Vodafone Romania prepares launch of 4G network if mobile frequency bid prices are 'reasonable'

Vodafone Romania could launch a 4G network in Romania by the end of the year, if the price of mobile telephony spectra in Romania is reasonable, similar to other bids in Europe, said Inaki Berroeta, CEO of Vodafone Romania. He indicated that if the terms of the bid equally distributed the radio spectrum and guaranteed the continuity of service and the predictability of investments, and the cost was reasonable, Vodafone would be in a position to invest in and launch 4G services this year. "Under these circumstances, Vodafone Romania will have a functional 4G network in Romania's cities by the end of this year,” said Berroeta.

Romania recently announced prices for the mobile telephony spectra bid, which vary between EUR 800,000 and EUR 40 million and total some 726 million. The task book for the 56 licenses up for sale will be published around May 1. Vodafone Romania and its employees paid around EUR 1.2 billion in the last five years in taxes to various budgets, and EUR 920 million represented income tax and dividend tax, plus local taxes. The telecom company has invested EUR 2.8 billion in the Romanian market so far. The company runs a 3G mobile telephony network in Romania. 4G is the fourth generation of cellular mobile communications standards and provides higher speeds for mobile ultra-broadband Internet access. Vodafone lost 3.1 percent of its customers in Romania in the last three months of 2011, compared to the previous quarter, leaving 8.3 million customers end -2011, the company has announced. The company lost 269,000 customers mostly in the prepaid SIM segment during the third quarter, and a total of 1.5 million customers in 2011. By December 31, 2011, contract subscribers accounted for 41 percent and prepaid for 59 percent of Vodafone Romania’s total customer base. The telecom company reported 4.5 billion voice minutes used by its clients during the last quarter of 2011. editor@romania-insider.com