Siminn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Síminn | |
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | Original 1906; Merger of Iceland Telecom, Íslenska sjónvarpsfélagið and Skipti in 2005 |
| Headquarters | Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Key people | Lýður Guðmundsson, Chairman Brynjólfur Bjarnason, President & CEO |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Products | Telephone, Internet, Television |
| Revenue | ~$320 million USD (2004) |
| Employees | N/A |
| Website | www.siminn.is |
Síminn, (previously named Landssíminn) , is the former state-owned incumbent telecommunications operator in Iceland. On July 28, 2005, the company was privateized and sold to Skipti for ISK 66,7 billion (ca. $1 billion).
Síminn has diversified in recent years and invested heavily in the television sector in Iceland and bought Skjár 1, an Icelandic television channel. Síminn also broadcasts and/or relays foreign and local TV channels over ADSL, using IP, and FTTC / FTTH.
In December 2005 it was announced that three companies, Síminn, Íslenska sjónvarpsfélagið (English: The Icelandic Television Company) (which owned Skjár 1) and the parent company, Skipti, would be merged into one, called Síminn.
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[edit] History
The year 1906 marked a milestone in Iceland's history of telecommunications. That year, a submarine telegraph cable was laid from Scotland through the Faroe Islands to Iceland, coming ashore on the east coast. A telegraph and telephone line, which ended Iceland's internal isolation, was laid to Reykjavik. The population of the country was 81,000 people at the time. Many years passed, however, before all Icelanders got access to the telephone system. The laying of telephone lines in rural areas was finished around 1960.
The first automatic telephone switch was opened for service in Reykjavik on Dec. 1st. 1932. The last manual party line in rural areas was converted to automatic telephony in 1986. The first digital switch was installed in 1984 and the network totally replaced with digital switches in 1995.
The period from 1985 is marked with massive changes in technology and new services in mobile telecomms and data communcations. The Iceland State Telephone Service was founded the same year as the submarine cable arrived in Iceland, 1906. In 1935, the telephone and postal services were consolidated under the name Póstur og sími (Post and telecommunications administration). In 1998 they were again separated, and Landssíminn (Iceland Telecom Ltd.) was founded.
[edit] Competition
Póstur og sími had a monopoly on most telecommunications services until 1998. That year a new law came into effect and the market opened for competition. The first competitor was TAL, offering mobile services on reduced prices. Others followed, the biggest one being Íslandssími. In the Internet (ISP) market the competition was a lot tougher, with names like Íslandssími, Halló!, Margmiðlun, Skíma, Skrín, Snerpa, Íslandía and Miðheimar and the list goes on. In 2003 TAL, Íslandssími and Halló! merged under the name Og Vodafone. Og Vodafone has since then bought a few Icelandic Internet Service Providers,. On October 6th Og Vodafone changed it name to Vodafone
Since TAL was founded, prices have been become a lot lower, specially when it comes to mobile phones as well as Internet service. Recently a new ISP was founded in Iceland called HIVE (ISP), providing free download from abroad sparking a new price war on the Icelandic Internet market. The ISP EMAX has specialized in wireless services in rural areas.
