Q-Telecom
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Q-Telecom (mobile network code: 202-09) is the fourth mobile telephony provider in Greece. It is the latest entrant into the market and started its operation in June 2002. The company provides a complete telecom solution and has developed a GSM, LMDS and a backbone network in Greece. It calls itself the first and only complete and integrated telecom provider in Greece. It is popular among younger people, and the company is known for its funny low-cost television and radio advertisements.
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[edit] Company profile
Q-Telecom, initially a division of Info-Quest, is the first private integrated Greek operator which aims to provide combined services of mobile and fixed telephony as well as Internet service. Focusing its commercial activities in large urban centers, Q-Telecom developed a second-generation mobile telephony network with the installation of base stations as well as a broadband fixed wireless Access network, point-to-multipoint, operating at 3.5 GHz range. Simultaneously, it develops a national network with the use of leased lines and privately owned transmission systems. Also, Q-Telecom is directly inter-connected with Hellenic Telecommunication Organization, OTE, and the three other mobile operators and has a national roaming agreement with Vodafone. Since its commercial launch it has offered high quality voice transmission, high transfer rate of call switching, and pan-Hellenic coverage.
Q-Telecom provides a wide range of integrated telecommunications solutions and services for both businesses and home users. Q-Telecom is a pioneer in the Greek market by offering, from the beginning of its launch, combined services of mobile telephony with the prefix 699 (prepaid and postpaid), SMS and fixed telephony via the carrier selection code 1765. Q-Telecom differentiates itself by providing customized services, per second billing from the first second of the call, elimination of set-up fees, mobile number selection, preferential rates with Q-Family, the lowest tarrif rate for SMS from the first SMS, added value services, etc.
In the first trimester of its operation, Q-Telecom had already established more than 900 selling points all over Greece by exploiting alternative distribution channels such as ACS courier.
[edit] Acquistition by APAX Partners and Texas Pacific Group
An acquisition company, Troy Communications, owned by private equity funds advised by Texas Pacific Group and Apax Partners signed a conditional acquisition agreement on October 28, 2005 with Info-Quest S.A. for the acquisition of its telecommunication business operated under the trademark Q-Telecom.
The acquisition of the 100% stake of the company that will own the business will be for a cash consideration of €325 million and the assumption of existing indebtedness of €25 million. The acquisition agreement is conditional upon, among other things, obtaining approval from the relevant regulatory and competition authorities.
Troy Communications also owns the third largest Greek mobile phone provider TIM Hellas. According to information from APAX and TPG, they do not intend to merge the two providers. Q-Telecom will continue to operate independently under its current management team led by Mr. Constantine Prigipakis.
However, after the acquistition is finalised, it is expected that Q-Telecom will change its national roaming partner from Vodafone GR to TIM Hellas. According to the same information from APAX and TPG, TIM Hellas will integrate Q-Telecom's technical and sales departments. It is also rumoured that TIM Hellas will benefit from Q-Telecom's fixed telephony and internet infrastructure in order to provide combined solutions to its customers.
For more information on the acquistition visit the APAX partners' announcement (archive link, was dead; history) of this acquistition.
The acquistition of Q-Telecom by the new owners has been completed and as of October 2006 Q-Telecom subscribers can also use TIM GR's network for national roaming, along with the existing Vodafone GR national roaming. The date for the eventual discontinuance of the national roaming agreement with Vodafone GR has not been announced. Nevertheless, Q-Telecom SIM cards have been over-the-air (OTA)-updated and now TIM GR is the preferred national roaming network.
[edit] Retail services
[edit] Mobile telephony
Q-Telecom has developed a GSM network in the 1800 band and currently covers three main urban areas of the country Athens, Thessaloniki and Larissa. However, its network is assumed to be under deconstruction since its recent acquisition.
The company also has a roaming agreement and covers the rest of Greece through the network of TIM Hellas as well as, for the time being, Vodafone Greece. The charges are the same for users using Q-Telecom's own network (network code 202-09, network ID GR Q-TELCOM) or another network.
