Fastlink, the first mobile operator in Jordan & one of MTC group companies, the leading mobile operator in the Middle East & Africa, announced today that the number of its customers has risen to 2 million with the advent of the year end, reaching the targeted number for 2005, a year that has witnessed fierce competition in the telecommunications market in Jordan.
The announcement came with the official launch of Pella, an international telecommunications company owned by Fastlink. Pella commenced commercial services last Sunday, offering, on the occasion, up to 60% discounts on some destinations with flat rates.
Fastlink CEO Mohammad Saqer said the Company’s strategy has been successfully implemented this year in a manner that exceeded expectations. He said Fastlink has aggressively invested in its network during the past years, spending during the years 2004-2005 alone some USD100 million. This amount of money, he pointed out, was spent on upgrading and updating the network to enable the company to provide high quality services that meet customers’ needs.
Saqer said at a press conference held on Monday, December 5th at the Company headquarters, that Fastlink places top priority on network quality and on superior service to customers at reduced rates. This, he added, is what the company has always been keen to maintain as it invests in the most advanced technologies and works to expand the range of services provided to all sectors of society.
Marketing Manager Ra’ed Haddadin announced a new package that offers reductions on call rates for various types of subscriptions, such as ‘Kilmitain’ (two words), which enables (Razor) pre-paid card subscribers to select one number, which they can call at one piaster per minute during off peak hours and 5 piaster during peak hours.
Other reductions affect 101 students line which they can call their 3 super lines at half piaster per minute between 12:00 midnight until 8:00 a.m. and 3 piasters during the day. To further encourage customers to make use of the new offers, Fastlink has also reduced subscription rates on the pre-paid card line, to become JD5 instead of JD20.
International call rates have also been rebalanced in accordance with the volume of calls made to each country. Calls in the direction of Arab states have the largest volume and thus received the highest reduction in rates. World countries have been divided into regional groups, whereby a special rate was given to Arab states, while the United States, Canada and Europe were grouped under one rate, and South East Asia countries under another rate.
Pella was granted license by the TRC in July, enabling it to start international call services. Saqer said Pella will be accommodating the larger part of international communications made by Fastlink customers, whereas the mobile communications company will continue to rely on Jordan Telecom or any other company that can provide the lesser tariff at high quality service.
Saqer expressed satisfaction at the good and strong relations that exist between the company and its customers over the past years. This, he said, has helped the company become more understanding of their needs and more sensitive to their choices and requirements. “We look at each customer with Fastlink as a partner and contributor to our success and excellence,” he affirmed.
Saqer pointed that Jordan’s stands now one of the most competitive telecommunications markets in the area and is seen by MTC as continuing to be a lucrative market. MTC’ investments in Fastlink was the first station in its ambitious strategy (3x3x3), which aims to become a company of international standing in the communications market by the year 2011. He said MTC has so far achieved a large portion of its strategy during the first phase of operations. This strategy, Saqer said, has transferred the company during three years, to the level of international companies. The company operates in 18 countries in the Middle East and Africa. Another manifestation of this success has been the acquisition of Celtel in a USD3.4 billion deal.
Fastlink, which has been a mobile service provider for the past ten years, maintains a parallel strategy that aims at enhancing its contribution to economic progress in the Kingdom and to social development in various sectors. According to latest statistics, Fastlink has contributed to the government treasury USD one billion in the form of direct and indirect taxes since it was launched in 1995..
Jordan Mobile Telephone Services Company Ltd. “Fastlink”, founded in 1995, was the first operator to introduce mobile phone services into Jordan. In just a few years, the company earned its reputation as the most progressive telecom operator in the region in terms of competitiveness and readiness to adopt new technologies and deploy cutting-edge services. Since its inception, Fastlink has tallied subscriber growth at an exponential rate, with the number of users currently exceeding 2 million subscribers. Through more than 1,700 cell sites, Fastlink covers the entire populated area of the Kingdom. In January 2003, Mobile Telecommunications Company K.S.C. (MTC) acquired Fastlink in what was considered the largest single acquisition in the Middle East area, and the largest private sector investment in Jordan.
