Orange switches to an entirely independent network - Orange ends its National Roaming Service with Swisscom Mobile
Lausanne (ots)
In just four years Orange has built up its very own, ultra-modern network stretching across Switzerland and offering coverage to more than 98% of the population. Thanks to this excellent network, Orange is no longer reliant on the National Roaming Service offered in partnership with Swisscom Mobile and will switching-off this service between 14 and 28 July 2003.
The National Roaming Service offered in conjunction with Swisscom Mobile enabled Orange Switzerland to operate as a mobile network with national coverage right from its market launch in 1999, using the network of Swisscom Mobile in those regions across Switzerland where the network quality was as yet insufficient. "We are very grateful to Swisscom Mobile for their collaboration," stresses Andreas S. Wetter, Orange Switzerland CEO. "Our roaming agreement helped us to reach a true level of competitiveness and it was this competitiveness that took the Orange customer base up to around one million customers at today's figures."
To date, Orange has invested some three billion Swiss francs in its network. At present, the Orange network can be accessed by in excess of 98% of the Swiss population. Therefore Orange does not depend anymore on the National Roaming Service with Swisscom Mobile. Orange will be switching-off the National Roaming Service with Swisscom Mobile between 14 and 28 July 2003. The 1,500 or so Orange staff in Switzerland have been thoroughly testing the performance of the independent Orange network for several weeks already and the positive results obtained have ensured that the next step can now be taken, offering this same step for all of Orange's customers.
"We currently provide coverage to more than 98% of the Swiss population, but we won't stop there," explains CEO Andreas S. Wetter. "The Orange aim is to provide access to mobile communications to as many people as possible across the whole of Switzerland and we are pulling out all of the steps to bridge the few remaining gaps in rural areas. For this we are relying on the support of those individuals and communities able to assist us in putting additional site."
Contact:
Therese Wenger
Media Relations
Tel. +41/21/216'10'16
Fax +41/21/216'10'15
Orange +41/78/787'10'16
E-mail: therese.wenger@orange.ch
Website: http://www.orange.ch
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