M-Tel* has launched ‘M-Tel Free Surf’ a prepaid 3G tariff available to ‘Prima’ customers (prepaid). The tariffs which can be ordered via SMS – text to read 250 MB” or “25 MB - are as follows:
Tariff Cost per Included Cost per Validity
month extra Mbyte
M-Tel Free Surf 25 9.90 25 MB 2.56 30 days
M-Tel Free Surf 250 24.50 250 MB 2.56 30 days
Prices are in BGN and include tax at 20 per cent, BGN 9.90 = Euro 5.08
Connections are billed in increments of 20 kbytes
Pay-as-you-go for prepaid subscribers accessing the Internet is BGN 2.56 per 1 Mbyte, tariffed in increments of 100 kbytes, however billed in increments of 20 kbytes. Postpaid subscribers benefit from a lower rate of BGN 0.61 after 10 use of 10 MB.
By launching ‘M-Tel Free Surf’, M-Tel is attempting to increase usage of its mobile Internet service to a larger customer base. This is because by allowing customers to purchase prepaid 3G, they have more flexibility and are not tied to a commitment. For reference, the following per Mbyte rates apply as per the inclusive amount.
Tariff Per Mbyte Factor
outside bundle Outside versus inside bundle
M-Tel Free Surf 25 0.396 6.5
M-Tel Free Surf 250 0.098 26.1
Prices are in BGN and include tax at 20 per cent.
Postpaid subscribers have the option to sign up to three bundles namely 250 kb, 1.5 GB and 5 GB.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
- August 30th, 2007
- 2:41 pm
The Bulgarian telecoms market grew 10 percent in 2006 to a value of EUR 1.55 billion, according to the annual report of the national communications commission. Mobile communications accounted for 59.3 percent of the market or EUR 920.5 million in services revenues, reports Sofia News Agency. The total mobile subscriber base grew by 32 percent to 8.25 million, equal to 107 percent of the population. M-Tel, owned by Telekom Austria, remained the dominant mobile operator despite seeing its share drop to 51.7 percent of all users and 59.7 percent of revenues. Rivals Globul and Vivatel had revenue shares of 36 percent and 4 percent respectively. Fixed-line penetration was down at 70 percent of households and 31 percent of the population. Fixed revenues fell 8 percent to EUR 399 million. BTC had 97 percent of the fixed-line market. Telecom investment reached EUR 415 million last year, down 14 percent from 2005. However, the regulator estimates investments will increase this year to around EURR 470 million.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
- August 22nd, 2007
- 3:19 pm
Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp), the 75% owner of incumbent fixed line operator NITEL, says that it has restored mobile services over 70% of its network following widespread outages. Cellular subsidiary M-Tel hopes to have the remaining sections of its network back in action soon. The Daily Trust in Abuja quotes Transcorp Group’s managing director Tom Iseghohi who says that M-Tel’s GSM network now has capacity for 1.4 million users, and it expects to boost this to over ten million by 2010. It has been struggling to attract customers, however, with strong competition from larger rivals MTN, Globacom and Celtel, and had only around 53,000 subscribers at the end of March.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Transnational Corporation (Transcorp), majority owner of beleagured incumbent Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL), has mapped out strategies to ‘unbundle’ the company to other investors. Under the arrangements, which were mooted at a board meeting held in Abuja last week, NITEL’s exchanges will be handed to smaller companies to manage, while the network will be shared with vendors. One source told the News Agency of Nigeria that the company had already started discussions with private telephone operators. NITEL has been having problems managing its ailing PSTN and has not been able to generate enough money to ensure its revival. The source said the company had decided to go into partnership with international telecoms vendors for the maintenance of the network. It is not known whether the SAT-3 submarine cable link will be one of the assets leased out to other operators.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Bulgaria’s largest wireless operator M-Tel, a subsidiary of Telekom Austria, has reported an 11.7% increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2007, compared to the same period of last year. M-Tel recorded sales of EUR141.8 million in the three months ended 31 March, compared to the EUR126.9 million in the same three months of last year. Its operating profit in the first quarter was EUR45.5 million, a 4,6% increase. Average monthly revenue per user fell to EUR9.9 in 1Q, from EUR10.7 in the same period of last year, due to price cuts, which were offset by an increase in voice traffic. M-Tel added 180,000 new subscribers during the period, to end the period with close to 4.45 million users, of which 1.66 million were post-paid.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Vanguardngr writes…..PRIOR to President Olusegun Obasanjo’s major coup against the state owned Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) with his 2001 liberalisation of the telecom market, Nigerians had to suffer embarrassing moments just to acquire a telephone line.
