A1 Srbija, as part of the A1 Telekom Austria Group, has raised the bar to an even higher level. With the “tailwind” provided by the parent Group and the high motivation of employees, the company has implemented its largest investment cycle to date
We spent the whole of last year as leaders in the number transfer process, and the latest RATEL data show that this trend isn’t stopping, with more than 10,000 users having switched to us in the first three months of the year ~ reveals A1 Srbija CEO Dejan Turk, with undisguised pride.
The launch of the A1 Srbija brand saw the announcing of great advances in network infrastructure and modern new services. How much of this has been achieved more than a year after rebranding?
– When we last April entered a new era of operations, together with our customers, the idea was to retain everything good that set us apart from the competition, and to raise the bar to an even higher level thanks to the fact that we’re part of the A1 Telekom Austria Group.
We’ve constructed 130 new base stations across Serbia and – with a total of 2,315 – become the second largest operator in terms of the number of base stations. Radio capacities at Serbia’s national level have increased by 63%, while the user experience has been improved through the automating of VoLTE technology, all of which has contributed to the quality of the A1 network confirming second place in RATEL’s annual rating. Recognition of this among users is even more important, given that the largest number of users of other operators by far are switching to A1.
What are the greatest operational changes in 2022?
– Although I’m a child of these lands, where a lot has happened over the last 30-odd years, the world is being changed fundamentally by the changes that we’ve been witnessing since 2020. Apart from operational sustainability having become an essential condition, particularly sustainability related to the environment and the world around us, I would single out the speed with which digitalisation has consolidated its position as one of the most important pillars supporting economic development and improved quality of life for our users.
We’ve constructed 130 new base stations across Serbia and – with a total of 2,315 – become the second largest operator in terms of the number of base stations
And telecommunications are at the core of that pillar, because the focus is increasingly shifting to the ICT field. For example, at A1 Srbija we don’t only connect people, but also devices, creating machine-to-machine communication in a big way. Apart from that, our experts have launched excellent business solutions for cyber security, device connectivity and cloud platforms, all in accordance with the turnkey system.
We have great support from the A1 Group, which means that we’re cooperating in this field with the best of the best on the world’s IT market. Thanks to these insights and experiences, we’re in a position to predict customer needs and provide them with fully rounded solutions that are tailored according to their needs, both private and business.
There was lots of talk about the 5G network until recently, before the topic somehow disappeared from public discussion. What is happening in this field?
– We all know that the frequency spectrum is limited and that expanding radio resources is only possible through the acquisition of a new spectrum intended specifically for 5G technology. The field of telecommunications worldwide is being changed massively by 5G, with users benefiting the most because this technology can best respond to the huge growth in data transfers and the need to connect devices, with high speed and low latency. A1 Srbija is committed to developing in accordance with the new spectrum, which we expect an auction for, and we are fully prepared for the rollout of 5G technology, which is one of the key factors of further economic development based on digitalisation.