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Empresas y finanzas

Partner Communications Announces Court Ruling Against Cellular Operators´ Use of Exemption from Obtaining Building Permits for Certain Small Cellular Radio Access Devices


    Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner" or "the Company")

    (Nasdaq:PTNR) (TASE:PTNR), a leading Israeli mobile communications

    operator, announced that on May 22, 2008 the Tel-Aviv-Jaffa District

    Court ruled against the appeals submitted by Partner and two other

    mobile communications operators and decided that the exemption from

    obtaining building permit for wireless access devices under a provision

    of the Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting), 1982

    and the Building and Planning Law, 1965 did not apply to certain small

    cellular radio access (wireless communication) devices deployed by the

    mobile communications operators, and that a building permit must

    therefore be obtained to install such devices. Partner notes that there had been a number of justice court rulings on

    this matter, resulting in conflicting decisions and that this latest

    ruling from the District Court is contrary to the legal opinion given by

    the Israeli Attorney General on May 1, 2008. Partner believes that the

    District Court´s ruling is in error, and plans

    to vigorously contest it by seeking leave to appeal the ruling to the

    Supreme Court. For additional details see the Company´s 2007

    Annual Report (20-F), Section 3D. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements within the

    meaning of Section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended

    Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and

    the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation

    Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect"

    "intend", "seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "project", "goal"

    "target" and similar expressions often identify forward-looking

    statements but are not the only way we identify these statements. All

    statements other than statements of historical fact included in this

    press release regarding our future performance, plans to increase

    revenues or margins or preserve or expand market share in existing or

    new markets, reduce expenses and any statements regarding other future

    events or our future prospects, are forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current knowledge

    and our present beliefs and expectations regarding possible future

    events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks

    uncertainties and assumptions about Partner, consumer habits and

    preferences in cellular telephone usage, trends in the Israeli

    telecommunications industry in general and possible regulatory and legal

    developments. For a description of some of the risks we face, see "Item

    3D. Key Information - Risk Factors", "Item 4. - Information on the

    Company", "Item 5. - Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" and

    "Item 8A. - Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial

    Information - Legal and Administrative Proceedings" in the form 20-F

    filed with the SEC on May 6th, 2008. In light of

    these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events

    discussed in this press release might not occur, and actual results may

    differ materially from the results anticipated. We undertake no

    obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements

    whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Partner Communications Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner") is a leading Israeli

    mobile communications operator providing GSM / GPRS / UMTS / HSDPA

    services and wire free applications under the orange? brand. The Company provides quality service and a range of features to

    2.823 million subscribers in Israel (as of March 31st

    2008). Partner´s ADSs are quoted on the NASDAQ

    Global Select Market? and its shares are

    traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NASDAQ and TASE: PTNR). Partner is a subsidiary of Hutchison Telecommunications International

    Limited ("Hutchison Telecom"), a leading global provider of

    telecommunications services. Hutchison Telecom currently offers mobile

    and fixed line telecommunications services in Hong Kong, and operates

    mobile telecommunications services in Israel, Macau, Thailand, Sri

    Lanka, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia. It was the first provider of 3G

    mobile services in Hong Kong and Israel and operates brands including

    "Hutch", "3" and "orange". Hutchison Telecom, a subsidiary of Hutchison

    Whampoa Limited, is a listed company with American Depositary Shares

    quoted on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "HTX" and shares

    listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong under the stock code "2332".

    For more information about Hutchison Telecom, see www.htil.com. For more information about Partner, see http://www.orange.co.il/investor_site/