The Slovakian cellco SWAN Mobile, which trades under the 4ka brand, could lose its exclusive distribution agreement with the country’s network of post offices. A report from Zive cites Peter Helexa, CEO of Slovenska Post, as saying that it has reached out to all four cellcos – Orange, Slovak Telekom, O2 and 4ka – with a view to negotiating a new agreement with one or more operators.
The distribution deal with Slovenska Post helped 4ka establish itself when it joined an already competitive three-player market in October 2015; it now claims around 9% of all mobile subscribers in the country. The postal company has not yet decided whether it will sign another exclusive agreement with a single operator or begin distributing SIM cards for two or more cellcos. It has also not ruled out a branded joint venture with a mobile network operator (MNO). At one point it had been thought that Slovenska Post would acquire a stake in 4ka of up to 20%, but this option was dropped in January 2018.