Romanian cableco and fixed broadband market leader RCS&RDS has disclosed that its DigiMobil-branded cellular network division will expand its network of 900MHz 3G base stations to a total of 500 sites by the end of this year, up from its existing total of nearly 300 UMTS-900 base stations in 28 cities. As reported by business news publication ZF.ro, Ovidiu Bejan, commercial director of DigiMobil, confirmed that the additional 200 3G antennas (sites) in the 900MHz band would increase coverage in both urban and rural areas; the goal in urban zones being to increase signal quality both indoor and outdoor. TeleGeography notes that DigiMobil augmented its existing 2100MHz 3G network covering over 230 cities/towns (launched in 2007) by switching on UMTS-900 cell sites in April 2014 when the licensed 900MHz spectrum became valid, while also that month agreeing a new nationwide mobile voice/data roaming agreement with Vodafone Romania.
Following its April ‘relaunch’ campaign, Bejan affirmed that DigiMobil is the fastest growing service in RCS&RDS’ portfolio, without giving details of DigiMobil’s share of total group revenue, nor any updated information on the number of mobile customers. The executive did note that the largest share of DigiMobil customers are existing subscribers to RCS&RDS’ pay-TV/fixed broadband/fixed telephony services, although adding that some customers opt for standalone mobile services, some of whom subsequently sign up for fixed network products, again without giving actual figures.