Lattelecom

Lattelecom

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Type	limited liability company
Industry	IT&T
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Rīga, Latvia
Key people	Juris Gulbis (CEO)
Services	Voice services, Internet, TV, Data services, IT products and services, Lattelecom shop
Revenue	LVL 160,4 (2008)
Employees	2888 (2008)
Website	http://www.lattelecom.lv

Lattelecom (previously Lattelekom) is a Latvian internet service provider and telecommunications company.

The Lattelecom group provides IT, telecommunication and outsourced business process solutions that are provided by all of the companies of the group. Lattelecom Group is made up of five companies - SIA Lattelecom, Lattelecom BPO, Citrus Solutions and Lattelecom Technology with its subsidiary Baltic Computer Academy. The Lattelecom Group is the leading provider of electronic communications services in Latvia that offers electronic communication solutions for home, small and medium size businesses, state and municipal institutions, as well as for corporate clients.

51% of Lattelecom 51% shares are owned by the Latvian government, but the remaining 49% - by the Scandinavian company TeliaSonera AB. Lattelecom in turn owns 23% of the Latvian mobile operator’s Latvijas mobilais telefons shares.

Lattelecom history

A Latvian state-owned telecommunications company Lattelecom (formerly called Lattelekom) was registered with the Enterprise Register on January 9, 1992. Nearly two years later – on December 22, 1993 the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia approved the commissions decision to announce the British and Finnish consortium TILTS Communications the winner of the tender „On the modernisation of Latvia’s telecommunications network”, and the company became a strategic investor in Lattelekom. On January 14, 1994 the agreement with TILTS Communications was concluded and SIA Lattelekom established. As a result of privatisation 49% of the company’s shares were procured by two foreign investors - Cable and Wireless and Telecom Finland which later became a part of the Swedish telecommunications company TeliaSonera AB.

Cable and Wireless later sold its shares to TeliaSonera, as a result of which 51% of the company’s shares are presently owned by the Latvian government, but 49% - by TeliaSonera. Until January 1, 2003 the company held monopoly on fixed voice communication services thereby turning into the leading fixed telephony operator.

Lattelecom Group

Lattelecom Group consists of five companies: SIA Lattelecom, SIA Lattelecom BPO, SIA Citrus Solutions, SIA Lattelecom Technology and the subsidiary owned by the latter - SIA Baltijas Datoru Akadēmija. Lattelecom is specialised in providing Internet, voice and TV services. Lattelecom BPO offers client service solutions, business process outsourcing (BPO), and 1188 directory inquiry services. Lattelecom Technology provides integrated IT solutions and services. Baltijas Datoru Akadēmija is a training and certification centre providing services to information and communication technology (ICT) professionals and users, whereas Citrus Solutions that is formed through separating the former Network Maintenance Division from the parent company Lattelecom offers integrated network infrastructure construction and security system solutions.

Lattelecom Internet

Lattelecom is the country’s largest internet service provider. Lattelecom offers various Internet connection types - broadband DSL Internet, fibre optic GPON Internet, wireless solutions - WiMAX and mobile CDMA technology based Internet. In the vicinity of Lattelecom payphone booths located in Latvia’s most densely populated urban areas customers can also access Lattelecom wireless (Wi-Fi)Internet.

Fibre optic Internet

In 2009 Lattelecom started offering residential fibre optic services with up to 100 megabits per second high Internet bandwidth. Zolitude was the first residential area in Riga where the Lattelecom fibre optic Internet service was made available (in January 2009), followed later by Kengarags, Purvciems, Plavnieki, Ziepniekkalns and other locations. Jelgava was the first city where fibre optic Internet was made available from areas other than Riga, but late in 2009 the Lattelecom fibre optic service was also made accessible in other cities, such as Daugavpils, Salaspils, etc. Initially, fibre optic network expansion work was carried out in the newly-built dwelling areas in Riga and other largest cities of the country the rational being that return on the investment in the development of the network is possible to attain only if the newly connected building has at least 30 apartments.

The service is provided using GPON technology that enables 100 megabits per second bandwidth accessible from any connection point (apartment). In September 2009 an announcement was made that Lattelecom had upgraded its fibre optic bandwidth up to 500 megabits per second. Early in 2010 the company advised that the Lattelecom fibre optic Internet had been made available to 100 000 households - 88 000 located in Riga, 6500 – in Jelgava, 4500 – in Daugavpils and 1000 – in Salaspils. In April 2010 the Lattelecom fibre optic Internet is likely to be used by as many as 19 000 households, but it's available in 150 000 households. Lattelecom also reported, that it invested in optical network building 10 million lats.

Lattelecom TV

Lattelecom offers three types of TV service – Internet based Apollo.lv accessible to all Lattelecom Internet users, Terrestrial TV (DTTV) and Interactive TV that gives the customer a freedom of choice as to what and when to watch.

Interactive TV

A new generation television that enables interactivity – allows the customer to choose what and when to watch. Lattelecom Interactive TV is a high-definition television service that provides diverse functionality, such as virtual rent a video, timeshift, recording of programmes and films, etc. The Interactive TV signal is transmitted over a broadband Internet connection that enables access to both the Internet and TV using a single wire (telephone line). From the customer point of view this means that there is no need to install additional cabling, or set up a satellite dish.

