With over 5 million clients, TMN assess makes a very positive assessment of the first year of commercial exploration of the 3G network and its experience affords quite favourable indications as to the national development of this new technology.
Based on the analysis of client usage, which have migrated from the GSM/GPRS network to the UMTS network, TMN now adopts a pro-active strategy to encourage transition to third generation services and does not simply expect that said migration be carried out in the normal equipment replacement cycle. On the other hand, the progressive convergence of 3G terminal prices with GSM/GPRS mobile phones indicates that client adhesion to the new technology will be stronger. Within this frame, TMN has defined as strategic objective to conquer one million clients for its 3G network until the end of 2006.
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Miguel Horta e Costa, Executive Chairman of the PT Group, underlined that “TMN is today a very well regarded mobile operator by the Portuguese. It is a company with young spirit that wants to innovate and innovate in Portuguese”. Miguel Horta e Costa added that“to speak on mobile phones fifteen years ago was an exceptional act. Today it is a part of our daily routine. 3G is a service of the future and complete in services”. To massify, democratize and improve the 3G a good investment dynamics is deemed necessary, “TMN, just like the PT Group, wants client satisfaction and all investment put into innovation has the client as its main focus”, said the Executive Chairman of the PT Group.
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Iriarte Esteves, Executive Chairman of TMN, highlighted the maturity of the mobile market in Portugal, “the new window to the market is in the change of technology, beginning now a new expansion cycle with the 3G”. As pertains to 3G penetration in Portugal, Iriarte Esteves stated that “after a one-year experience of 3G in TMN, we can only be happy for being closer to the information society just like the whole PT Group”.
TMN already offers a set of very innovative 3G services, enhancing the Videomail and the 12400 Video, unique in Portugal, and the exclusive contents of the i9 3G portal, such as “Star Wars”. For companies, TMN develops highly differentiating services and products, such as OutMail or the GlobeTrotter Fusion board (compatible with the 2,5 G, 3G and Wi-Fi networks).
TMN now announces the introduction of yet another exclusive service: Video Sharing. Based on the concept “see what I see”, the new service allows clients to share multimedia contents during a voice call. Video Sharing is available on the Nokia 6680 terminal, also exclusively launched by TMN.
TMN Objectives:
- 3G Clients: 1 million by the end of 2006;
- Total client growth: 200 to 250 thousand in 2005;
- Increase of Capex: 200 to 220 M€ in 2005 due to 3G coverage acceleration;
- Increase in operational costs in 2005 resulting from:
- Commercial effort: 40 to 60 M€;
- Costs pertaining to network expansion: 15 to 20 M€
- Impact of interconnection price reduction: around 80 M€ in profit and around 50 M€ in EBITDA;
- Evolution in profit in 2005: 0% to -5% (v.s. 2004);
- Evolution in EBITDA: –5% to – 10% in 2005 (v.s. 2004)