Melita breaks with history and goes mobile
When Melita launches its mobile service on Sunday, it will complete its transformation, in a span of a few years, from a cable TV operator to a quad player in telecommunications, providing TV, internet, fixed and mobile telephony. Melita's latest...
When Melita launches its mobile service on Sunday, it will complete its transformation, in a span of a few years, from a cable TV operator to a quad player in telecommunications, providing TV, internet, fixed and mobile telephony.
Melita's latest offering, the mobile service, will be the third national mobile network operator in Malta, and added to two smaller mobile virtual network operators, it will be a fifth choice for the small and maturing Maltese mobile market.
"Our research shows that mobile users are fed up of paying expensive monthly phone bills. So our advice is - keep your options open," insists Stephen Wright, chief operations officer at Melita, in an interview with i-Tech. "We are in this for the long-term and our promise to be cheaper is a long-term commitment, not just a launch offer. The price shake will rock the market. We believe that Melita Mobile is this right choice people have been waiting for. The wait is now over."
Indeed Melita's marketing campaign is based on the promise that it will offer a cheaper, simpler and better service than the other providers.
"The long-standing duopoly between Vodafone and Go has been charging expensive and confusing rates. Most people don't know the rate per minute they pay for their mobile calls because price structures are complex. Even if I wanted to find out my call rate, existing mobile tariffs remain a labyrinth. Melita Mobile is the cheaper alternative people are looking forward to. We will pass on considerable savings to all our mobile customers. Over and above, they also save more money for using all our four services."
But how is Melita going to deliver this? In the past months Melita recruited 100 new employees and was busy installing its €40m 3G mobile network across the Maltese Islands. The solution, provided by Ericsson, is the first in the world to integrate high-speed HSPA (high-speed packet access) mobile broadband into an existing cable-TV network, adding mobile broadband to its TV, internet and fixed telephony offerings. This news even made it on CNN Money and international news networks.
"Melita will be operating a fully-fledged 3G nationwide network from the first day of commercial launch. This network will include nationwide access to HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) services. This type of network, unlike those used by other operators, eliminates the need for other forms of coverage since 3G and HSDPAs will be available across all Malta and Gozo," reassures Mr Wright.
Installing the network was not an easy task in any case.
"Technically and logistically, this is a complex process but we are very satisfied with the progress registered and we are in a position to offer full nationwide coverage from our first day of operation. The installation of base stations was not the major hurdle. Moreover, our team of local and international experts ensured that the acquisition and installation of sites is carried out in the most efficient way possible. We encountered, as expected, many more barriers where we required support from our competitors. To this effect, concepts such as those of sharing of radio resources where turned down," revealed Melita's chief operations officer.
Melita will make available a wide range of 3G mobile handsets with particularly advantageous offers for those taking up the new services. Full and widespread roaming facilities will also be available immediately, as the company has secured roaming agreements with almost 600 operators worldwide. Melita will also adhere to international regulations abiding by European tariffs.
Existing mobile users can already book their preferred mobile number on Melita Mobile, starting with the prefix 77, by visiting www.melita.com. Users can also switch to Melita Mobile and keep their existing mobile number. Both services are free of charge.
Mobile commerce still seems to be a distant reality, as the company does not feel there's sufficient demand for it at the moment. However it does not exclude any future developments in this regard.
Asked about further exploitation of the new mobile network, by reaching agreements for the launch of mobile virtual network operators on its network, Mr Wright said: "At this stage there are no ongoing discussions but we do not discard any opportunity to maximise the return on our investment".
Given its strong presence in the TV sector, Melita will also leverage on such an asset, Mr Wright adds.
"Convergence in technology is definitely the latest trend. We will be in a position to push content onto our mobile platform and for this, Melita is uniquely positioned as we already own exclusive rights for the best available content, such as Champions Leagues, UEFA Cup and others. Melita is partnering up with some of the best international content providers and will be rolling out a full array of content-related services."
Melita's service will be available from seven customer retail outlets, two newly opened, which offer full mobile-related services in addition to television, internet and telephony services. Services will also be sold from over 1,200 shops around the country and from Maltapost branches.
With the countdown ticking away, Melita's chief operations offer has a very clear vision of what Melita will be and will offer.
"Melita is the first and only fully integrated quad play operator in the Maltese Islands offering customers the possibility to receive a single bill for all four home entertainment and communications services, in a simple and convenient method. Other operators offer this facility as a package deal or limited time offer only tied to a number of conditions. We will continue to apply discounts and cross-incentives for customers subscribed to more than one of our services.
