General Director of giant fix telephony giant says that the company managed from him will continue to be aggressive and rapidly grow in the sector of the Internet service and fix telephony.
In the time frame of one year, about 85 percent of Internet users have chosen ALBtelecom, to take this service, while this company continues to offer convenient packages and endless opportunities for all categories of clients. The General Director of ALBtelecom, Mr. Reshit Mustafa Akdogan, in an interview for "Shqip" says that the company he leads will continue to be aggressive and grow rapidly in the Internet service sector and fix telephony, applying profitable tariffs and progressively increase the quality of the service. Akdogan promises that in the future will continue the increasing of the speed without additional cost and the application of convenient tariffs for internet service. He says that the quality and technical support provided, not only has increased the number of clients who have trusted ALBtelecom, but answered the full requirements, expectations and needs of all categories of clients. Akdogan dispose as significant change and transformation the ongoing investments in construction of a network, which in a near future will enable the application of all services to "new generation of telecommunications". "We moved very well in the implementation of the project, which we have named" Change and Transformation ", which aims to change in total our view for the services we provide. We will continue with this project till the full realization and implementation of all aspects in ALBtelecom "Akdogan said. Related to price policy for provided services, Akdogan says ALBtelecom has applied reduction of the prices of fix telephony service in a general average that goes till 25 per cent and reduction of the tariffs for Internet service in about 65 percent. According to him the application of convenient prices has been accompanied by continuing increasing of the quality, safety and speed, which has fulfilled the expectations and requirements of clients. "Even in the future we will continue to apply the same practice for all provided services by us and will be able to offer to our customers more specific, more attractive and more favourable possibilities," he continued. Related to telecommunications market, he says that competition and "war” of prices for the services between the companies that provide services in this market has brought great advantages for clients. According to Akdogan the Telecommunications sector has begun to stabilize and players have designed their strategic objectives based on new arrangements. "ALBtelecom in general terms is satisfied by new applications of AKEP and think they have increased the values in special points in the telecommunications sector has had good progressing," he says.
Fix Telephony Company ALBtelecom, now in September will be 2 years from the revolution started from "Calik” Group. During this period, can you tell us what has changed to the company that you lead? In the beginner you had difficulties, but now what changed in the mentality of working?
First I must accentuate that now we consider ALBtelecom not only as a company that offers fix telephony service, but also as a company that enables "fix telephony services with new applications, and offers technological solutions that facilitate everyone's daily life. In this view, are moving in the path of the objectives set since the privatization of the company. If you ask me what are the most important and valuable changes and transformations, then I would answer that we are investing in building a network, which enables the application of all services of the new generation of telecommunications. Will continue to be aggressive and progressive in the increase in the Internet market with ADSL service in Albania, allowing to all our current customers and potential clients of public and private institutions a very quality network data service and that is in able to face all services of the latest technology. Related to this I can collocate the structuring and the organization of the personnel staff, taking as reference exactly the customer `s expectations and pleasures. We have made significant steps in the implementing of the strategies that were established after the privatization of ALBtelecom, so providing a service that has more quality and more security. Actually I can say that we have moved very well in this project, which we have named "Change and Transformation" and its goal is to change totally our view in the services that we provide. We will continue with this project until the full realization and implementation in all aspects in ALBtelecom.
Let s talk a little for the services. Is it true that taking the direction of ALBtecom from the Turkish of "Calik" has brought great advantages for the customer? Can you present views that how have changed the tariffs of services in these two years?
In the beginning I have to say that since after the privatization, ALBtelecom has applied reduction of the prices of fix telephony service in average that goes till 25 per cent reduction of the tariffs, for Internet service almost 65 percent. In particular the prices that we have applied for Internet service are well received from family or "business" clients. We have also applied significant discounts in the prices of lease for International Traffic Data Transmission Regions. Together with significant deductions we have continuous increased the quality, the safety and no interruption for all services provided by us.
ALBtelecom, although has the monopoly of fix telephony still goes on with competitive offers. Where that strategy does comes from?
About this question I would like to thank you, because you really hit on a very important point. In fact, despite that we were in a position that is almost a monopoly in fix telephony sector, after the privatization we have taken as a reference only the clients, the increasing of their satisfaction for our services and offers, considering them the most important value of the company. For this we have applied specific packages oriented from the expectations, the requirements, the desires and the needs of all clients. And to tell the truth our customers remain satisfied from these offers and applications. This certifies their reaction, which has been really good. Considering this I must add that even in the future we will continue to apply the same practices for all services provided by us and will offer to our clients more special possibilities, more attractive and more favourable ones.
What do you think of the telephony market in general? What problems you came across and what can be improved? What about the collaboration with the institutions of the line as AKEP, how is presented?
As you all know, in Albania, besides us in the telecommunications sector offer their services and three other mobile companies, in their sector they are working hard too to enable the service provider. The competition and price” war" for the services has had pretty great advantages for clients and at any time was address to customers with different possibilities. Of course, the reduction of the prices does not mean anything. This discount must come same time with the quality. Especially for some tariff is very important to be understand better the mentality of the clients and to intervene in carefully way. According to that at this point, I can say that ALBtelecom is very clear and credible .With each of these companies we have special collaboration and in general the competition between us is necessary to maintain strong the telecommunications sector. After the new law for electronic communications, the regulatory Authority still continues the application and the regulation in this sector. The Telecommunications sector has begun to stabilize and the players have designed their strategic objectives based on new arrangements. We, as ALBtelecom in general terms are satisfied from the new applications of AKEP and we think they have increased the values and in special points in the Telecommunications sector has progress. In this sense we support the initiatives of AKEP and admire the taken measures. But besides these positive steps, we want that the applied sanctions from AKEP to be stronger for some “so called” companies, that operate in the telecommunications sector through wrong practices and inconsistent with current arrangements.
Your company is playing strong way with and internet tariffs. What can be done better than that? There are many companies in the market that offer Internet service, but again remains a curtailed market, with high tariff and with non-quality service?
As I mentioned in one of the above questions, in the internet service sector we will continue to be aggressive and grow rapidly. In this sense we reached to be the first not only for the profitable application of tariffs and quality of service, and will continue to move even more decided in this way. Actually we own about 85 percent of the market for internet service and until the end of this year we intend to own about 92 percent of the market. It’s Interesting the fact that this percentage we have reached within a year and this is a good indication of the fact that citizens have selected ALBtelecom in internet services market. Its not reasonable for me to talk about the other operators that offer this service, but I must emphasize the fact that there is a big mass of subscribers which pass from these operators to ALBtelecom. In the near future will offer valuable services for current and potential subscribers. Specifically, in our services will continue the increasing of the speeds without additional cost and the application of the reduction in our internet tariffs .The quality and the technical support are our main arguments in our internet service, for which we have noticeably invested. In this sense I must notice that they have fully answered the requests, expectations and the needs of our clients.
“Shqip” Newspaper 20 October 2009