobile carrier met the terms of the mobile tender and the number of subscribers, minutes of use, and revenue targets the ministry set for the refund. Golan Telecom met the terms in the shortest time, of under two years, and it will probably receive the refund in a few weeks, following a review by the ministry.Golan Telecom has 390,000 subscribers, the number allowing it to request the refund, and weighted for revenue and subscribers’ minutes of use. Under the terms of the tender, the new mobile carriers had to achieve 7% weighted market share to be eligible for the refund of their guarantees.

When Golan Telecom receives the refund, after the residual amount until the next review is deducted, it will be interesting to see whether it will continue its strategy, especially if it will continue its aggressive marketing campaign that characterized it during 2013. Sources believe that it will slightly slow the pace after it receives the refund, because the marketing campaigns and mass recruitment’s objective was to reach the number of subscribers target to be eligible for the refund.

It should be noted that on this point the tender has achieved its objective to bring competitors into the mobile market while requiring them to meet certain conditions to get back their guarantees.