Companies say Viola Mobile is not a new MVNO or mobile provider
MTEL Austria has deepened its partnership with Vienna-based football club Austria Wien to launch new mobile plans, dubbed Viola Mobile, which the mobile operator claimed was the first time a tariff packages have been created explicitly for a single company.
MTEL will provide the SIMs and plans while the football club uses its marketing strength to attract fans to sign up. Its first ‘Viola Mobile Kick’ tariff includes 19.11GB for use in the EU zone and the “MTEL Zone” – countries where MTEL is operating. Domestic fans will also receive unlimited voice calls and SMS in Austria. The MVNO uses the A1 Telekom Austria network.
The tariff is €8.50 and is automatically renewed every 28 days. The SIM card was specially made for this partnership and is now available in all MTEL Austria shops, in the FK Austria Wien fan shop and online on the Viola Mobile website. The plan is to roll it out to other stores in Austria.
Fans also contribute to children’s and youth sports with every contract concluded, because part of the turnover goes directly to the Austria Academy.
Chasing the Serbian diaspora
MTEL Austria’s move demonstrates how MVNOs are looking to expand their businesses to new market sectors. It gives MTEL the opportunity to target segments beyond its usual Serbian diaspora.
MTEL Austria already has more than 200,000 customers and MTEL Switzerland is continuing to grow. The MVNO – which was created through a merger of GO4YU and MTEL Austria – also has operations in North Macedonia. MTEL Deutschland GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of MTEL Austria, which in turn, is a 100% subsidiary of MTEL Global d.o.o. Beograd. Telekom Srbija holds a 59% interest in the latter group.
In June, the Serbian state-owned telecommunications operator announced it would be offering its services in Germany from July as part of an expansion plan that includes Turkey and the US, Belgrade-based media reported.
“On 17 July, we will begin to sell our [SIMs] in Germany, online, through our portal and through twelve distributors, and we plan to open 30 branches within a year,” CEO Vladimir Lucic said in an interview with state broadcaster RTS. “We realise that there is a huge potential in the diaspora because we have the content and digital services that they want. In addition to Austria, we expanded to Switzerland last year.”
German kick-off
MTEL Germany SIM cards were initially made available in 11 selected shops in North Rhine-Westphalia. The plans offer unlimited calls and SMS and generous data packages. Customers will become part of the “MTEL Zone” giving unlimited use of call minutes, SMS and data across all of Telekom Srbija’s subsidiaries operating in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Switzerland, Austria and Germany.
In Germany MTEL plans to include other products such as landline internet and money transfers next year.