Tel Aviv - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Hot Mobile is part of TCS, which is the most common internet provider. It's cheaper than in the US but does not have very good coverage if you travel abroad. We've routinely gotten to European countries that we were supposed to have coverage in only to find out our phones hardly worked. Google Fi is probably the best way to go if you plan on traveling a lot and don't want to play a guessing game with your service. - Jan 2022
Local plans are cheap and readily available. Google Fi also works well if you want to keep your American phone number, just costs a bit more. - Apr 2021
We have Golan SIMs which are inexpensive and reliable. For about $30 a month, we have lots of data, both Israeli and US phone numbers, and international roaming in many countries. - Oct 2019
Mobile data plans are extremely cheap. We used Golan. - Nov 2018
SIM cards and local service are also inexpensive - maybe $15 a month for unlimited calls/data, as well as free calls to the US and 50 other countries (with a virtual US number). - Aug 2017
As of 2013 competition with cell phones resulted in no more expensive long term contracts. Bring your unlocked phone and you can get extremely good rates (anywhere from $10-$30 a month) for unlimited calls and texts to the States with generous internet roaming in country. Only complaint is that automatic billing doesn't always happen automatically and that can mean your service will be interrupted if you havent verified with your credit card bill that payments have been made. - Oct 2016
There are options here and I went with a local provider, Golan. About U.S. $7.00 (no not a typo) a month, they have a plan for U.S. $25 which gives you a U.S. number and can use it in the other countries. - Jul 2016
Local cell and data service prices are generally cheaper than the U.S. Major local companies include Pelephone, Golan and Partner. Golan has very good English-language support. - Apr 2016
You will need one. If you bring an unlocked one you can check around for deals from local providers. - Nov 2014
I have a work one, so I am not sure. - Apr 2013
Not really. Local contracts are easily obtained. Rates are comparable to USA. - Aug 2010
Get one. Israelis live and die by their cellphones and iPhones. Roaming charges to the US are incredibly expensive. - Jul 2010
Prepaid SIM cards are available everywhere. - Feb 2009
Cell phone usage is quite inexpensive - you don't pay for incoming calls as you do in the U.S. But the phone itself is quite expensive. - Sep 2008
Not very expensive. Many options available. - Jul 2008
