Heralded almost one year ago and eagerly awaited mainly during the past few weeks, due to the advertising campaigns that invaded the media, the launch of Telemobil's new service, Zapp Mobile powered by CDMA (code division multiple access) 2000, took place at the end of last week.
The new service of digital mobile communication on the 450 MHz frequency provided by Telemobil is the first such service in the world, as outlined by company president Diwaker Singh.
The company has invested 150 million dollars in this project so far, which propelled Telemobil on the first place in the top of American investments in Romania, according to the US Ambassador to Bucharest Michael Guest.
Telemobil aims to invest more than 350 million dollars by 2003.
"We now cover 42% of the population," Singh told Ziarul Financiar. "We target 70% by March-April next year, only to reach 95% coverage by the beginning of 2003."
According to Telemobil president, the service already has 10,000 customers, employees of companies such as ING, Interbrands, Citibank, Interamerican.
"It is true that, at first sight, Zapp Mobile may look like a service targeting corporate clients only, but we have all kinds of offers also aimed to attract individual customers," Singh added.
The company employs approximately 400 people and holds subsidiaries in the main 30 Romanian cities.
Telemobil's pioneering activity kicked off in 1992, when the company became the first Romanian mobile telephony operator in the 450 MHz band, through Telefonica Romania.
Back then, the company was the result of a partnership between RomTelecom (20%), Radio-telecommunications (20%) and Telefonica Spain (60%).
Singh remembers the time when the name of Telemobil had lost its meaning, saying that the brand survived only due to some loyal customers. According to Singh, the company retains 14,000 of its old clients.
The Spanish partner withdrew in 1998, when the two GSM operators (Mobil Rom and MobiFon) emerged on the market. Telefonica Spain was replaced by Romanian Domestic Telephony (RDT), a holding made up of British, American and Swiss investors.
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