Cellcom Launches G5 Premium Packages with Enhanced Browsing but Faces Limitations

Cellcom, one of Israel's leading cellular providers, has unveiled its new G5 premium packages, priced between NIS 69.9 and NIS 119.9 per month. While these packages promise increased browsing volume and higher private download speeds, there are notable drawbacks.

The basic package, starting at NIS 69.9, offers a thousand gigabytes of browsing, 5,000 minutes and messages, 500 minutes for international calls, free browsing in applications, private browsing speed, protection service, and repair service. The extended package, priced at NIS 89.9, includes premium personal customer service 24/7 and a 50% discount on overseas packages for the first two trips. The third package, sold for NIS 119.9, adds a 2 GB + 50 minutes and messages package for international use.

Despite the upgraded features, these packages come at a 40% higher cost compared to existing G5 packages in the market, which start at NIS 49.90. Critically, the upload speed remains unchanged, and the company has not upgraded the network core, limiting its ability to offer a complete premium service.

Cellcom claims to introduce slicing capabilities in its network, allowing the creation of private networks for customers without connecting to a separate system. This technology aims to offer higher speed, durability, low latency, and tailored configurations for users.

However, the current premium service is primarily geared towards private customers, focusing on speed upgrades for data downloads. The upload speed remains at 150 megabytes, providing no advantage for tasks like uploading videos. The limited coverage of G5 antennas in Israel further restricts the service's availability.

Cellcom's competitors, Partner and Pelephone, have already initiated core upgrades for G5 networks, while Cellcom is in negotiations with Nokia and anticipates beginning construction in the second half of the year.

While Cellcom's premium packages offer a glimpse into the future of enhanced connectivity, the current limitations indicate that the true potential of G5 networks is yet to be fully realized.