Vodafone Germany has launched products that combine cable connectivity with its existing DSL plans, marking the first time that the operator has jointly sold services from the recently acquired Kabel Deutschland.
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Vodafone Germany CEO, Jens Schulte-Bockum |
Hailing what he described as a "new chapter' in the telecoms and TV market in the country, Vodafone Germany CEO Jens Schulte-Bockum said the joint product, Zuhause Plus, is now available in 600 stores and offers either DSL or cable connectivity depending on which is available. The company also continues to offer the DSL replacement service, LTE Zuhause, in separate plans.
In a blog post on Vodafone Germany's web site, Schulte-Bockum added that this is only the beginning: "We are now working on setting new standards for integrated communications," he said. "[Customers] will in future receive offers for mobile communications, cable and fixed network from a single source."
Schulte-Bockum said converged plans will be available from 2015, and added that Vodafone Germany now covers 97 per cent of German households with its DSL, cable and LTE networks, with speeds of up to 25 Mbps available to 50 per cent of households. Around 25 per cent of customers now have access to speeds of up to 100 Mbps thanks to the Kabel Deutschland cable network.
The CEO said the goal is to set 100 Mbps as the new standard for everyone when it comes to browsing the Internet, no matter which technology they are using.
Vodafone completed the acquisition of Kabel Deutschland in September last year, paying €7.7 billion ($10.6 billion) for the cable operator. The company then went on to buy Ono in Spain for €7.2 billion, although this deal is still subject to regulatory approval, and is looking for fixed assets in other markets such as Italy and Portugal.
The purpose of this spate of acquisitions is to enable the group to pursue a strategy of offering high-speed broadband and bundles of fixed and mobile services across its European footprint. The group is generally investing in network upgrade measures through its £7 billion (€8.5 billion) Project Spring programme, which was launched following the sale of Vodafone's 45 per cent stake in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion (€93.7 billion).
For more:
- see this Vodafone Germany post (translated by Google Translate)
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