Orange eyes network sharing in more C&E European markets
France Telecom-Orange’s CEO Stephane Richard has stated that the group may seek to find infrastructure sharing agreements in Austria, Romania and Slovakia, as it has recently done in Poland.
As previously reported France Telecom-Orange is hunting for acquisitions in the Middle East and Africa as part of its objective of doubling emerging market revenues by 2015.
Richard stated that when asked whether the company would follow its plan to form a joint venture with Deutsche Telekom in equipment procurement with an overall merger, it was out of the question.
Orange Romania seeks further growth for expanding network
Orange Romania’s billboard ads placed in a number of towns states that Romania this year has invested in expanding its network to cover a number of localities, including small ones.
Such an ad, installed in Campulung Muscel, Arges County, states that Orange has extended its coverage in the Arges county by 375 square kilometres in localities such as Barla, Cosesti, Dragoslavele, Pietroseni and Topoloveni in Arges County.
According to Orange’s ad, at present, Orange Romania covers 99.04% of the Arges County’s population. As per Orange Romania CTO Madalina Suceveanu, the operator’s network has been strongly developed in 2010 and that this process will continue in 2011.
Cosmote Romania introduces postpaid, prepaid promotions
Cosmote Romania has introduced promotions aimed at new subscribers as well as existing and new prepaid customers.
As per the postpaid promotional terms, newcomers who sign a two-year subscription for ‘Perfect pentru Tine’ between 15 April and 15 June get a discount of 20% on their monthly invoice. The promotion is available for any contract worth at least US$10.03 per month (Vat excluded).
The 20% discount will be applicable to all invoices issued until 31 December to all services, except for roaming traffic, traffic to special numbers and other discounts, adjustments and cancellation/deactivation taxes. Between 15 April and 15 June, on top of the US$1.44 bonus offered at Cartela Bonus 48 Energy for the first minimum US$5.7 recharge within a month, Cosmote offers a 20% discount at any activation and reactivation of the extra-options included in the promotional offer.
Moreover, all new and existing users of the Frog prepay offer receive a 20% discount at any activation and reactivation of the Frog Promo extra-option performed between 21 April and 21 June. To promote this offer, Cosmote Romania launched a full mix advertising campaign.
Vodafone Romania offers online assistance
Vodafone Romania is offering online assistance to its customers via its website.
To demand help concerning a specific service, customers are invited to fill-in a form which is available on the Vodafone Romania website. Requests are being answered in up to 48 hours.
Vodafone Romania launches ‘Vodafone pentru Tineri’ promotion
Vodafone Romania has started a promotion called ‘Vodafone pentru Tineri (Vodafone for Youth)’ programme.
Customers who join this programme will get access to the ‘Tonuri (Tones)’ call-waiting tones service at no extra cost for one month as well as receive one tone of those available at no cost.
‘Vodafone pentru Tineri’ is designed for both postpaid as well as prepaid customers with ages between 18 and 26.
Romania’s smartphone sales to increase to 600,000 units
Representatives of South-Korean Company Samsung has stated that Romania’s smartphones sales are expected to grow to 600,000 units in 2011 from 400,000 in the previous year.
The local smartphone market is expected to grow as the latest smartphone models are being brought to the country as well as owing to the strong advertising for mobile internet.
According to Samsung’s Romanian telecom division manager Sorin Manea, Samsung sold over 50,000 Galaxy S units from July 2010 until the present. In Romania, Samsung’s Galaxy S costs approximately US$593.52 without contract and from US$148.38 along with a mobile internet subscription.
The number of mobile phones sold last year in Romania fell by around 20% owing to the economic crisis that hit the country to 3.3-3.5 million units.
Vodafone Romania offers LG Optimus 2X
Vodafone Romania has expanded its product portfolio with the addition of LG Optimus 2X.
The handset runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and is available at a starting price of US$289 (VAT included) along with two-year contracts for a smartphone package ‘Complet’ and an add-on ‘Internet pe Mobil.’
The smartphone features a dual core processor, 4-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, 8 GB of internal storage and 512 MB RAM, microSD slot for up to 32 GB, 8-Megapixel camera and support for HSPA+.
Vodafone Malta offers postpaid roaming add-on
Vodafone Malta is offering a new postpaid data roaming add-on available at a price of US$4.32 a day.
With this offer, users will receive 30MB on their smartphone or internet key for use on Vodafone networks in Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and the UK as well as while roaming in Austria on Mobilkom, Belgium on Belgacom, France on SFR and Switzerland on Swisscom.
Over-the-limit traffic is US$2.52 per MB on all Vodafone preferred networks. The add-on is available to those subscribed to a Smartphone plan or Liberty plan.
Intel to triple employees this year (Romania)
Intel Romania Software Development Center has reached 30 employees and the company is planning to triple this number by the end of the year.
Opened at the end of 2010 in the capital Bucharest, the software development centre was created using a multi-million Euro investment from the Intel Software and Services Group.
Intel Romania Software Development Center focuses on software products needed to create the best possible user experiences on a variety of Intel architecture based smart devices, including smart phones and other common devices such as smart TVs or in-vehicle infotainment systems.
Initially, the centre conducts R&D for the MeeGo unified Linux-based platform resulted from the merger of Intel and Nokia’s Moblin and Maemo software platforms. According to PR manager for Central and Eastern Europe at Intel Manuela Oprisan, Nokia Microsoft partnership does not affect the company’s development plans in Romania.
Orange and Vodafone outsource uncollected debts (Romania)
Orange and Vodafone have reportedly sold out unpaid invoices from approximately 100,000 clients to debt collectors.
On 25th March, Orange Romania sold unpaid bills from 57,619 residential and business customers to EOS KSI Romania. At the same time, Vodafone Romania sold on 1st April uncollected bills from 46,299 customers to Glasro Holdings, a Cyprus-based company with which has previously collaborated.
According to analysts, it is expected the two operators will recover between 5th and 10th percent of the value of their sold unpaid bills.
