Orange Romania
a new technology: EDGE
Orange group
case study
Orange Interactive



Orange Romania

I’ve been Orange’s Romania financial director only since May, but I can already assess that 2003 was a very good year: the overall results are better than last year’s and better than our predictions for 2003. At the end of October, Orange reached a number of 3 million clients, which means a 36% growth in 10 months. This spectacular development brings Romania on the position of market leader in terms of clients number until the end of the year

The 16$ constant level of ARPU at the end of October, proves that this growth is not the result of a short time strategy of lowering the prices. The good level of revenues (424 million dollars at the end of October) associated with a strict control of the tariffs led to 53% ratio Ebitda/revenues, one of the best ratio within the Group. Our clients will be the first to take advantage of this positive perspective, because in 2004 we intend to invest 110 million USD, which means 50% of our investment margin. This is an essential prerequisite if we want to improve the quality of our network and services.

Our company’s excellent results in 2003 have two main explanations. The first one is the fact that with a penetration of 30 %, the Romanian market is continuously growing. The second explanation is the result of a very creative and dynamic commercial policy, focused on our client’s needs. The success is not an accident. It is the consequence of a good strategy that has been steadfastly carried out and of the employees’ effort that joined it enthusiastically ever since the re-branding.

For 2004 we decided to implement a new technology that allows a high volume data transfer (music, videos, e-mail attachments, etc) with a commercial launch planned for the middle of the next year. It is a difficult and costly effort of the Technical Department that is already working on it with Alcatel and Motorola.

On a personal level, I only want to tell you that I like it more every day living here and working with Orange Romania. For me the present is already bright…

Luc Solente,
Chief Financial Officer


a new technology: EDGE

This year, Orange Romania will offer its clients a new technology that will allow an increased speed for data packages, up to three times higher than GPRS.

EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM evolution) represents the evolution of the existing GSM network. EDGE improves coding on radio channels that will translate into a significant increase in the transfer speed. This increased speed allows the development of new applications (based on streaming) and five more coding schemes in addition to the four GPRS coding schemes. Moreover, EDGE will enable multimedia services and IP applications.

As in the case of GPRS, what matters is not the connection time but the amount of data transferred.

In spite of this, the EDGE implementation will not lead to the disappearance of GPRS. At the beginning the national coverage will still be GPRS, while EDGE will be available first in cities.

The advantage provided by EDGE is that by using an EDGE and GPRS compatible mobile phone you will only notice the threefold increase of the transfer rate, while you are still invoiced at GPRS tariffs.


Orange group - launching Talk Now service

London/Paris, 13th January 2004: Orange launched a unique international service, offering instant voice communication and easy-to-access group calling and messaging, that is initially being trialled by business customers. Talk Now will be launched in ten countries this year, starting with the UK and France in the second trimester of 2004.
Building on the Orange Experience, which promises to be simple, compelling and personal, Talk Now creates an immediate connection between two or more mobile phones, so minimal time is spent searching for or dialling individual telephone numbers. You can see who is available to speak or receive single or group messages instantly.

Talk Now will also allow Orange customers to:
   create buddy lists that can be used to facilitate instant conference calling
   know when contacts are available to talk and when they are busy
   record a conference call and send it to others if they are not available
   send a voice message to other Talk Now users at the touch of a button

Talk Now will be available internationally
allowing customers easy, instant access to colleagues, friends and family in a different country who use the service.

Speaking at the launch in London, Sol Trujillo, CEO, Orange Group, said: “As we are the first to launch in the world we are offering something no other company can offer. Talk Now provides the business community with an immediate and reliable way to better manage teams of people within an organisation. It addresses a real need amongst businesses to disseminate or communicate time critical information quickly and efficiently. The service also provides consumers with an ideal way to keep in touch with friends and family by making it easy to instantly communicate with each other as a group at the touch of a button.”



We are waiting for your opinions and suggestions at the e-mail address infocorporate@orange.ro.

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