"Although Vodafone and Orange have not provided information about the number of 3G clients, which would signal there is no spectacular increase, a pessimistic estimate of the 3G market would put its value around €20 million a month, or a yearly €300 million," Telecom Analyst Nicolae Oaca told Business Standard.
RCS&RDS, one of the most important operators on the domestic cable TV and internet market, has initiated a London Stock Exchange listing process, intending to obtain capital by issuing Global Depository Receipts (GDR). The capital could be used to enter the mobile communication market, by introducing 3G services in its offer. The company obtained a 3G licence last October, officially acquiring this in January, when it payed the first licence installment worth $10.5 million (approximately €8.1 million).
"In order to be competitive and stand a chance against Vodafone and Orange, RCS&RDS must offer 95 percent coverage. Otherwise it risks repeating Cosmorom's history [Ed.n. Romtelecom's first mobile phone company, which closed down, and was eventually saved by rebranding as Cosmote]. Competition is not on the 3G market, but on that of mobile telephony," explained Oaca.
Vodafone was the first to enter the Romanian 3G market in April 2005, and currently has some 400,000 users of this service.
