Director General of ALBtelecom says the ADSL new service of fix giant telephone aims at multiplying of network users in the country.

ALBtelecom has recently offered to market the ADSL new services of an increased quality and speed as well as sensitive service tariff decrease. The goal is clear, the fix telephone leader wants to be the leading company for the internet distribution through ADSL service. Mr. Mustafa Resit Akdogan, Director General, expresses his satisfaction for the infrastructure improvement, adding that very soon will be an increase of services. There will be a continuous offering to the Albanians of service and quality increase. KIOSK and POS services enable the online purchase service, multimedia internet telephone, internet audio and video which are now more touchable by the Albanians. Akdogan says that there is a serious increase of interests in Albania for internet and technology which promises for a more quality and quantity development. “Albania has a potentiality of 300 thousand ISP subscribers whereas the institution and population have satisfactory knowledge on internet”, he says. Akdogan considers the services infrastructure and low prices as the key points of ALBtelecom. The service quality increase and tariff reduce for every service offered to market by ALBtelecom or expected to be offered soon, is seen by Akdogan as a possibility of market fit toward a fair competition. “In does not exist in Albania an operator with capacity, quality, and prices as offered by ALBtelecom”, he says. The infrastructure preparation have entered into a final phase and the only fix company in the country will soon be able to offer more valuable services.

ALBtelecom has released the ADSL new service package and new tariffs for this service. Why so late this step and what are the expectations?

ALBtelecom is working for long on a project which enables a fast, quality, effective and uninterrupted internet service. We thought that this is the proper time to serve with an appropriate quality product to our individual and institutional clients. In the meantime we have finished the work on the infrastructure connected with the network. That`s why we have chosen this period as most appropriate. Our expectation is to satisfy all Albanians and institutions with internet service prices and the possibility to have a good standard service.

Besides the prices reduce, which are the technology innovations that you are going to give to Albanian market?

The builded infrastructure and further improvement of it, gives us the possibility of enabling all technology services based on IP. In other words, ALBtelecom the infrastructure it has, it will enable all needs and will offer a very valuable service. In the framework of this, we will notify the public when our services will be ready. I can mention as an example the KIOSK and POS services which enable the on-line purchase service, internet multimedia telephones, internet video and audio etc.

Internet services in Albani are also offered by other operators. Which is your strategy in such a competing environment?

Firstly, I have to say that ALBtelecom considers as important the free market and opening toward competition, and that1`s why we are seriously observing the market. It is important for us that the albanians and the institutions receive a godd and cheap service. Besides this, I have to add that there is no other opearator in Albania like ALBtelecom with such capacity, quality and tariffs it offers. I believe that the difference created and our tariffs will enable other operators to work within the frame of a fair competition and suitable prices.

According to you, why an internet user must choose the service offered by ALBtelecom when there are other operators in the market offering such a service?

Whoever seeks a quality, uninterrupted, fast, economical, and effective internet service, must trust us, because ALBtelecom is the leader on internet infrastructure, tariffs and economical strategy. Those are features which make us different from other. The service receive by us is much more easier compared to other operators. The clients which would like to subscribe and receive our service, they can simply call on telephone number 133 and they can receive all data and make the subscription.

How do you evaluate the client`s reaction during the first days of promoting campaign?

I have to say that during the first days of promoting campaign, we faced a “booming” requests and a very good sale. I think that there will be an increase of individual or business subscribers during the new schooling season start and the start of new packages campaign presentation of good tariffs advantages.

What do you think from your point of view for the ISP future in our country?

I think that when there is a serious interest increase on internet and technology service, there will be a future market development. According to our opinion, Albania has a 300 thousand subscriber’s potentiality where as the population and the institutions have a satisfactory knowledge on internet. In this view, the existing services and those of new internet generating will increase interest and changes in this field. In general, there is a low computer culture in Albania

Which will be the impact of ALBtelecom in this direction taking into consideration new internet services offered to market lately?

We think that as a result of ADSL advertising campaigns started and internet services, we will have an important and increasing effect on computer users. This is what we believe. WE are continuing meetings with companies trading computers and electronic parts of the same field. We also have on that an agreement on principle with a company. When the company sells a computer, according to this company, it will make a discount for our clients of internet packages and it will also make a discount to them when they want to buy a computer. We are especially proceeding our work to expand our internet service to schools and other schooling institutions and through this we are continuing to contact with respective institutions to increase the number of computer users.

The magazine “ZERO”, September 2008