Connex-Vodafone spends 200m euros on 3G and new stores

The 3G network, which got the operator almost 100,000 customers in less than a year, will draw in a large part of Connex-Vodafone investments.

Connex-Vodafone mobile telephony operator has earmarked approximately 200 million euros for its investment budget for this year.

“Connex-Vodafone this year will invest a sum similar with last year”s, about 200 million euros, to expand 2G and 3G networks, as well as open new stores countrywide,” stated Liliana Solomon, the CEO of the operator. One of the most important aspects of Connex-Vodafone”s policy for this year is 3G telephony. In this sector, the company plans to come up with new offers and expand the coverage area of these services from 14 cities at present to at least 20 cities at the end of this year.

This year, Connex-Vodafone also intends to rapidly expand its retail chain, currently comprising 33 stores. According to the company”s officials, this year”s target is to double number of stores.

At the same time, the company wants to launch a new technology for the 3G-telephony sector this year: HSDPA, namely the advanced version of current 3G services (the WCDMA technology). “We estimate we will make the transition to the upper echelon of 3G, HSDPA, a technology allowing for data transfer of up to 2Mbps,” stated Liliana Solomon, without offering any further details as to the time of the launch, the possible equipment suppliers or tariff levels.

The HSDPA technology is several times faster than the 3G technology currently offered on the market. While the theoretical speed is higher, the real transfer rate of HSDPA will stand at 1.2-1.4 Mbps, Andreas Hessler, head of strategy and business development of the 3G-telephony unit of Ericsson, Swedish supplier of infrastructure solutions, has previously told ZIARUL FINANCIAR. 3G users can currently transfer data at a maximum speed of 384kbps.

Spanish mobile telephony operator Telefonica has already prepared for the new HSDPA technology and will use Ericsson equipment to launch it onto the market.

At the same time, HSDPA compatible mobile phones have already begun to reach the market, with manufacturers including Samsung and Motorola. anca.arsene@zf.ro