VODAFONE mobiles will be available in the island by the end of the year. Guernsey Airtel, a subsidiary of Indian telecommunications giant Bharti Group, announced yesterday it would launch its mobile services after signing an agreement with the world’s biggest provider.
But it will be a standalone network, not interchangeable with the UK one.
Guernsey Airtel chief executive David Watson said the agreement would bring the best in global mobile telecommunications to Guernsey.
But the island’s other two mobile providers were unconcerned.
Wave Telecom doubts the partnership will bring anything new.
Cable & Wireless Guernsey was confident its range of products and services would compare favourably.
The new partnership will run Vodafone services on a Channel Islands network owned by Bharti.
Vodafone partner markets executive Wout De Yong said that since the company had started in the UK it had not been able to serve customers in the Channel Islands, but the deal would allow that.
The range of new services will include Vodafone Passport, a simple roaming price plan, Vodafone Simply, a straightforward voice and data package, and the Vodafone Mobile Connect Card for wireless internet access. Airtel services will also include a mobile multimedia service.
Wave managing director Tim Ringsdore said it showed Bharti felt unable to enter the market on its own, but the partnership posed no commercial threat.
‘It seems that there really aren’t going to be any new developments for customers or any technology that isn’t already available,’ he said.
‘We have always welcomed competition and look forward to competing with anyone in this market.’
Mark Briers, the marketing director for C&W in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, said the company already faced competition in nearly all of the 33 countries in which it operated.
The arrival of a third mobile operator would not detract from its plans to deliver more services and greater value for customers, he added.
‘Competition has never made C&W less successful. If anything it simply helps highlight our focus on customers and the value for money that we offer and has also driven even greater innovation in the products and services, he said.
The Vodafone products, along with additional services including BlackBerry, will be rolled out by Airtel on a phased basis from the launch.
Mr Watson could not confirm a date, but said it would be this year.
He also confirmed that 3G, for which Airtel was awarded the licence ahead of C&W, would form a part of the plans.
Mr Briers said C&W had a comprehensive and expanding range which he believed would prove more than a match for Airtel or any other operator.
This month it is launching Sure, which will bring services in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man under a single brand.
‘It will build on our existing track record of innovation. We have continued to develop mobile network services in the islands in conjunction with Nokia and we were the first to introduce the BlackBerry to customers in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man,’ he said.
Mr Ringdore claimed Wave’s on-island and roaming tariffs already offered excellent value for money.
‘We have had 3G services available for more than 18 months and have successfully launched BlackBerry. While Vodafone is a very strong global brand, Wave Telecom is adept at operating in the international marketplace and we believe that we are well placed to compete.’
Article posted on 2nd May, 2007 - 12.00am
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