ALBtelecom Mobile
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | March 2008 |
| Founder | ALBtelecom |
| Headquarters | Tirana , Albania |
Area served | Albania |
Key people | Tahsin Yilmaz (CEO) |
| Products | Mobile telecommunications services, 3G network |
| Owner | Çalik Holding (80%), Türk Telekom (20%) |
Number of employees | 1000 |
| Parent | ALBtelecom |
ALBtelecom Mobile, previously known as Eagle Mobile, was an Albanian mobile telecommunications provider established in March 2008 as a subsidiary of ALBtelecom, which underwent privatization in October 2007. The controlling ownership was held by a Turkish consortium consisting of Calik Holding (80%) and Türk Telekom (20%).
Background
Eagle Mobile, the original brand under ALBtelecom, commenced operations as Albania's third mobile network operator on 12 March 2008. Having been part of ALBtelecom since its inception in 2003, the company shifted direction following ALBtelecom's privatization completed in September 2007. The Çalik Group secured 76% of the shares together with Türk Telekom, while the Albanian government maintained a 24% stake.
Privatization
The privatization deal was formalized in Tirana by Albania’s Minister of Economy and the President of Çalik Holding. Eagle Mobile launched with significant backing from both Albanian and Turkish governments. Within half a year, it attained near-complete national coverage, reaching 97% of the population and covering 90.7% of Albania’s territory by the end of 2008.
Together, ALBtelecom and Eagle invested €150 million and generated approximately 1,000 employment opportunities, primarily benefiting women. With a network comprising over 377 base stations, Eagle Mobile provided extensive coverage—covering 92.5% of the country’s territory and 98.5% of its population. By 2013, its subscriber base exceeded 1.47 million customers across 150 retail locations.
Tahsin Yilmaz serves as the CEO of ALBtelecom Mobile.
Display Name
The network’s display identifier is ALBtelecom, although some devices might still display the former name EAGLE AL.
Services
As Albania’s third mobile operator to offer 3G services, ALBtelecom Mobile (formerly Eagle) participated in multiple license auctions. In February 2012, a tender for the third 3G license with a minimum bid of €12.5 million failed after Eagle Mobile and Plus each submitted offers of €3.55 million. A subsequent auction in October 2012 offered two licenses starting at €4 million; Eagle Mobile placed a winning bid of €4.355 million for one license, while Plus bid only €1. Vodafone Albania and AMC acquired the first two licenses for €31.4 million and €15.1 million respectively.
In early 2013, Eagle Mobile unveiled its initial 3G network rollout, covering Tirana, Fushë-Krujë, and the airport vicinity.
By 2012, Albania's total mobile subscriber count reached approximately 5.3 million (187% penetration), with about 3.2 million active users (114% penetration). Active users are defined as those who had engaged in communication within the preceding three months.
The sector is regulated by the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority.
| Rank | Operator | Technology | Subscribers (millions) |
Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vodafone | GSM-900/1800 UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, 4G, 4G+ |
1.839 or 34.76% (2012) | Vodafone |
| 2 | Telekom | GSM-900/1800 UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, 4G, 4G+ |
1.736 or 32.82% (2012) | Deutsche Telekom |
| 3 | ALBtelecom Mobile | GSM-900/1800 UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, 4G |
1.304 or 24.66% (2012) | Albtelecom |
| 4 | Plus | GSM-900/1800 | 0.410 or 7.76% (2012) | Plus Communication |