Mobile operators trade charges on pricing
Competitors in the communications and entertainment market should upgrade their products and pricing now rather than wait until they offer new services, Vodafone Malta chief executive officer Inaki Berroeta has told The Times Business. Referring to...
Competitors in the communications and entertainment market should upgrade their products and pricing now rather than wait until they offer new services, Vodafone Malta chief executive officer Inaki Berroeta has told The Times Business.
Referring to comments made by Melita chief operations officer Stephen Wright that the new mobile operator will offer "cheaper, simpler, better" service from February, Mr Inaki said: "From their position, they can make a difference on the products that they already offer. Vodafone's pricing in some areas like text messaging and broadband, is already cheaper. Melita's broadband is among the most expensive in Europe and their TV packages offer a small selection in terms of content. Why does not Melita modify its prices now instead of February?"
In an interview with The Sunday Times on November 30, Mr Wright said mobile users in Malta were paying among the highest rates in Europe and some even felt they were being "cheated". Mr Wright said the TV, internet and telephony group will be able to offer discounts and integrated promotions across all four services when it launched its mobile arm.
Mr Berroeta says it was unfair for Melita to say customers have been mistreated by the current operators.
"We expect new entrants such as Melita not to wait any longer and to start to practice what they preach by offering real value for money in broadband and TV packages," Mr Berroeta said.
"When compared to European standards, Malta fairs poorly in terms of costs and quality on TV and broadband packages, so they have a lot to catch up on even before they launch mobile. They charge customers for upgrades they carry out on their technology, whereas we are constantly investing in technology optimisation and these do not reflect in our customers' bill."
Mr Berroeta added that Vodafone, which is backed by a group present in 26 countries and the knowledge pool of an army of 60,000 employees worldwide, has offered a round-the-clock call centre for several years and Melita introduced its 24x7 customer care service just recently.
"Without undermining the challenges ahead, Vodafone believes that competition is healthy because it draws the focus on the customer, our most important asset," Mr Berroeta says.
"In this context, Vodafone plans to remain the leader in mobile services while making other communication services such as internet, available for everyone."
Referring to comments made by Melita chief operations officer Stephen Wright that the new mobile operator will offer "cheaper, simpler, better" service from February, Mr Inaki said: "From their position, they can make a difference on the products that they already offer. Vodafone's pricing in some areas like text messaging and broadband, is already cheaper. Melita's broadband is among the most expensive in Europe and their TV packages offer a small selection in terms of content. Why does not Melita modify its prices now instead of February?"
In an interview with The Sunday Times on November 30, Mr Wright said mobile users in Malta were paying among the highest rates in Europe and some even felt they were being "cheated". Mr Wright said the TV, internet and telephony group will be able to offer discounts and integrated promotions across all four services when it launched its mobile arm.
Mr Berroeta says it was unfair for Melita to say customers have been mistreated by the current operators.
"We expect new entrants such as Melita not to wait any longer and to start to practice what they preach by offering real value for money in broadband and TV packages," Mr Berroeta said.
"When compared to European standards, Malta fairs poorly in terms of costs and quality on TV and broadband packages, so they have a lot to catch up on even before they launch mobile. They charge customers for upgrades they carry out on their technology, whereas we are constantly investing in technology optimisation and these do not reflect in our customers' bill."
Mr Berroeta added that Vodafone, which is backed by a group present in 26 countries and the knowledge pool of an army of 60,000 employees worldwide, has offered a round-the-clock call centre for several years and Melita introduced its 24x7 customer care service just recently.
"Without undermining the challenges ahead, Vodafone believes that competition is healthy because it draws the focus on the customer, our most important asset," Mr Berroeta says.
"In this context, Vodafone plans to remain the leader in mobile services while making other communication services such as internet, available for everyone."