Type Private Key people Erkan Tabak Owner Albtelecom Founded March 2008 | Industry Telecommunications Website www.eaglemobile.al Headquarters Tirana, Albania | |
Products Prepaid and postpaid mobile phones Motto Fluturo si Shqipojnë (Fly like an Eagle) | ||
Eagle Mobile is a mobile communication company that operates in Albania. It was created in March 2008 as a subsidiary of ALBtelecom, which had been privatized in October 2007, with a majority of shares sold by the Albanian government to a consortium of two Turkish companies, Calik Holding and Türk Telekom. Calik possesses 80% of the company and Türk Telekom 20%, Eagle Mobile.
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Background
Eagle Mobile is a brand of ALBtelecom company based in Albania. Eagle Mobile, entered as the 3rd operator of mobile telephony in Albania on 12 March 2008.
The operator was established on October 23, 2003 from the Albanian government as an integral part of ALBtelecom, a fixed telephony operator in Albania. The privatization started in 2005 and was finalized on September 28, 2007 when one of the biggest companies in Turkey. Çalik Group purchased 76% of the shares along with its partner Turk Telekom. The other part of shares 24% belong to the Albanian government.
Privatisation
The agreement was signed from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Energetic, Genc Ruli and the President of Çalik Holding, Ahmet Çalik, in Tirana. In March, the prime ministers of Albania and Turkey, Sali Berisha and Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted each other upon a symbolic "ALO” which opened officially the communication of Eagle Mobile, the company which carries the symbol of Albania and Albanians, the Eagle. Eagle Mobile put a new record by entering in the Albanian market of telecommunication on March 12, 2008. In a very short period of 6 months, Eagle Mobile covered the entire territory of the country by exceeding the limits of speed and predictions. On December 31, 2008, the company attained coverage by 97% of the population of the country and 90,7% of the territory of the country by providing services in the whole Albania. ALBtelecom and Eagle invested 150 million Euro until now, providing job possibilities to around 1000 Albanian professionals, the majority of them women. With the network made by more than 377 base stations Eagle has the best coverage with 92.5 percent of the territory and 98.5 percent of population.
The Eagle has more than 1,470,000 subscribers in Albania. Eagle Mobile has 150 shops across Albania.
The CEO of Eagle Mobile is Erkan Tabak.
Services
Eagle mobile is the third operator in Albania to provide 3G technology. In February 2012 a tender for the third 3G license in Albania where the minimum acceptable price was €12.5 million failed after Eagle mobile offered €3.55 million and Plus offered €3.55 million. Another tender was held in October of the same year. This time it was for two 3G licenses and the starting bid was 4 million euros. Eagle Mobile offered 4.355 million Euros while Plus only 1, making eagle the only one to acquire the 3G license. The first 3G license was won by Vodafone Albania, bidding 31,4 million Euros and the second one by AMC after a 15,1 million Euros bid.
In the beginning of 2013 Eagle Mobile launched its first 3G network, with coverage initially available in the region of Tirana, Fushëkruja and Airport.
Market share
Albania had in 2012 5.3 million subscribers (187% penetration rate), out of which there were 3.2 million active users (114% penetration rate). An active user is the number of users that communicated in the last three months.
The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Albania is the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority.