Hot Mobile

Hot Mobile is an Israeli wireless telecommunications company that operates under the HOT brand. The business originated in 1994 as Mirs Communications, a Motorola communications venture focused initially on closed mobile communications systems for Israel's military and large organizations. Its early network used Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) technology, a Motorola-developed platform that combined cellular communications with push-to-talk functionality. The service was initially restricted to communications among Mirs subscribers, but the company gradually added interconnection with other telephone networks and developed into a full public wireless operator. Mirs received an official provider license in 2001 and was assigned provider code 057. The company later became an important institutional communications supplier. In 2006, it became the sole wireless provider for the Israel Defense Forces after the end of the IDF's previous arrangement with Pelephone. The service included phones made available to commissioned officers and certain standing-army personnel whose duties required mobile communications. This institutional business reinforced Mirs's position in push-to-talk and managed communications, particularly for organizations needing coordinated group communications. Motorola sold Mirs to French telecommunications and media group Altice in 2010. The acquisition connected the wireless operator with the broader HOT group in Israel, whose activities included cable television and fixed-line communications. In 2011, Mirs was one of two successful applicants for nationwide UMTS mobile-network licenses awarded by Israel's Ministry of Communications; the other successful applicant was Golan Telecom. The license enabled Mirs to move beyond its legacy iDEN focus and build a nationwide GSM-based mobile network aimed at the general public. The company was rebranded as Hot Mobile in 2012 to align it with the HOT brand architecture. The new network was officially launched on May 14, 2012. Hot Mobile subsequently expanded its consumer offering through 3G UMTS and 4G LTE services, while continuing to maintain a separate legacy iDEN network for push-to-talk users and business or organizational customers. During the early development of its nationwide network, Hot Mobile supplemented areas without its own radio coverage through a domestic roaming agreement with Partner. The company's provider code was changed from 057 to 053 in 2013. Hot Mobile's operating model therefore combines mass-market mobile services with specialized organizational communications. Public-facing plans have included voice, messaging, and mobile-data services delivered over GSM-based networks. Business and large-organization customers have been able to use both newer cellular services and the legacy iDEN platform, whose push-to-talk capability is suited to dispatch-style communications. The operator introduced 5G NR services in September 2020 as part of the modernization of its network portfolio. The brand remains part of Israel's competitive mobile telecommunications market and is associated with the HOT communications group. Its history reflects the transition from a specialized Motorola enterprise and military communications operation to a nationwide, multi-generation mobile network operator. Public reporting has also placed the company within wider regulatory and human-rights scrutiny concerning telecommunications businesses operating in or serving Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Hot Mobile began in 1994 under the name Mirs Communications, as part of Motorola's communications activities in Israel. Its original purpose was to supply wireless communications to the military and large organizations. Mirs used Motorola's iDEN technology, which supported cellular calling and push-to-talk group communications. The initial system functioned as a closed communications environment for Mirs customers. Over time, the company introduced interconnection with external telephone networks, allowing subscribers to communicate beyond the Mirs customer base. A significant regulatory step occurred in 2001, when Mirs received an official provider license and its own provider code, 057. This transformed the operation from a specialized closed-network service into a recognized public wireless provider. Mirs's institutional role expanded further in 2006, when it became the sole wireless provider for the Israel Defense Forces after the previous IDF contract with Pelephone ended. The arrangement included subsidized or free Mirs handsets for commissioned officers and certain standing-army personnel whose roles required mobile communications. In 2010, Motorola sold Mirs to the French telecommunications group Altice. The transaction brought Mirs into the corporate environment associated with HOT, an Israeli cable and telecommunications business controlled by Altice at the time. Mirs then pursued a broader mobile-network strategy. In 2011, the Israeli Ministry of Communications awarded nationwide UMTS licenses to Mirs and Golan Telecom. The award introduced new competition into Israel's mobile market and gave Mirs the regulatory basis to build a nationwide network using newer GSM-based technology. Mirs adopted the Hot Mobile name in 2012, aligning the mobile operator with the established HOT brand. The new network officially launched on May 14, 2012. The rebranded operator provided 3G UMTS services and used domestic roaming with Partner in locations where its own network had not yet achieved full coverage. This arrangement supported national availability during the network's expansion period. The company continued to operate its older iDEN infrastructure separately from its newer GSM-based services. The iDEN system remained relevant to business and institutional customers because of its push-to-talk capabilities and suitability for coordinated dispatch communications. For consumers, Hot Mobile developed plans based on 3G and later 4G LTE technologies. In 2013, the operator's provider code changed from 057 to 053. Network modernization continued with the introduction of 5G NR services in September 2020. Hot Mobile consequently developed a multi-generation service portfolio spanning legacy iDEN, 3G UMTS, 4G LTE, and 5G NR. Its customer base has included ordinary mobile subscribers as well as businesses and large organizations requiring managed or group communications. The company's history also intersects with public policy and human-rights debates. In February 2020, the United Nations published a list of companies identified as operating in or connected with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Hot Mobile appeared on that list. The listing forms part of the public record surrounding the company's operating environment but does not by itself establish a legal finding against the company. Hot Mobile remains an Israeli mobile telecommunications brand associated with the HOT communications group.

