Cosmote

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COSMOTE Milestones

Check out the most important milestones in COSMOTE's history in Greece and across SE Europe

1998

  • April: COSMOTE launches commercial operations in Greece
  • December: The company's customer base reaches 300,000, representing an estimated 14.5% market share

1999

  • March: COSMOTE posts positive EBITDA in less than one year of commercial operations
  • November: COSMOTE’s telecommunications network offers 97% population coverage
  • December: Customers reach 1 million

2000

  • August: Acquires 85% share capital of the Albanian mobile operator AMC, through its subsidiary COSMO-HOLDING ALBANIA
  • October: Shares listed on the Athens and London Stock Exchanges
  • December: The company’s customer base reaches 2 million with a market share of 35%

2001

  • January:In a joint venture with OTE and OTEnet, COSMOTE assumes sponsorship of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games, in the field of telecommunications, as Grand National Sponsor
  • March: Among the first operators in Europe, rolls out nationwide GPRS network and launches 2.5G services
  • June: Becomes the leader in the Greek mobile telephony market, with a customer base of over 2.5 million and an estimated market share of approximately 36.5%
  • July: Acquires a 3rd generation (UMTS) license in Greece

2002

  • December: Customer base exceeds 3.5 million in Greece and 500,000 in Albania

2003

  • January: Assumes management of OTE Group’s mobile assets in Bulgaria & FYROM, GLOBUL and COSMOFON respectively
  • June:
    • COSMOTE rolls out 3G network
    • COSMOFON begins commercial operations in FYROM

2004

  • May: Launches 3G services in Greece
  • August: Successfully contributes to the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games as Grand National Sponsor

2005

  • July: Concludes acquisition of 70% stake of the Romanian mobile operator COSMOROM, today COSMOTE Romania
  • August: Acquires 100% share capital of GLOBUL, in Bulgaria, and COSMOFON, in FYROM
  • October: COSMOTE presents its new corporate identity, marking its development from a domestic mobile operator to one of the strongest players in SE Europe
  • December: COSMOTE Romania begins commercial operations

2006

  • May: The acquisition of GERMANOS, the most successful telecommunications retail chain in SE Europe, is announced
  • June:
    • COSMOTE, first in Greece and among the first in Europe, launches HSDPA broadband services
    • COSMOTE ranks among the top performers in the IT industry worldwide according to BusinessWeek’s Information Technology 100 list, being the only Greek company in the list

2007

  • February: COSMOTE launches broadband Internet services (ADSL) in combination with mobile telephony services, for the first time in the Greek market
  • June: For the second year in a row, COSMOTE is the only Greek company included in the IT 100 list of BusinessWeek magazine, vaulting to the 26th place, from the 80th in 2006
  • September: Panagis Vourloumis becomes company CEO and Michael Tsamaz Deputy CEO
  • October: COSMOTE Romania exceeds 3 million customers
  • November: OTE submits a voluntary tender offer to acquire all COSMOTE common shares
  • December: COSMOTE Group customer base exceeds 15.5 million

2008

  • April:
    • Almost eight years after being listed, COSMOTE’s share ceases trading on April 1st, 2008 – the company’s share price has made an impressive increase by 179% in relation to the 2.6% of the General Index during the same period
    • On April 6, COSMOTE celebrates 10 years of commercial operations
  • June: The Greek Parliament validates the Shareholders' Agreement between the Greek State and Deutsche Telekom A.G.
  • December: The Group’s client base exceeds 20 million

2009

  • February: With the key message “Our world is you” COSMOTE presents its new corporate communication and renews its promise to see the world through the eyes of its customers
  • March:
    • COSMOTE signs agreement for the acquisition of 12.6% stake of AMC, owned by the Albanian State thereby increasing it’s participation in the company to 95%
    • COSMOTE launches iphone 3GS
  • May: The transfer of 100% of COSMOFON and GERMANOS TELECOM AD SKOPJE to Telekom Slovenije is completed
  • June: Announces agreement for the acquisition of Telemobil S.A. (Zapp) in Romania
  • July: COSMOTE’s population network coverage reaches 99.8%
  • October: Telemobil S.A. (Zapp) acquisition by COSMOTE Group is concluded following approval by the Romanian Authorities
  • December: COSMOTE customers exceed 9.2 million

2010

  • March: COSMOTE launches for the first time in Greece broadband Internet services with data downloading speeds of up to 28.8 Mbps, the fastest in the market
  • May: COSMOTE’s network, first in Greece and among the first 10 worldwide, records broadband downlink data speeds up to 42.2 Mbps on trials under real network conditions
  • April: COSMOTE Romania launches broadband 3G services with speeds of 21.6 Mbps
  • June: GLOBUL acquires additional spectrum with the aim to further enhance and upgrade its 3G network
  • July: COSMOTE prepares to introduce first new pilot LTE technology network with 100Mbps speeds - the company has filed a licensing request for pilot LTE tests to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks
  • October: COSMOTE CEO, Mr. Michael Tsamaz, is awarded with the "Manager of the Year" Award, during the 12th International Info-ComWorld Conference
  • November: The OTE Board of Directors appoints Mr. Michael Tsamaz as Chairman and CEO of OTE. He is also Chairman and CEO of COSMOTE
  • December: Mr. Dimitris Blatsios is appointed AMC CEO

2011

  • February: COSMOTE, increasing its mobile Internet average speed by 40%, introduces new broadband speeds up to 42.2 Mbps (Downlink) and 5.8 Mbps (Uplink)
  • May: COSMOTE Romania is the champion of portability services with 126,671 ports-in during the 2.5 years period since the services’ launch, according to the report published by the Romanian regulator, ANCOM
  • September: COSMOTE’s 3G network offers the widest population coverage in Greece -@ over 98% - according to official data submitted to the National Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT)
  • October: AMC is the highest bidder in the tender for the second 3G mobile license in Albania
    GLOBUL celebrates 10 year anniversary in the Bulgarian market
  • November: COSMOTE acquires additional spectrum in the 900 & 1800 MHz bands and renews its current licence in the 900MHz band in the auction conducted by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission.

2012 

  • January: AMC launches 3rd generation services in Albania, only 3 months following the 3G license acquisition
  • March: OTE & COSMOTE offer approx. 500,000 euro to child care NGOs as part of the "Custom of Love" programme
  • April: AMC’s 3G population coverage reaches 98% in record time.

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