History
2011
2011 began with over 7 million season’s greeting messages among the subscribers of M-Tel. This is also the year of dreams came true – the “M-Tel makes dreams come true” initiative started on January the 3rd, and the telecom fulfilled 88 wishes, each of which at the amount of 8888 BGN. This was a token of gratitude on behalf of the company towards its customers for their loyalty. A jury of eight members chose the winners with multiple dreams – starting from a trip to the Maldives to a new car or a renovation of the house.
The competition for M-Tel hit product which started in 2010 in the social network Facebook ended in the beginning of January. The best technological hit award for the past year went to Samsung Galaxy S.
In January M-Tel officially acquired Spectrum Net and Megalan Network. Through this strategic step Mobiltel initiated one of the biggest investment programs in the country and found an opportunity for quick development of the optic infrastructure in Bulgaria. This step was useful not only for the telecom sector, but for the development of competition of the economy as a whole.
In the end of January was the beginning of the social project for children safety on the road “A fairytale for the road”. M-Tel was a main sponsor of the initiative under the patronage of the Mayor of Capital city Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova.
February was a month for celebration for all those who like reading and enjoy natural way of life, because we started the electronic bookstore M-Tel eBook with over 300 titles, all of which in Bulgarian.
The M-Tel Grant program also included the “e-Thanks for the translation” Project – a five-month national competition for translations of songs and videos among students from secondary schools all over the country.
Right after the beginning of the academic year the Bulgarian blogosphere became a host of the “I like writing grammatically correct?”. “The blog of a book” collected all the short stories and essays of the ones who took part in the competition. The aim was to popularize reading among young people and to challenge them to demonstrate their knowledge in Bulgarian language.
The “Write your favorite book quotation” event, organized by M-Tel and “The blog of a book” gathered hundreds of people, football players and performers, who created a huge sheet with their favourite book quotations in the garden in front of the “Ivan Vazov” national theatre in Sofia. This was a demonstration of their commitment to the topic of reading and literacy.
In the end of April was the second journalistic competition for articles dedicated to innovations – M-Tel Media Masters. The official ceremony gathered nearly 400 people and the Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel was a special guest.
In June the company started its summer campaign with many discounts and tombola with more than 2000 gifts and three lucky winners won brand new cars Audi A3 Sportback by M-Tel.
The German company for quality control of mobile operators NET CHECK gave Mobiltel a certificate for “The quickest 3G network in Bulgaria”. The data was received after an independent measurement in the five biggest Bulgarian cities in June and July 2011. According to the measurement the third generation network of Mobiltel provides the best results for data transfer speed.
Telekom Austria Group announced the founding of a new company in the sphere of Machine-To-Machine business. The M2M services provide options for connection between industrial installations, means of transport, home electronics, etc. The new company, Telekom Austria Group M2M GmbH acts as a center for services from the Telekom Austria Group competency, and is focused only on development and marketing of M2M services.
In October the M-Tel music label Music Space started a radio – “The latest Bulgarian music”.
Also in October appeared bob, which changed the Bulgarian telecom market. The latest brand attracts customers with a tariff plan with no monthly payment, no long-term contracts and no hidden conditions. bob means best of both – best price and biggest network.
Over 500 of the M-Tel employees sent an emotional message to the customers of the company with which they expressed their personal and sincere gratitude for the patience and understanding during the year. They recorded a video message which was spread throughout the social networks and the Internet. The announcement of the initiative matched the beginning of integration of new service standards in the telecom.
M-Tel renovated and equipped one of the halls in the Technical University in order to turn it into an innovative workshop for young inventors. This way the telecom, which periodically offers different educational and training programs, sets an example on how to shorten the distance between business and higher education schools in Bulgaria.
In 2011 Mobiltel created the first theme smartphone for the PFC “Levski” fans. The most enthusiastic fans of one of the oldest professional football clubs in Bulgaria could also get a laptop and an USB modem with the logo of their favourite team, as well as a special Android application, so that they could be updated with latest news on “Levski”. There was a competition in the Facebook page of Mobiltel for the most popular girl-fan of PFC “Levski”.
Veliko Tarnovo, Gorna Oryahovitza, Strazhitza, Elena and Pavlikeni are the new towns where M-Tel and Megalan Network widened their fixed network in the beginning of December 2011.
2010
M-Tel searches for the Hit of the Year. The telecom launches a Facebook campaign to name the innovation of 2010. Two weeks after the start over 3,000 people vote for their hit. For the third year in a row the company ranks among the biggest corporate donors according to the Bulgarian Donor Forum: in 2009 it was the largest domestic donor with a total of 707. 015 leva donated to various projects.
iPhone 4 arrives in M-Tel shops coupled with several tailored rate plans. Mobiltel acquires two local ISPs: a major event for Telekom Austria Group. Mobiltel wins a special award from Aon Hewitt for steady partnership and persistency in engaging its employees in Best Employers Study Bulgaria.