"We are confident that if people are given a choice, they would definitely switch to a reliable provider offering cheaper, more transparent prices and better mobile services. This is the first time in Malta's history that mobile users will receive the true benefits of the liberalisation in the telecommunications market," concluded Mr Wright.
Melita's latest offering, the mobile service, will be the third national mobile network operator in Malta, and added to two smaller mobile virtual network operators, it will be a fifth choice for the small and maturing Maltese mobile market.
"Our research shows that mobile users are fed up of paying expensive monthly phone bills. So our advice is - keep your options open," insists Stephen Wright, chief operations officer at Melita, in an interview with i-Tech. "We are in this for the long-term and our promise to be cheaper is a long-term commitment, not just a launch offer. The price shake will rock the market. We believe that Melita Mobile is this right choice people have been waiting for. The wait is now over."
Indeed Melita's marketing campaign is based on the promise that it will offer a cheaper, simpler and better service than the other providers.
"The long-standing duopoly between Vodafone and Go has been charging expensive and confusing rates. Most people don't know the rate per minute they pay for their mobile calls because price structures are complex. Even if I wanted to find out my call rate, existing mobile tariffs remain a labyrinth. Melita Mobile is the cheaper alternative people are looking forward to. We will pass on considerable savings to all our mobile customers. Over and above, they also save more money for using all our four services."
But how is Melita going to deliver this? In the past months Melita recruited 100 new employees and was busy installing its €40m 3G mobile network across the Maltese Islands. The solution, provided by Ericsson, is the first in the world to integrate high-speed HSPA (high-speed packet access) mobile broadband into an existing cable-TV network, adding mobile broadband to its TV, internet and fixed telephony offerings. This news even made it on CNN Money and international news networks.
"Melita will be operating a fully-fledged 3G nationwide network from the first day of commercial launch. This network will include nationwide access to HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) services. This type of network, unlike those used by other operators, eliminates the need for other forms of coverage since 3G and HSDPAs will be available across all Malta and Gozo," reassures Mr Wright.
Installing the network was not an easy task in any case.
"Technically and logistically, this is a complex process but we are very satisfied with the progress registered and we are in a position to offer full nationwide coverage from our first day of operation. The installation of base stations was not the major hurdle. Moreover, our team of local and international experts ensured that the acquisition and installation of sites is carried out in the most efficient way possible. We encountered, as expected, many more barriers where we required support from our competitors. To this effect, concepts such as those of sharing of radio resources where turned down," revealed Melita's chief operations officer.
Melita will make available a wide range of 3G mobile handsets with particularly advantageous offers for those taking up the new services. Full and widespread roaming facilities will also be available immediately, as the company has secured roaming agreements with almost 600 operators worldwide. Melita will also adhere to international regulations abiding by European tariffs.
Existing mobile users can already book their preferred mobile number on Melita Mobile, starting with the prefix 77, by visiting www.melita.com. Users can also switch to Melita Mobile and keep their existing mobile number. Both services are free of charge.
Mobile commerce still seems to be a distant reality, as the company does not feel there's sufficient demand for it at the moment. However it does not exclude any future developments in this regard.
Asked about further exploitation of the new mobile network, by reaching agreements for the launch of mobile virtual network operators on its network, Mr Wright said: "At this stage there are no ongoing discussions but we do not discard any opportunity to maximise the return on our investment".
Given its strong presence in the TV sector, Melita will also leverage on such an asset, Mr Wright adds.
"Convergence in technology is definitely the latest trend. We will be in a position to push content onto our mobile platform and for this, Melita is uniquely positioned as we already own exclusive rights for the best available content, such as Champions Leagues, UEFA Cup and others. Melita is partnering up with some of the best international content providers and will be rolling out a full array of content-related services."
Melita's service will be available from seven customer retail outlets, two newly opened, which offer full mobile-related services in addition to television, internet and telephony services. Services will also be sold from over 1,200 shops around the country and from Maltapost branches.
With the countdown ticking away, Melita's chief operations offer has a very clear vision of what Melita will be and will offer.
"Melita is the first and only fully integrated quad play operator in the Maltese Islands offering customers the possibility to receive a single bill for all four home entertainment and communications services, in a simple and convenient method. Other operators offer this facility as a package deal or limited time offer only tied to a number of conditions. We will continue to apply discounts and cross-incentives for customers subscribed to more than one of our services.
"We are confident that if people are given a choice, they would definitely switch to a reliable provider offering cheaper, more transparent prices and better mobile services. This is the first time in Malta's history that mobile users will receive the true benefits of the liberalisation in the telecommunications market," concluded Mr Wright.