Fourth mobile operator launches operations
TIRANA, Dec. 1 – Fourth mobile operator Plus Communication, the only 100 percent Albanian-owned consortium on the telecommunications market, announced last weekend the launch of its operations inaugurating its modern technology center. Speaking at a ceremony held on November 27, one day before Albania celebrated its 98th independence anniversary, Petraq Shomo, the chairman of Plus board of directors, said a totally Albanian-owned company meant more investments, more jobs and re-investment of capital in Albania.
The fourth mobile operator PLUS (Mobile 4 AL Sha), a consortium led by Kosovo Post-Telecom company (PTK), was founded in June 2009 and awarded the fourth GSM licence in an international tender in January 2009 for 7.2 million euros. The company was supposed to enter the Albanian market on July 8 but its launch was delayed because of interconnection disputes with the existing operators.
The company’s shareholders says they have currently invested 63 million euros, of which 35 million euros under a recent syndicated loan from four local banks led by Raiffeisen Bank Group. Investments by the end of 2011 are expected to increase to 100 million euros.
The company, whose network code is 067, says it is promoting its businesses and individual packages and working to extend its current mobile phone signal. The company had previously announced that it would launch its operations in several phases starting with the Tirane-Durres-Rinas Airport area and later expanding in main cities.
Moni Buchnik, the Plus Communication executive director, said the top priority of the newly launched operator was offering higher quality at lower prices, increasing competition and winning the Albanian consumers’ confidence.
Currently, four Plus Communication shops have opened in downtown Tirana promoting their services and products. Plus has also been selected as the general sponsor of the Albanian national football team for the Euro 2012 qualifiers.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha and other senior government officials participated in the Plus launch ceremony, describing the new operator as one of the most important investments made by Kosovo and Albanian companies.
The fourth operator will compete against the Albanian Mobile Communication (AMC), Vodafone Albania and Eagle Mobile.
A recently released report by the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) showed the number of mobile phone subscribers at the end of July 2010 reached 4.4 million, up 5.5 percent compared to the end of 2009 and 25 percent year-on-year.
Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) data show post-telecommunications, one of the country’s most vital sectors in previous year, continues suffering, registering negative growth rates during the first half of this year and reflecting the consequences of the global economic crisis.
INSTAT year-on-year data show the post-telecommunications market shrank by 2.6 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2010, but grew by 0.2 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010.
The telecommunications market also suffered in the first quarter of this year dropping by 9 percent compared to the previous quarter, and slightly growing by 1 percent on the year.
Data show Albania’s mobile penetration rate climbed to 136 percent at the end of July 2010, which is 14 percent higher than the 2009 EU average. The situation is mainly a result of the successful launch of Eagle Mobile, Albania’s third mobile operator owned by Turkey’s Calik Group.
