Malin Holmberg: As a challenger, it is important for us to support social entrepreneurship

Tele2 has three main priorities in 2016: launching an advanced 4G network, improving the overall customer experience, and a stronger focus on the business segment.

The year 2015 and the beginning of 2016 are periods of significant investment for Tele2. By mid-December 2015, our 3G network will be fully upgraded to the most modern 3G network in Croatia. The new Tele2 network will cover 99 percent of the population with voice service and 97 percent of the population with 3G data service, as well as 98 percent of highways with 3G data service. This significant network upgrade in the last nine months has been achieved, I dare say, at a record speed. Due to our challenger mentality and highly professional and dedicated employees, we have achieved this in truly record time. Our next step will be to launch the 4G network in the first quarter of 2016. With this network, our quality, speed, and coverage will be such that even the most demanding clients and companies will be satisfied.

Focus on Customer Experience

In 2016, we will continue to focus on the customer experience, that is, on everything the user goes through with us, from product research to purchase, initiation of use, and customer inquiries. We have significantly improved customer support and now provide a high-quality level of service. We will now focus on the overall experience, which is an area where telecommunications lag behind as an industry.

Tele2 must improve in this area and provide customers with a different experience compared to the industry. To achieve this, we must know the entire journey the user goes through with us. So far, one-third of our employees have studied the business from the customer’s perspective to find out when the user is satisfied in the process and when they have questions. There are many areas in which we will invest time and money in 2016 to continuously bring improvements to our users.

Next year, we will focus on an increasing base of business users. More and more small and medium-sized companies are realizing how much money they can save by collaborating with us and how flexible we are as a small company similar to them.

We will continue to work in partnership with these business users to provide them with what they need in the core area of telecommunications such as mobile voice services, data services, international packages, and roaming packages, but we will also expand our M2M (machine-to-machine) offering by providing services to partners in various verticals. Our M2M offering is leading on a global level with clients in over fifty countries. The first users of Tele2’s M2M service in Croatia are the companies Solvis and Pet Finder, which use our services for remote management of solar panels and monitoring operations. We will also introduce many other solutions within M2M services to provide additional support to our business users. To respond to their demands, we have engaged many experts who will provide support to key customers and sales activities.

The Best People in the World Work Here

There are three main reasons for our success this year. First, the best people in the world work at Tele2. It is incredible how dedicated and committed our employees are to their work. The culture of our company is unique: we are focused on quick action, open communication, positive impact on others, and rapid adaptation to change.

This is reflected in our customers, who know that we are open, flexible, and act quickly. Our culture, incredible employees, and focused strategy have enabled us to be successful. Second, we have a clear goal we strive for, and everyone works towards that common goal of reaching one million users. Third, we have a clear strategic direction on how to achieve this, and we all work together systematically towards the agreed strategic objectives.

As a Swedish company represented in ten markets around the world, it is important for us to pay attention to the local market in which we operate, which is why we launched the social entrepreneurship program ‘Reach for Change – be the change’ this year with our Swedish sister company.

This program includes financial resources and additional consulting for three selected entrepreneurial ideas that help children in Croatia. Tele2 is not only investing 540,000 kuna in three selected projects but, more importantly, our employees provide mentorship and training to increase their chances of success. Social entrepreneurship is an excellent way for us as a challenger to innovatively direct our social responsibility. It is a true privilege to support those who are the future of Croatia, and that is its children.

After several years of recession, the economic situation is improving. It is not yet a radical improvement, but optimism is returning to the market. After the recent parliamentary elections, I hope that the Government of the Republic of Croatia will be formed quickly to ensure a stable regulatory environment. This is the foundation for further investments in the economy, especially in the telecommunications sector, which is a driver of future development. This is the path that Croatia should take and strive for.