Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1336093
6 INTERVIEW 4.2.2021 PAUL COCKS Why did the change in branding from Vodafone Malta to epic come about? While building on the technology, network and the team of Vodafone Malta, with new shareholders since April, it was evident that the brand had to change too. Epic is about bringing great quality service and great val- ue together. It is about using our network in a more inclusive way and helping everyone, including businesses, to unlock their full po- tential. Our rebranding is an opportunity for us to share and reflect this. After leaving Vodafone Group, we joined Europe's fastest growing telecoms family through Monaco Telecom bringing new op- portunities for Malta. Our shareholder net- work is present in Monaco, Cyprus, France, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland and soon also in Poland. Leading this group is Xavier Niel, a renowned technology entrepreneur. Xavier has continually invested in the telecommuni- cations sector across the world, opening the world's largest digital incubator, where he fi- nances more than 150 start-ups worldwide. In Paris, he founded a free software engineer- ing school, now considered as France's best software development school, and which is also present in Silicon Valley. Monaco Telecom's other shareholder is the Principality of Monaco, an investor with a long-term perspective, strong finances, and an appetite for innovation in high-end envi- ronments. In 2019, Monaco was the first state to launch 5G with nationwide coverage. To- gether, the Principality of Monaco and Xavier Niel have also launched a start-up incubator called MonacoTech. Our new shareholders bring innovation and unique international expertise gained in larg- er markets. However, they also have a deep understanding of the needs of small island states. So we believe that Malta has great po- tential. What will be the focus of epic, as a telecoms provider in Malta? Malta deserves a telecommunications com- pany that offers a state-of-the-art network and services with great value. A great net- work and great value can exist together, with- out one compromising the other. Epic is the company that delivers these for Malta. Our great network promise is focused on three elements: 1. Improving upon the great mobile net- work our customers were used to: in- cluding great mobile network in Malta and the best roaming experience out- side Malta with more than double the destinations than our closest competi- tor. 2. More than just mobile: creating all the services families and businesses need, including home and office internet even over fibre, telephony and more. 3. Promising continued investment: mak- ing our services simpler and easier to deal with, including new digital tools and services for our customers, like our new mobile application and our new web portal. Epic is also about great value. Following our rebranding, we have been offering revolu- tionary new offers for all segments: unlimited plans without 24 months lock-in contracts, new value top-up plans with double the mo- bile data, minutes and SMS when compared to the competition offering and our new un- limited plans for business. How will epic help business clients? Our epic journey has just started, however our mobile network is the same one which has been recognised as the most recommended network, time and time again. Our company has been known for the best international roaming service with the biggest roaming footprint. Raising the bar to improve it fur- ther, today we have an international roaming footprint of 220 countries and 175 4G roam- ing partner networks worldwide. More than double of our second-best competitor. With the launch of epic, we also launched Epic for Business and announced new mobile plans, including unlimited plans for business. However, Epic for Business is more than just a mobile service. We are evolving into a tech- nology company, offering not just mobile but a whole suite of services. In business we are already providing internet bandwidth, te- lephony, data centre services, international connectivity and more. We have a dedicated narrow-band IoT network for industrial ap- plications, connecting large number of sen- sors through applications and we will be de- veloping our portfolio for businesses further. When we say great network and value from epic, this means that we also provide solu- tions for all your communication needs, wherever you are. We also mean that we want to be simple to deal with. We will invest more in our customer service through new digital tools making it simpler and easier to use. Where does 5G feature in epic's immediate plans? Usually there are three benefits associated Helping everyone unlock epic CEO Tamas Banyai has over 20 years experience in the telecommunications industry and last year spearheaded the transition from Vodafone Malta to the new brand. He explains what epic stands for, highlights the challenges the company faces and shares his vision for the sector in the short and long term