M-Tel is the biggest corporate payroll donor for 2009. CEO Andreas Maierhofer wins Manager of the Year 2010 award. In just three months Telekom Austria Group sees a double growth of participants in Wholesale Applications Community (WAC),the union of the leading world telecom providers. The single local school for guide dogs for people with visual impairments, part of the Eyes on Four Paws Foundation, marks its 5th anniversary along with main partner M-Tel. As a token of gratitude for the support rendered over the years, the telecom receives a symbolic 1 lev from guide dog owners.
The volunteer initiatives of M-Tel, part of its teambuilding projects, win an award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category in the Grapevine 2010 awards. M-Tel presents Petar Stoychev, the most successful marathon swimmer of the 2000s with a collection of 10 top products to mark his 10th World Cup.
M-Tel marks its 15th anniversary with a high-profile music event. 60,000 listen to megastars Enrique Iglesias and DJ Sonique who perform for free on a specially built stage in the park behind the Earth and Man Museum on September 29. Fireworks see the finale of the special night.
M-Tel is the official sponsor of the national football team.
Mobiltel provides a record speed of mobile transfer of data at 42 Mbps.
M-Tel launches M-Tel Light Book, the first branded laptop in the domestic market.
50 projects make it to M-Tel Grant, M-Tel’s donor program. This time around it finances projects in the area of education and learning.
M-Tel wins for the second time Classic FM Radio’s Golden Feather award for promoting Bulgarian culture.
2009
Hannes Ametsreiter is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Telekom Austria Group, and CEO of Mobilkom Austria.
M-Tel is the first telecom operator in Bulgaria and the 16th one in the world to integrate High Speed Package Access (HSPA ) technology into its 3G network thus offering customers a data transfer speed of up to 21 Mbps.
M-Tel enters the TV market with QUARTO, the first service in Bulgaria to offer high-quality digital TV and a pack of eight HD channels.
Mobiltel receives a special recognition in the Hewitt Best Employers Study Bulgaria 2009. The telecom is the Largest Employer in the Performance Zone with 65% engagement of employees, or 24 points up compared to 2007.
M-Tel opens its second customer services center (Call Center) to mark the seventh anniversary of a relevant department. Covering an area of 800 sq. m. and employing over 170 people, the new center services business customers.
M-Tel wins three out of five recognitions in the Grapevine Awards, the first professional contest for efficient internal communications in Bulgaria held by Apeiron Academy. The award in Internal Communication Campaign category goes to the Be a Part! program that seeks to boost employee engagement. In the Internal Event category M-Tel wins an award for the meeting of company key employees in May 2008. The third award, in the Internal Press category, goes to the M-Teller magazine.
Climber Ivan Kozhuharov is a goodwill ambassador of the M-Tel Grant donor program. He is personally nominated by CEO Andreas Maierhofer. In 2009 the disabled mountaineer climbs the highest peak in Western Europe, Mont Blanc (4807 m/15,774 f).
M-Tel’s new customers use digital signatures to sign their contracts. The innovative solution is part of M-Tel’s green program.
M-Tel receives the highest recognition of the President’s Administration, the Honorary Sign of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria for special merit in the area of corporate social responsibility and support of culture and sports.
13 guide dogs are named M-Tel. The telecom and Eyes on Four Paws Foundation launch Guide Dogs in Schools project.
The new cutting-edge Network Operations Center enables M-Tel to monitor all elements of the GSM network, the optical ring in Bulgaria and the optical ring connecting operators within Mobilkom Austria Group (Bulgaria, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Lichtenstein, Serbia, Macedonia and Belarus).
2008
Mobiltel wins a Corporate Responsibility award in a campaign of Pari Daily, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Partnership for Corporate Social Responsibility Association (PCSRA), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Association of the Industrial Capital in Bulgaria.
Mobiltel continues to support Bulgarian sports: Yassen Popov and Nikola Popov begin racing as M-Tel Rally Team; with support from Mobiltel Bulgaria hosts a round of the European Rafting Championship for the first time: M-Tel Cup 2008 takes place in the Struma river.
Plovdiv hosts the first М-Tel Beach Masters, a beach volleyball tournament.
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone arrives in Bulgaria thanks to Mobiltel.
M-Tel’s fixed phone services: M-Tel HOMEBOX, OFFICEBOX and VOICEBOX are available in small and remote places of residence throughout Bulgaria. Thus Mobiltel is the single telecom operator with a full national coverage of its fixed services.
For the first time ever Bulgaria hosts an exhibition of artist, etcher, sculptor and ceramist Pablo Picasso mottoed “I do not search. I find: Pablo Picasso”. 68 masterpieces and 25 photographs get displayed at the National Gallery of Foreign Art. Event organizers are Barouh & Partners with the financial support of Mobiltel.
