Yedioth Ahronoth is planning to launch a free newspaper that would compete with Israel's only free paper at present, Israeli, which is distributed in train stations, on Egged bus lines and in business districts.

TheMarker has learned that the country's biggest newspaper is working on its own version to be distributed in the same areas as Israeli, under the title Ynet. Experts believe the plan is not yet operative but sources at the daily say drafts of the proposed free paper have been prepared.

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Yedioth Ahronoth has tried to torpedo Israeli in recent months by selling copies of its daily for just NIS 1 outside railway stations. The company has also made attractive deals to new subscribers during this period. Israeli does not threaten Yedioth, which was declared a monopoly in the newspaper industry in 1995.

However, the global revolution in commuter newspapers has forced Yedioth to ponder a massive entry into this niche market in Israel.

Yedioth did not comment for this report.