At the time of its introduction, Q-Telecom's policies, such as billing calls by the second with no minimum charges per call, were a novelty for the Greek market. Although similar offerings have since emerged on the prepaid market, Q-Telecom is still the only operator charging no monthly fees for postpaid customers, making its postpaid solution, Q1, suitable for those who speak about 70 minutes per month.
Q1 users can use their mobile phone abroad, taking advantage of Q-Telecom's roaming agreements with foreign networks. However its prepaid plan, Q Card1, still lacks roaming support.
Q-Telecom's prefix in the Hellenic National Numbering Plan is 699 for mobile telephony. Number portability is available and another network's user can call 13822 from his mobile phone free of charge in order to get his mobile number transferred to Q-telecom.
[edit] MMS, WAP, and value added services
The company started providing multimedia messaging service (MMS) in 2005. Its wireless application protocol (WAP) portal, named Be Q, offers services like ringtones, logos and games. It was launched in July 2006 and a general packet radio service (GPRS) internet access solution is expected in the following months. Value-added services like news, weather, ringtones, logos and others also continue to be provided through the voice-recognition enabled MyQ Voice Portal and the MyQ SIM menu.
Call notification service is also available. This is a service that notifies user if they have received any calls while their phones were switched off or out of service. Q-Telecom's call notification service is innovative in the way that it can co-exist with the voicemail service.
[edit] Fixed phone services
[edit] Q-1765 Residential and Business
Q-Telecom offers residential and business customers a carrier selection service with low tarriffs using the 1765 carrier selection code. It also offers free carrier preselection (in which a customer's calls are routed through Q-Telecom without the need for the carrier selection code 1765).
[edit] Ya! telephone card
The Ya! telephone card by Q-Telecom is a prepaid scratch card that allows calls to be made from residential or public phones at lower rates. It is used mainly by young people, students, people from other countries living in Greece, and tourists for its offers in international call rates. Ya means two things in Greek. Γεια means "hello" and για means "for", so the card's slogans are "Say Hello", "For everyone", "For (calls to) all over Greece and the world".
[edit] Internet myQnet
Q-Telecom offers public switched telephone network, PSTN, at 56K and ISDN (at either 64K or 128K) dialup services, as well as ADSL access (at 768, 1024 or 2048) to residential customers through an agreement with the Greek ISP Hellas On Line. The service is offered under the myQ brandname as myQnet.
[edit] Business services
Q-Telecom, as the only full telecom operator in Greece, offers a complete solutions to companies with Voice, Data, Internet and Mobile services. Q-Telecom has a completely independent network using its national backbone (connecting Athens, Larissa and Thessaloniki) and LMDS, or point-to-point microwave connections, to connect its business customers.
Q-Telecom has reserved the number ranges starting with 19 in most urban areas for providing fixed phone numbers to its customers. For example, in Athens Q-Telecom has reserved numbers (roughly) in the 21-19 range, in Thessaloniki the 231-19 range, and in Larissa the 241-19 range. More precise information on the numbering resources reserved by individual Greek telecom companies can be found at the EETT numbering resources site. EETT is the telecommunications and postal regulator of Greece. OTE has reserved all ranges starting with 0 in all area codes around Greece.
[edit] TV and radio campaigns
Q-Telecom is known in Greece for its funny and low cost publicity campaign on both TV and radio. The ads contain small cartoon characters that resemble the company's logo, and use slang to promote the company's values such as "no fixed fees", as well as advertising the company's frequent offers.
The TV commercials feature the small Q creatures (the "Q-ies" or "Q-δάκια" in Greek, and this is how they are unofficially called by Q-Telecom marketing staff although they have no official name) that look like the company's logo but dressed like magicians, rabbits, or "afro-dudes", using clever slang expressions to highlight the company's offers against other companies.
The famous radio spots feature the Q sounds, which include the imitation of the chicken's cluck or the church psalms by actors who, instead of using normal sounds, repeat the letter Q. [1]
[edit] Customer Service
All the services are supported by the Customer Care on a daily basis (24 hours, 365 days per year), tel (+30) 211 999 3000.