M-Tel joins the Bulgarian Christmas charity project for the first time with a campaign of its own. M-Tel donates 1 lev (VAT included) to the Bulgarian Christmas for each activated Prima card.
Mobiltel wins an award in the Talent Management category in the Bulgarian Human Resources Management Association awards.
M-Tel wins Biggest Corporate Donor 2008 award in the Fourth Donor Conference of the Bulgarian Donor Forum and the Corporate Donor Club.
The sum M-Tel grants to charity projects in 2008 exceeds 1.7 million leva. Social and cultural projects receive most of the funding.
2007
Mobiltel customers reach five million.
Mobiltel is the first mobile operator in Eastern Europe with a certificate for correct pricing of services.
M-Tel donates over 1.5 million leva to charity projects, mostly in the areas of culture, social responsibility and healthcare. The company is granted a social responsibility certificate by the Bulgarian Tradition Foundation.
A special protected housing opens in the Hope, Faith and Love institution for children and young people with mental disabilities in the town of Mezdra. M-Tel donates 120, 000 leva for the implementation of the project.
2006
Mobiltel completes its optical network.
M-Tel launches LOOP, the youngest mobile network in Bulgaria.
BlackBerry is available in Bulgaria from M-Tel.
M-Tel and Vodafone sign a partnership agreement.
M-Tel pioneers the UMTS network in Bulgaria offering the HSDPA technology and thus ranks as the fifth operator in the world to provide HSDPA services. Superbrands Bulgaria name M-Tel the top Bulgarian brand.
M-Tel launches the first WiMAX network in Bulgaria.
Vodafone live! is launched with a live concert in Sofia.
2005
Mobiltel is part of Mobilkom Austria Group. The deal is the biggest foreign investment in Austria’s business history.
Mobiltel demonstrates the first active UMTS network in Bulgaria.
Mobiltel’s network supports EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution), a 3G technology providing handsets with a data transfer speed similar to the one of the third generation mobile networks.
M-Tel provides Sofia’s hematology center with equipment worth over 200, 000 leva for post bone marrow transplant patient care.
M-Tel launches EDGE service in 10 more Bulgarian cities.
MUSICALL service is launched.
Mobiltel acquires a Point-to-Multipoint license. The operator network’s capacity is five million customers.
2004
M-Tel customers reach three million on September 21. M-Tel is the largest telecom operator in Bulgaria.
M-Tel Club, M-Tel’s loyal customers program, launches on October 1.
M-Tel pioneers mobile Internet and WAP through GPRS.
2003
M-Tel customers reach two million on August 15.
M-Tel integrates GPRS technology in its entire network.
2002
M-Tel is named Company of the Year by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Madrid’s Trade Leaders Club honors Mobiltel with a Gold Medal for Quality in customer services.
M-Tel’s customers exceed 1 300 000, or 128.1% up from 2001. The mobile operator covers over 82% of the country’s territory and up to 90% of the population. 257 roaming contracts are signed with foreign operators from all over the world.
2001
M-Tel customers reach one million.
Mobiltel gets a license to use a second national code - 087.
M-Tel Prima, a prepaid service, is launched; customers get their Voice Mail activated for free.
The new company logo and the new brand name, M-Tel, are launched at the International Technical Fair Plovdiv.
2000
Bulgaria’s GSM network marks its 5th anniversary. The operator’s 4th mobile office launches in Plovdiv and network capacity extends to 700, 000 posts. Nonstop information center M-Tel Info is started.
Subsidiary M-Tel Plus AD is founded to expand Mobiltel’s dealer network.
Mobiltel’s GSM network covers 76% of the country’s territory and 89% of the population.
Customers grow three-fold compared to December 1999. Over half a million Bulgarians use services provided by Mobiltel. Following a successful advertising campaign M-Tel Card becomes a major hit in the prepaid Internet access cards market.
1999
Mobiltel customers reach 100, 000. M-Tel Familia service, SMS center and M-Tel Note service (SMS) are launched.
Mobiltel’s GSM network covers 60% of the country’s territory and 85% of the population.
1998
Mobiltel’s customers reach 16, 800. The company has roaming arrangements with 78 GSM operators from 48 countries on four continents.
Mobiltel signs a contract for general partnership with and becomes representative for Bulgaria of the IRIDIUM satellite operator.
1997
Bulgaria’s GSM network covers the cities of Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv and Pazardzhik.
Mobiltel’s customers reach 15,100.
The company enters roaming arrangements with 40 GSM operators from 30 countries on four continents.
1996
Mobiltel is a full member of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).
1995
Official launch of Mobiltel’s GSM network. Six base stations cover downtown Sofia.
1994
Private joint stock company Mobiltel is founded to establish and develop a GSM digital cellular mobile communication network on the territory of Bulgaria. The company receives a license to project, build, support and implement this country’s first GSM network.
