Carrefour and Vodafone to launch Italy's mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) by spring 2007 13-02-2008
Milan , 02/04/2007 - Vodafone and Carrefour have signed an agreement to launch Italy's virtual mobile network operator (MVNO). Pietro Guindani, CEO of Vodafone Italia, and Giuseppe Brambilla di Civesio, CEO of the Carrefour Italia Group, revealed today the plan that will pave the way for the supermarket group to operate in the mobile sector.
The new company has been named CIM S.r.l. - Carrefour Italia Mobile, a Carrefour-Effortel joint venture established in July 2006 and selected by Carrefour to provide technological support in developing and managing the product.
The entry of virtual mobile operators into the Italian market, scheduled for 2011 at the time the 3G frequency auction was held, will thus take place earlier than expected. This is due to the action taken by the Antitrust Authority and to Vodafone's commitment to shortly open up the wholesale market for mobile network access. The opening of the sector was also hastened by the Communications Authority's investigation of the access market.
Vodafone is making its network infrastructure available, ensuring access to a full range of services - from voice to SMS, from roaming to data traffic - which Carrefour will utilize to present its mobile offering for customers.
In its new capacity as a mobile operator, Carrefour Italia will use its own brand, UNOMobile, and will have an exclusive relationship with its customers. It will have a dedicated mobile code - 3773 - and will manage all its own marketing and customer care activities. Carrefour Italia will select the services that it intends to offer on the basis of totally independent processes and decisions and will set its prices autonomously.
"We believe that working with the right partners is a significant growth opportunity for Vodafone," said Pietro Guindani, CEO of Vodafone Italia. "Mobile telecommunications are on the verge of a new period of openness and competitiveness, which will benefit consumers more than anyone else. Vodafone has extended market boundaries, allowing the entry of virtual operators into Italy four years earlier than scheduled."
"The development of new services is a key aspect of Carrefour Italia's strategy. In this context, entry into the mobile market, in partnership with Vodafone, which guarantees the high quality of the network, is a significant innovation," said Giuseppe Brambilla di Civesio, CEO of Carrefour Italia. "Our objective is to meet our customers' expectations, anticipating their needs through a value-for-money offering and as broad a range of services as possible."
FEATURES OF THE NEW SERVICE
The commercial launch is scheduled for the spring, after all the regulatory requirements have been fulfilled. Customers will be able to purchase a starter kit with a SIM card and instructions.
Market surveys show that Carrefour's customers prefer prepaid cards and small top-up amounts, to manage their budget and to keep expenses under control, as well as a simple, clearly presented offering. Carrefour's service is based on three key benefits: value for money, ease of use and transparent pricing.
Number: the mobile code for telephone calls will be 3773.
Value for money: the price plan will be among the lowest in the market, to enable Carrefour's customers to communicate more and pay as little as possible.
Ease of use: top-up cards, available on line and in a wide range of prices, will be available at Carrefour, GS and DiperDi outlets. Moreover, DiperDi franchise shops are being opened, with the aim of establishing over 1500 outlets throughout the country. This is a widespread and constantly expanding network. Top-ups will also be available immediately on line, through the web site www.unomobile.it, via a link available on the commercial web sites of the different Carrefour brands, as well as through SMS to be sent to a specific number. New top-up locations will be added when the service is launched.
Transparency: price plans will show all the items that make up the effective cost of making a phone call or sending a text, without any "small print".
The price plan is designed to match the profiles of Carrefour, GS and DìperDì customers and offer them the necessary savings.
On the www.unomobile.it website customers will be able to make real-time checks of calls made, their top-up card balance and price plan information. Lastly, a call centre will be available for customers at the number 435001.
Innovation: Carrefour has developed a number of services outside its core business: petrol stations (15 stations managed by Carrefour Italia, 5 of which under their own brand), 5 Carrefour car washes, 8 in-store pharmacies selling over-the-counter drugs, online sales of telephone top-ups, experimental sales of low-cost flights, gift cards, and financial services and personal loans through Carrefour Servizi Finanziari, established in 2004. Mobile telephony is the most recent addition.