This year, telecom operators will increase focus on attracting clients from the competition in he current market conditions and the penetration rate.
“2009 will see increased competition among telecom operators, and greater focus on clients’ retention. Second tier operators will try to benefit from market conditions and attract customers from the competition”, said Andrei Ionescu, Enterprise Risk Services Senior Manager at Deloitte Romania, referring to the local market.
Without a doubt, stakes will be high this year, especially since the market has seen new developments in terms of competition, he continued. “Telemobil re-entered the market with a new product last year, Cosmote reported significant growth in number of clients, Romtelecom stopped the decline in terms of fixed line subscribers and is preparing to launch new services - to name just a few,” said the company representatives.
Manager George Onofrei from the Deloitte Romanian’s Management Consulting team, added: “This year, the use of mobile applications and mobile internet/email will grow significantly in parallel with the use of smart phones. The mobile operators will see good opportunities in this area and will come with special offers. Also, several mobile applications will be available on the market at a lower price.”
After reaching 123% by mid-2008, the market penetration rate is expected to see insignificant changes, experts say, naming among factors an already mature market, and the current economic crisis, according to Deloitte representatives.
Top general predictions in telecommunications 2009
• With operators under pressure to cut costs, handset subsidies are likely to come under intense scrutiny, smart phones being a prime target;
• Better customer information may help operators retain their customers and attract those of their competitors;
• Compa