Telecom operators Vodafone Romania and 2K Telecom seize EUR 10mln contract with the Romanian state

UPDATE: “For the contract of telecommunication services for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vodafone Romania is competing against 2K Telecom and its subcontractors- Romtelecom, UPC Romania, Orange Romania and RCS-RDS. Under the contracts signed after the tender, both Vodafone Romania and 2K Telecom will submit individual offers for each unit/institution under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI). The selection of the winner- be it 2K Telecom, be it Vodafone Romania- will be made following competition between these two companies,” according to an official announcement of telecom operator Vodafone Romania.

The Vodafone official announcement came to correct a media information which said that the two companies won together a contract for providing communications services worth RON 47.6 million, VAT included (EUR 10.5 million, VAT included) to the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) over the next three years.

In total, the services will be used across 1,955 units of the MAI.

Operator 2K Telecom has leased works to Romtelecom, UPC Romania, Orange Romania and RCS&RDS, according to the data available on the website www.e-licitatie.ro, quoted by Mediafax.

In 2012, 2K Telecom posted a turnover of RON 59 million, maintaining at the same level as during the previous year, according to Mediafax newswire.

2K Telecom is mostly a family business, with Alexandru Ghita (the brother of Sebastian Ghita, deputy in the Social Democrat Party as well as owner of Asesoft group and Romania TV station) controlling 67.12 percent of the shares, Vasile Domente having a stake of 8.05 percent and Vasile Radu with 24.83 percent.

Vodafone Romania is the second telecom player in Romania by revenues and custmer base. At September 30, 2013, the mobile carrier had 8,182,923 customers. Vodafone Romania should soon announce a new CEO after it emerged that Inaki Berroeta will be deployed at the Australian branch of the company.