[ad_1]
Last Thursday was the launch of WOM, the new mobile operator, which belongs to the Novator Partners group. In dialogue with Vanguardia, Chris Bannister, CEO of WOM in Colombia, detailed the plans they have for Santander.
The entrepreneur said that a very ambitious business plan has been created with which it is expected to invest one billion dollars in the country, of which 100 million dollars have already been invested. “It makes us the second private company with the highest foreign investment in the country.”
With these resources, it is expected to build the largest network in the country with 8,000 antennas over four years. In this way, WOM expects to reach 25% of the national market. “We will make it. The other three operators have a bad network and service and their prices are very high,” says Bannister.
With this investment, 121 towers and connection points would be ready in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area by the end of this year. “Between 800 and 900 antennas will be in Santander,” Bannister promised.
The company leader acknowledges that there are many populations lacking this service, so he points out that his purpose is to “connect the disconnected.”
Nationally, 675 locations located in rural areas are expected to be reached for the first time. It is expected that 300 will be connected by the end of this year.
It is expected that for the first four months of 2021, when approximately 500 municipalities are already connected, the service will begin to be provided. “We launched the brand to present it in the country. We are currently focusing on having a strong enough and high quality network so that the commercial offering is made in the first four months of next year. We have a commitment with Colombia, even in times of a pandemic, we are bringing people together ”.
work
The company expects to hire 2,500 people directly and around 5,000 indirect jobs. To date, 1,200 workers are building the network. In addition, three “data centers” have been built, two in Bogotá and one in Medellín.
To date, 57 people in Bucaramanga work with this company.
Bannister believes that in addition to building infrastructure, human talent is the key to success. “Colombia is sometimes very undervalued. I am surprised by the skills that Colombians have. It doesn’t matter if Bucaramanga employees come from the technical side or the commercial area. Its quality and workmanship is just as good as the Swedish cell phone experts. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting that, I’m pleasantly surprised. You have to show the world how talented the country is ”.
With the months he has worked in the country, Bannister claims to trust the people he hired to carry the project forward. “At the end of the day, anyone can build stations, it’s a matter of time and money. The differential factor is the culture of WOM and the commitment it manages to implant in each collaborator. Every person who belongs to the organization has a genuine desire to make change. 95% of employees in Chile are proud to work in the company, which is a guarantee to improve every day and offer the best service “.
In the country, women hire between 25 and 30 people each week. This will continue until it reaches its target of 2,500 workers. “We do very strong training so that the company’s DNA is imbued. Our four values are courage, commitment, passion and transparency. Much of my time is devoted to helping people understand expectations and internalize them, because that’s the key. These values must be at the center and in the decisions that the company makes “.
competition
Chris Bannister saw a great opportunity in Colombia to enter the competition, realizing that it is one of the countries with the highest rates in South America. “50 million people represent a fairly large potential market and the three major players are very comfortable with it. Colombians are not happy with their operator, they deserve much more than what they offer right now.
This competition would force other operators to improve their infrastructure and prices, as happened in Chile, which currently has the lowest average price per concert in Latin America.
The CEO of WOM is particularly critical of Claro’s dominance. “This actor has an influence on the telecommunications ecosystem. This has created a backlog in the sector, which is reflected in the high prices and low quality of services. Claro will influence the institutions so that WOM has problems when it comes into operation ”.
Indeed, lawsuits have already been filed for several factors such as the Avantel purchase and the spectrum auction, which forced WOM to pay $ 42 billion.
“There are over 10 trials that have taken place. The “dark side” (referring to Claro, Movistar and Tigo) created obstacles, but I am calm, all our actions were carried out in accordance with the law. We have worked with all authorities to prove it. The other operators exerted influence to delay, “Bannister said.
Despite the legal issues, WOM is pursuing its operational area focused on network building, hiring workers and commercial offering. “The legal issues in Colombia are long and vast. I have a legal team that provides information to various institutions ”.
Another problem to be solved is Avantel’s millionaire debt with its suppliers, including Claro, Movistar and Tigo. “To get out of that bankruptcy law, it is necessary to start a process with the Superintendency. 82% of creditors approved the repayment plan, but surprisingly the 18% who did not approve it came from the “dark side”. However, everyone will pay their debt, including them. ”
The company
The history of WOM dates back to 2005 in Poland, when Novator obtained the license to be the fourth operator in this country, whose market was dominated by Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile.
“Being a small independent company, the industry thought we wouldn’t have a chance to be successful or have a significant market share because we were about to compete with three giants,” recalled Bannister.
The CEO of WOM assured that 1.1 billion euros have been invested in Poland to connect more than 2,500 people through the Play brand. “We exceeded expectations and beat the other three operators. Today we are number one, with 28% of the market ”.
After working in telecommunications in Africa, the new bet was Latin America. Five years ago WOM was launched in Chile. “The prices there were very high and the services were not good. There was a very large market concentration in Claro, Movistar and Entel, which belongs to the richest family in Chile, “says Bannister.
In Chile, 800 million dollars have been invested, more than 2,000 people have been hired and more than 200 stores have been built. After five years of activity, WOM represents 23% of the Chilean market, surpassing Claro.
.
[ad_2]
Source link
