Telecommunications Companies in the Race for the Best Christmas Gift

The Christmas and New Year holidays are an opportunity for additional attraction of internet users by offering a wider selection of additional services

written by Edis Felić

Quality and fast internet access, as well as the interconnection of all company locations for business users, is becoming increasingly important due to the modernization of business operations, employee communication, and increasing their efficiency, as well as raising the level of communication and data exchange. Overall business is completely moving online, which increases the demand for internet and advanced data services. The flow of information must be fast and instantaneous and available at all times to company employees or end users. Today’s business, as stated by the director of the Key Accounts Sales Department of Metronet, Martina Pavlović, is unimaginable without the internet. The internet is now an integral part of life, and Croatia is not far behind the developed world in terms of the number of users relative to the total population. Thus, the internet today becomes part of the ‘luggage’ just as the mobile phone once was.
Mobiles are offered every year before Christmas and New Year, as well as other holidays, by leading telecommunications companies in promotional sales, but the same goes for internet services. We were interested in what is currently offered in the internet market during these holiday days, that is, how to choose the most favorable packages and ways to access the internet for small, medium, and large enterprises, and how for citizens.

‘Everything for the Team’
Pavlović states that Metronet offers various types of services, from high-quality permanent internet access to very affordable shared internet access services. For citizens, so-called dual-play and triple-play packages are available, which include fast symmetrical internet access (up to 25/25 Mbps), voice services, and interactive IP television. – Since the beginning of operations in 2005, Metronet’s mission has been to become the highest quality provider of complete telecommunications and ICT solutions for business users. Perhaps the most important benefit in these times is that we enable our users to not have to give up top telecommunications solutions despite the crisis at the most affordable prices, and that with Metronet they can enhance and improve their business – claims Pavlović, adding that in addition to occasional Christmas gifts for business users, they are preparing innovations and additional services on existing services at the beginning of next year, through which new and existing users will gain rights to numerous benefits. Antonija Gulam, head of the Business User Segment at Vipnet, says they offer various solutions tailored to the most demanding private and business users. Depending on the way of doing business, daily habits, and their mobility, they offer both fixed and mobile internet.

For private and business users who frequently check email and read news several times a day or briefly access the internet, there is the Vip mobile internet 1GB tariff. In the Christmas promotion, the price of the tariff is only 49.50 kuna per month – instead of the previous 99 kuna. For users who access their email daily and surf more frequently and ‘download’ larger amounts of data, there is the Vip mobile internet 5GB tariff, which offers an optimal price ratio (99.50 kuna) and included traffic (5 GB). The Vip mobile internet 10GB and Vip mobile internet 12GB tariffs are intended for business and private users who access email daily and ‘download’ larger amounts of multimedia content from the internet. For business users who need mobile internet only for occasional email reading, the Vip mobile internet 200MB is available. The tariff for 29 kuna monthly fee includes 200MB of traffic. Recently, a new offering in Vip’s portfolio is the ‘Everything for the Team’ tariffs for business users. The tariffs are a combination of voice and data communication, meaning that within a common tariff model, users can use minutes, SMS messages, and megabytes for the same monthly fee. The holiday offer in which we offer users 50 percent lower prices lasts forever.

In addition to mobile internet, we also offer fixed internet and fixed telephony – Vip ADSL service. There are six Vip ADSL packages available, which differ in data transfer speed, data traffic, and the number of fixed lines. The packages include 2GB of traffic, but users can supplement the packages with additional traffic packages or take a ‘flat’ package. Calls to mobile VPN numbers from fixed lines are not charged. The ADSL packages include fast internet connection, five email mailboxes, and fixed telephone lines – depending on the user’s needs and the size of the company. In addition, internet, fixed, and mobile telephony are consolidated into one bill, which significantly simplifies business operations for users and makes it easier to manage a large number of monthly bills.

Investments in Next-Generation Networks
Gulam states that Vipnet has decided to ‘treat its users to numerous gifts they will be able to enjoy forever’ this holiday season as well. For users of data tariffs who sign a new or extend an existing contract for 12 or 24 months, Vip now offers a 50 percent discount on the monthly subscription that lasts forever. For fast and pleasant surfing on the Vip network, which was recently rated the best in Croatia by the German measurement company P3 Communications, users have the Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Stick available for the price of nine kuna. Also, at the end of November, Vipnet offered its business users another attractive holiday benefit – a 50 percent discount on the monthly fee for Vip ADSL packages, and that forever. Additionally, all existing and new subscribers of BlackBerry services will have a permanent 50 percent discount.

Gulam states that the modern business environment requires constant availability of business people, even when they are outside the office, while private users increasingly appreciate devices and services that allow them constant availability and communication with family and friends. Therefore, mobile internet access is increasingly sought after and used – both on laptops and on advanced mobile phones. Mobile internet is the future, so Vipnet invests in mobile internet marketing as well as in encouraging the development of mobile applications, and with the best smartphone portfolio, Vipnet will soon also offer the Apple iPhone4. Additionally, Vipnet was the first in Croatia to offer its users the attractive Samsung GALAXY Tab tablet.

– Mobile networks are increasingly focused on data transmission, so upcoming trends will require significant investments in next-generation networks that can handle much larger data transfers. In the world of telecommunications, already half of mobile traffic relates to data transmission, which will reach as much as 90 percent thanks to laptops, smartphones, and innovative tablet or ‘pad’ devices. Of course, key applications will also capture a significant portion of the market and thus change users’ perceptions of what mobile phones can serve. Raising user awareness about using smartphones has certainly been contributed to by the first competition for mobile applications in Croatia – the Vip Android Challenge, and the Vip Nokia Symbian Challenge that is currently ongoing – says Gulam.