Former Communications Minister General David Mark (now a Senator of the Federal Republic) publicly stated then that telephone wasn’t meant for the poor. But the President Obasanjo’s administration’s policy shift changed all that, and now the once all powerful NITEL is a pale shadow of its past and its mobile arm, M-Tel appears now ready to stage a ‘catch up game’ with major players in the bubbling Nigerian market.
Mr. Ladi Williams, newly appointed acting Managing Director of M-Tel expressed the hope that the company has a bright future, especially against a backdrop of a recent contract it signed with four leading equipment manufacturers — Ericsson, Motorola, ZTE and Huawei— to re-engineer the ailing company back to life.
“The new initiatives for M-Tel would ensure a quick return to the path of recovery for greater competitiveness for the Nigerian mobile market,? said Williams. He projected that although current mobile subscriber base is placed at 38 million, against a population figure of over 140 million by the 2006 population census figures, the sector has a capacity for additional 30 million subscribers in the near future. “I believe that there are approximately 38 million subscribers in Nigeria and this country can take another 30 million. There is nothing wrong with M-Tel grabbing 5 –– 6 million of that number.?
NITEL was recently sold to a Nigerian conglomerate, Transcorp plc and the company announced it was ready to inject fresh N11.3 billion towards restoring the mobile company back to life. Ladi Williams, said the Board of M-Tel has endorsed a two-pronged quick-fix solution of “network restoration and network expansion? in order to fast track the current efforts to get M-Tel back on track to face market competition.
The CEO said an initial $345m (approximately N4.3billion) for the network expansion job with the four multinational, while another N7bn would be expended on the network restoration project. He hinged his optimism on the fact that all four firms are well-grounded in understanding of M-Tel’s profile and the mobile landscape in Nigeria.
Mr. Williams said the new management has embarked on an intensive restructuring of the company’s workforce and riding it of unproductive staff that are likely to compromise or slow down on-going drive to remove the lethargic civil service orientation to a more pragmatic market force driven enterprise. “As we embark on this new threshold of rebuilding our company, it is obvious that a lot must change in the tradition, culture and convention that has become the norm in our attitude and approach to work ethics,? Williams said.
“While it is certain that those who have little to contribute to M-Tel, in the new direction and spirit of enterprise that the company is headed, would be excited, the good news is that those who have sown their hearts and skills for the growth of the company have a seat to keep in the new company.?
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Telegeography writes…The two most recent entrants into Nigeria’s telecoms market have each made approaches to Transcorp about the possibility of acquiring part of former incumbent cellco M-Tel. M-Tel is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the recently privatised wireline incumbent NITEL, 75%-owned by Transcorp. UAE-based Mubadala Development Company was awarded a unified access service licence by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in January this year, while Alheri Enginerring was awarded a provisional 3G licence earlier this month having met the necessary criteria and paid a USD15 million deposit. M-Tel was originally awarded a GSM concession in 2001 and at its height at the end of 2005 enjoyed 1.2 million subscribers. However it has been hindered by inadequate capacity, and at the end of 2006 had only 200,000 subscribers, many of which were believed to be inactive.
Wireless Mobile Telecom
- February 9th, 2007
- 3:25 pm
Telegeography writes…M-Tel, the mobile subsidiary of Nigeria’s recently privatised incumbent telco NITEL, is reported by AllAfrica.com to have haemorrhaged around a million customers during 2006, from 1.2 million active subscribers at the end of 2005 to only 200,000 at the end of 2006. A severe shortage of money, leading to non-payment of its staff and the lack of maintenance on its network, is thought to be responsible for the fall in patronage. NITEL was privatised at the fourth attempt in November 2006 when 75% of the ailing telco was purchased by the Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) for USD750 million, amid promises of big investment, which have apparently yet to materialise.
Wireless Mobile Telecom
Prepaid Mobile Broadband from M-Tel Bulgaria