1. 20205G NR service is introduced

   Hot Mobile begins offering service on its newly deployed 5G NR network in September.

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2. 2013Provider code changes to 053

   The operator's telephone provider code is changed from 057 to 053.

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3. 2012Hot Mobile brand launches

   Mirs is rebranded as Hot Mobile, and its new nationwide mobile network officially launches on May 14.

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4. 2011Nationwide UMTS license is awarded

   Mirs wins one of two nationwide UMTS network licenses awarded by Israel's Ministry of Communications.

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5. 2010Motorola sells Mirs to Altice

   Mirs is sold by Motorola to French telecommunications and media group Altice.

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6. 2006Mirs becomes the sole IDF wireless provider

   Mirs takes over the Israel Defense Forces wireless arrangement after the previous contract with Pelephone ends.

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7. 2001Mirs receives a public provider license

   The company receives an official wireless provider license and provider code 057, supporting its evolution into a public mobile operator.

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8. 1994Mirs Communications is founded

   Motorola's communications division establishes Mirs to provide iDEN-based wireless communications for military and large-organization users in Israel.

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A mass-market and business mobile operator combining consumer cellular plans with specialized communications for large organizations.

• Consumer mobile plansMobile telecommunications2012

  Hot Mobile offers public mobile plans built around voice, messaging, and mobile-data connectivity. These services use the operator's GSM-based network portfolio and have evolved from 3G UMTS to 4G LTE and 5G NR. During network expansion, domestic roaming with Partner helped provide service in areas where Hot Mobile's own radio network was not yet fully available.

• Business and organizational communicationsBusiness telecommunications

  The company serves businesses and large organizations with mobile communications plans and managed wireless connectivity. This segment builds on Mirs's historical focus on institutional users and is distinct from ordinary consumer subscriptions because organizations may require coordinated communications, account management, and group-oriented service capabilities.

• iDEN push-to-talk servicePush-to-talk communications1994

  Hot Mobile's legacy iDEN network operates in the 800 MHz SMR band and supports push-to-talk communications. The service historically appealed to businesses, large organizations, and institutional users that valued rapid group communication and dispatch-style functionality. It operates separately from the company's newer GSM-based 3G, 4G, and 5G services.

• 5G NR mobile service5G telecommunications2020

  Introduced in September 2020, Hot Mobile's 5G NR service extends the operator's mobile portfolio beyond its earlier 3G UMTS and 4G LTE networks. It is intended to provide newer-generation mobile connectivity for compatible consumer and business devices.

• 2020Introduction of 5G NR serviceProduct launch

  The operator's earlier portfolio included 3G UMTS and 4G LTE services alongside a separate legacy iDEN network.

  What changed. Hot Mobile introduced service on a newly deployed 5G NR network in September 2020.

  Aftermath. The launch expanded Hot Mobile's network portfolio to include a fifth-generation mobile service alongside its existing technologies.

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• 2012Rebrand from Mirs to Hot MobileStrategy

  After Altice acquired Mirs and the company obtained a nationwide UMTS license, the operator needed a consumer-facing identity aligned with the established HOT communications brand.

  What changed. Mirs Communications was renamed Hot Mobile, and the new nationwide UMTS network was launched on May 14, 2012.

  Aftermath. The rebrand positioned the company as a national mobile operator serving both the general public and institutional customers while retaining its legacy iDEN business.

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• 2020Hot Mobile included in United Nations list of companies operating in West Bank settlements

  The United Nations published a database of companies identified as having business activities related to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Hot Mobile was included in the published list.

  RegulationOther
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1. Hot Mobile