Mobile phone provider HoT and parent company Ventocom will continue their growth path in 2023 and are now starting the new year with the first 5G rates. Ventocom boss Michael Krammer announced this on Wednesday.
With 1.44 million customers (plus 100,000 compared to 2022), Ventocom (with the brands HoT, Raiffeisen mobil and LIWEST) achieved an operating result (EBIT) of 11.2 million euros, an increase of 1.3 million euros year-on-year. -year, Krammer calculated. Turnover from services increased by 12 percent to 130 million euros, generated by 80 employees. In Austria the market share is ten percent (prepaid cards: 38 percent), in Slovenia 5.5 percent and in the prepaid area 31 percent.
Austrians are still very willing to switch, and Krammer expects the next boost to come in April, when mobile phone rates are adjusted for inflation, meaning prices are expected to rise by 7.8 percent.
HoT wants to appeal to people who are willing to change
New customers would then be lured from the market with cheap rates, while existing customers would have to swallow the price increase without switching providers – but this does not apply to HoT. “We will never become more expensive, only better or cheaper, automatically for all existing customers,” says Krammer.
Mobile phone users in Austria are very price sensitive, which he noted at HoT because rates are often canceled for short periods during the holiday periods. There was also an increase in temporary logouts during the coronavirus pandemic, when many customers used Wi-Fi in their home offices.
Start of 5G now also at HoT
On Wednesday, Krammer also presented the entry into the 5G market with an additional package for existing HoT rates of five euros, which can be booked monthly. Sales partner Hofer currently offers four 5G mobile phones, the starting price is 129 euros.
Krammer sees virtually no advantage of 5G over 4G for normal smartphone use – the exception being large events such as concerts or football matches when 4G reaches its capacity limit locally. However, 5G makes sense for mobile broadband internet, especially in times of very intensive network use, such as in the early evening hours.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