User Growth of 60 Percent
At B.net, they say that the most favorable option for most residential (private) users who want all three services – cable television, internet, and telephone – is the 3D package (triple play). Users of the 3D package have unlimited calls to all national fixed networks (for other calls to mobile networks and abroad, the usual price list applies), and they receive access to the internet at a speed of eight Mbps (megabytes per second) with unlimited internet traffic (thus, traffic is not charged per GB). B.net is the only telecommunications operator that offers a speed of eight Mbps in the triple play package and they are convinced that they provide citizens with the most favorable overall solution for their entertainment and telecommunications needs in their apartments, as they also highlight an attractive offer of television programs (more than 160, starting from basic to thematic packages).

The offer for companies depends on their needs, so they individually discuss and tailor the service offer from case to case with their business users. Business users today generally seek redundant fast internet links; multiple links are important for business continuity, greater availability, and capacity. Small companies are generally satisfied with their 2D packages that include internet and fixed telephony, while large companies often seek additional services such as IP Centrex solutions for telephone exchanges, hosting in their data centers, connecting multiple company locations, and other data services. This year, they have already had a series of special try&buy offers in all cities where they are present. During three months, users could try their services and decide if they suit them, and service cancellation was possible without any further costs during the trial period. Users who choose their services currently receive them under favorable conditions and with minimal installation costs – with a contract signed for 18 or 24 months – and at the prices of 2D and 3D packages, they claim to be the most favorable on the market.

Recently, they have achieved significant growth in the number of broadband internet users, surpassing the number of 50,000 broadband connection users. When looking at growth compared to the same period last year, the figure is even more significant as it shows a growth of more than 60 percent. Several factors contributed to this – there are more and more services on the internet that require a broadband connection, but even more importantly, it has become truly accessible. B.net has several times increased the connection speeds for users of 2D and 3D packages for free without any modification of the package prices, and the current eight Mbps they offer within the 2D and 3D packages are unique, they say, on the market and represent the highest speed available in this way. Therefore, this company expects that the growth in the number of internet users at B.net will continue next year.

And T-HT with Discounts
Depending on the preferred method of communication or specific user needs (voice service, SMS, internet access), T-HT service users have numerous tariffs and options available – each with its own specifics and benefits. The selection of the most favorable offer for each individual user will therefore depend precisely on their unique needs. T-HT has established itself as a reliable partner that is the only one on the market offering complete solutions for business users through the diversity and quality of its products and services, they say in this company. The services in HT’s portfolio are in line with global trends and are designed according to the ‘turnkey’ model. Users have a wide range of services available, and by choosing solutions for fixed and mobile telephony and internet, along with the best mobile devices on the market that HT offers, users save money and time.

With the Christmas offer, users who choose the Tariff for All, Family Tariff, or iTariff by January 31, 2011, will have their bill reduced every other month by the amount of the bill paid in the previous month. Depending on the chosen tariff, the user can use this benefit for six, eight, or even 12 months, with the signing of a mandatory subscription contract for 24 months. Benefits are also expected for Simpa users – by purchasing a Simpa package from the Christmas offer, T-Mobile will give users the amount spent on calls, messages, or surfing in the previous month every other month for a period of six months. This Christmas, users can also expect attractive mobile devices at favorable prices.

Until December 31 of this year, T-HT business users can achieve up to 50 percent discount on telecommunications services for the next 12 months. With this unique Christmas offer, they say at HT, they enable their users a full spectrum of services necessary for quality and efficient business operations, bringing significant savings in the process. The discount applies to as many as seven services from HT’s offer: MAXadsl, Mobile Internet, Office Fax, Office eMail, Flex Team, and BlackBerry Instant e-Mail. Additionally, during the same period, it is possible, within the IT equipment service, to rent IT equipment at 50 percent lower prices. Users who decide to take advantage of HT’s Christmas offer will use MAXtv and MAXadsl services at 50 percent lower prices. When it comes to MAXtv, it is possible to choose one of two Christmas offers. The first Christmas offer, with the signing of a contract for 24 months for MAXtv service and one of the additional MAXtv packages, brings a benefit for MAXtv users of a 50 percent discount on the monthly fee for the first 12 months for the Basic or Basic Extra package, and a 50 percent discount on the monthly fee for the HBO&Cinemax&On Demand package, Sports package, and/or Sports Plus package, depending on which additional package the user chooses. At the same time, the user can use one of the sports packages with the benefits of the HBO&Cinemax&HBO on Demand packages.

Growth in the Use of Fixed and Mobile Internet
The second offer, with the signing of a contract for 24 months for MAXtv service, brings users a 50 percent lower monthly fee for the Basic package or Basic Extra package during the first six months of use, and the other benefits of this offer include using the Snimalica 10 service for one month at no additional charge and one-month use of the HBO&Cinemax&On Demand or Sports Plus package, also at no additional charge.
All MAXtv users can watch the Arenasport1 and Arenasport2 channels at no additional charge until the end of this year. Users who choose MAXadsl and sign a contract will receive a 50 percent discount on the monthly fee for 12 months.

Modern business, as well as lifestyle, increasingly require mobility and the ability to access the internet at any moment. Mobile devices and laptops connected to the internet via mobile networks have become almost an integral part of everyday life. Mobile internet is an ideal complement to fixed broadband as it allows presence at the workplace with all the applications necessary for daily tasks even on the go. With the increasing use of various applications and solutions, T-HT expects an increase in the use of fixed, and thus mobile internet for private and business purposes.