Home Internet in Israel: Fibre, Providers and How to Get Connected

Home internet in Israel is fast and reasonably priced, with one quirk: for years the line into the apartment (Bezeq's copper or fibre, or HOT's cable) and the internet service on top of it were sold separately, giving you two bills and two customer-service lines. Fibre has changed that: most fibre packages come from one company for one price. Your first job is to find out what reaches your building.

Step one: what reaches your building

Fibre is now available across most of Jerusalem from more than one network (Bezeq, Partner, Cellcom and the shared IBC/Unlimited network among them), but not on every street or in every older building. Each provider's site checks availability by address; ask the va'ad bayit or a neighbour which company has already wired the building, because a second company may need the building's permission to add its own fibre. Where there is no fibre yet, Bezeq's copper line or HOT's cable still delivers workable speeds.

Step two: choose a package

• Fibre bundles: one bill, one company, speeds from fast to very fast; the price difference between tiers is small, so take the middle one unless you work with video all day.
• Line plus provider (the old way): a Bezeq or HOT line, plus an internet provider such as Bezeq International, Partner, Cellcom or HOT Net. Cheaper in some cases, more calls when something breaks.
• Bundles with TV: the TV companies (yes, HOT, Cellcom TV, Partner TV, Sting TV) sell internet with a streaming TV box; useful if you want Israeli channels, irrelevant if you will stream from abroad.
• Mobile as home internet: a big data plan and a phone hotspot works for a first month or a small flat; a 5G router plan is a real option in areas without fibre.

Installation

Ordering by phone or online sets an installation appointment, typically within a week or two; the technician needs access to the building's communications cabinet and to your apartment, so coordinate with the va'ad bayit. The router is supplied; you can add your own mesh system behind it if the apartment has thick stone walls, which most do. Promotional prices last a fixed period, after which the standard price applies: set the reminder.

Streaming from abroad

Services you pay for at home usually block Israeli addresses, and Israeli licensing means the local catalogues differ. A VPN solves most of it; the one we use is on the tools list. Netflix, Disney and Apple work locally with a local card.

Moving apartment

Tell the provider two weeks ahead; moving a line is usually free within the same company, and a new building may mean a new availability check. Return the old router if asked, or you will be billed for it.

Hebrew you will meet

• sivim — fibre (optic)
• sapak — provider
• tashtit — infrastructure (the line)
• nativ — router
• technai — technician
• hatkana — installation

More everyday words, with the situations they turn up in, are in our Hebrew vocabulary guide.

Common questions

Which internet provider is best in Jerusalem?

Whichever fibre network already serves your building, on the middle speed tier; that avoids new cabling and building approvals. If several serve it, choose by price after the promotion ends, not during it.

How long does installation take?

Usually one to two weeks from ordering to the technician's visit, longer if the building needs its first fibre connection.

Do I still need a Bezeq line?

Not with a fibre bundle. The separate line-plus-provider model remains for copper and cable, and for some cheaper combinations.

Can I watch my streaming services from home?

Most need a VPN to work from Israel; Israeli subscriptions to the same services work directly. Israeli TV bundles add local channels if you want them.

A provider changed or fibre reached your street? Tell us and we will fix it.