Digital Terrestrial TV

As of the early part of 2009 and after having won the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia tender, Lattelecom jointly with the Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC) has been implementing the transition from analogue to digital TV broadcasting system.

Lattelecom Terrestrial TV enables digital over-the-air broadcasting of TV signals that can be received using an indoor or external aerial. The existing analogue customers that watch TV using an indoor or external aerial will have to procure a TV decoder in order to continue doing so. As scheduled, Terrestrial TV is likely to provide free access to all national channels of the country - LTV1, LTV7, LNT, TV3 and TV5 .

Late in 2009 Lattelecom had 55 thousand TV customers – Interactive TV was used by 43 thousand customers, but Terrestrial TV pay packages – by around 12 thousand. As at the beginning of April 2010 the Lattelecom Terrestrial TV service was regularly used by 150 to 160 thousand households in total.

Privatisation

Lattelecom is a former state-owned telecommunications company. In 1994, 49% of the company's stock was sold to two foreign investors, Cable and Wireless and Telecom Finland, which is now part of TeliaSonera. Cable and Wireless later sold its stake to TeliaSonera, which now owns 49% of the company. The remaining 51% of the company still belongs to Latvian government.

Monopoly

Until relatively recently, Lattelecom had a monopoly rights on fixed-line voice communications in Latvia, which ended on January 1, 2003.^{[citation needed]} The Latvian fixed telecommunications market is now open to competition but Lattelecom still has an overwhelming share of the market, and the company is also one of leading internet service providers in Latvia and is one of the owners of Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, Latvia's largest cell phone operator.

Lattelecom brand name

On May 18, 2006 Lattelecom implemented the so-called rebranding, replacing the existing corporate brand name with a new brand name. The change aimed to improve the correlation between the Lattelecom brand name, products and services, and attain higher efficiency of communication and costs and position Lattelecom as a market leader, justifying it with sufficient proof. Prior to 2006, the company had already undergone reorganisation, procuring also a new company (SIA Lattelecom Technology), whereby the change of the brand name marked the termination of said conversion process – the new brand name combined into one great whole all Groups companies that were directly engaged in providing customer services, client business process outsourcing and IT&T and content services.

The official company name SIA Lattelekom was changed to SIA Lattelecom. The name of the IT service provider SIA MicroLink Latvia was changed to Lattelecom Technology, whereas SIA C1 that had been engaged in business process outsourcing business was renamed SIA Lattelecom BPO. Given the business specifics, the name of the network construction and maintenance company SIA Citrus Solutions remained as is. In addition, Citrus Solutions also attained its individual graphical identity that differs from that of the other Groups companies, as the company provides services to external IT&T companies that are believed to be Lattelecom Group competitors.

Changing the brand of the company allegedly produced some advantages - a unified and powerful brand strengthens the reputation of the whole concern and helps the company to compete more successfully in different markets. In the long-term, the brand provides an added value for new products, fosters the development of partner relationships with other enterprises, helps human resource activities and serves as a symbol of quality, trustworthiness, and guarantee for customers.

Logotype

Changing the brand of the company meant not only changing the name and structure of the company, but also giving a new visual and graphical identity to the company – a logotype, corporate colours, work clothing and vehicle marking. The previous logotype was created after Latvia’s Third National Awakening and symbolised the green forests and red- white-red flag of the country, featuring a telephone dial in it. By 2006 Lattelecom had ceased to be just a telecommunications company, and the previous brand name and logotype no longer impersonated the company’s today, nor did it reflect its future development. The Lattelecom new logo comprises the company name which integrates a TT image featured in the corporate brick red colour. The TT image stands for the role of communication in human life - the need to keep in touch, be knowing, share the information and take advantage of the benefits offered by fast and easy communication. The logotype characterises Lattelecom as a company open to new people and new ideas, whilst welcoming also to use technologies in all areas where these can enhance and contribute to our lives.

The disadvantage of the new brand is however that "Lattelecom" cannot be pronounced correctly in Latvian if pronounced according to Latvian language rules. The "c" in Latvian is generally pronounced as a sort of "ts". This led to considerable confusion with Lattelecom employees and customers, as the "telecom" part of the brand was not recognizable in Latvian as being related to telecommunication services.

Profits and performance

As of 2008, Lattelecom employs about 2,900 people, has total annual revenues of 160,4 million lats (approximately $334 million (US))and profit of 29,7 million lats (approximately $62 million (US)).

Headcount

As at late in 2008 Lattelecom Group employed 2888 persons.

In the survey conducted by the recruitment company SIA WorkingDay Latvia Lattelecom was listed the third most preferred employer in 2009 (listed as number one was SIA Latvijas Mobilais telefons, followed by airBaltic as number two). In the last years survey Lattelecom was listed the fifth to this effect.

Mission, vision and values

In 2009 the new Lattelecom mission, vision and values were made public. Positioned as the company’s mission is the need "To provide more opportunity to customers at the century of information ", and the vision - "In three years time to become the best customer service company in Latvia ". Lattelecom has also listed its three key values - "Focus on customers", "Initiative" and "Responsibility".

See also

Latvia

External links

• Lattelecom's English site