Partner unveiled its 4G network, but says that it needs

frequencies for the network to become operational.

Orange franchisee Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE:PTNR) unveiled its 4G network at hundreds of sites at today’s press conference, but says that it needs frequencies for the network to become operational.

“We’re ready, not for a test or in the lab, to operate 4G,” said Partner CEO Haim Romano. “We prepared the network in the last upgrade, and we’re the company with the fastest and most advanced network in Israel. We invested NIS 650 million in the network, and we’ve already bought all the necessary equipment. We’ve gone through the process. In February, we’ll have 260 sites ready for transmission, and in May, we’ll have 600 sites ready for 4G.”

Partner CTO Menachem Tirosh said, “Mobile capability is approaching the capabilities of landline networks. 4G will have the same speed of landline networks, with 50 Mpbs uploading and 100-150 Mbps downloading,” He added that only 4G can handle rising data traffic, and that, within a few years, every car will have mobile access. Machine-to-machine (M2M) is becoming a reality, but for this to happen, “large bandwidth is needed, and mobile systems cannot currently handle customers’ growing needs, which is why 4G networks must be launched as quickly as possible.”