Tele2

Tele2 AB is a Swedish telecommunications operator headquartered in the Kista Science City, Stockholm, Sweden. It is a major telephone operator in Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Tele2 also has a 25% share in T-Mobile Netherlands. As of 7 September 2021, Tele2 and Deutsche Telekom have opted to rid themselves of T-Mobile Netherlands in a sale for an enterprise value of €5.1 billion.

Tele2 started as a telecommunications company in Sweden in 1993 by the company Investment AB Kinnevik. It previously operated in many other markets but the company has since divested its licences, sold to other operators or to management buy-outs in those markets.

Tele2 started operations in Russia in 2003 when it launched GSM network in several regions. Over this time the company has turned from a small regional mobile operator into a federal player. In 2013 Tele2 opened a new page in its history.

After ten years of successful work in Russia, Swedish Tele2 AB sold the Russian subdivision to VTB Group. In February 2014, Tele2 and Rostelecom announced consolidation of mobile assets on a Tele2 basis and setting up a new federal operator. The agreement opened new prospects for Tele2 development. The license portfolio of the new company covered entire Russian territory, which allows rolling out federal-scale networks. Besides, operator got frequencies to roll out 3G/4G networks in all federal districts as well as in Moscow. Already in August 2014 the number of regions penetrated by the new federal operator exceeded 60. Following integration, the company started providing a wide range of services including high-speed mobile Internet. In 2020 Rostelecom became Tele2’s sole shareholder: it increased its share in Tele2 up to 100%, having acquired 55% of stock from other entities.

Tele2 is focusing on the value for money concept and guarantees an excellent customer care. By implementing the lifestyle enabler strategy, Tele2 overcomes a trivial perception of a telecom operator and creates a new digital ecosystem of mobile-based services in partnership with leaders of other industries. Tele2 develops innovative products that reflect clients’ preferences and their lifestyle.

To support a new business strategy, Tele2 launched a new communications platform “Other rules” at the beginning of 2017. The company stopped copying the best practices and started developing its own revolutionary products. They are not only unique partnership services but also individual mobile offers that allow customers to tailor mobile tariffs to their needs. When developing new products, the operator relies on the principle “Honest. Simple. Profitable” and offers its clients only what they really need.

In 2019 Tele2 continued successfully implementing the “Other rules” strategy and quarterly showed two-digit growth rates of top line. The company’s revenue increased 15% y-o-y, whereas EBITDA surged 1.5-fold on a yearly basis.

Following consolidation with Rostelecom, Tele2 rapidly rolled out LTE networks all over Russia – the project was unique both in its scale and time of implementation. In 2019 Tele2 launched LTE networks in Yaroslavl and Ivanovo regions, thereby bringing the total number of regions up to 67. According to Roskomnadzor, Tele2 is leading in rates of the network rollout and taking the second place in a number of LTE stations.

When setting up infrastructure, Tele2 is seeking to achieve its maximum efficiency. Thorough network planning and most up-to-date equipment let the company provide reliable and low-cost services. At the same time, Tele2 uses technology and equipment that meet environmental safety requirements.

Tele2 implements a well-balanced and efficient social policy. The operator is cooperating with NGOs, regional governmental bodies, partners and media. This interaction allows Tele2 to achieve efficiency of social investment, amend and improve the CSR policy in compliance with the society’s real needs and best Russian practices. The company carries out and supports partnership projects in education, health, sports, culture and social entrepreneurship in various Russian regions.

The operator boosts economic growth in penetrated regions: Tele2 encourages fair competition, contributes to lower prices and better quality of mobile services.

Employment level rises, tax payments into local budgets increase and social programs expand in all regions where Tele2 is present.

All these factors contributed to improved standards of living in the regions. The company is seeking to beat license requirements and provide coverage not only in large cities but also remote places of the country. In 2016, Tele2 launched the LTE network in the 450 MHz spectrum under Skylink brand in Moscow, Leningrad, Tver and Novgorod regions. Launch of this technology contributed to elimination of digital divide in Russia thanks to high-quality coverage and high-speed data even in remote residential areas and villages without stable GSM coverage and high-speed Internet.

The Tele2 program for corporate clients lets businessmen cut expenses on mobile services and relieves clients from all organizational fuss. More people realize today that it is much more convenient to subscribe to corporate tariffs than compensate employees for calls from private phones. Businessmen may use special options to control the use of funds allocated to pay mobile services.

Tele2’s business is fast to develop so the company offers a lot of job opportunities. This is a good chance for the candidates to get an interesting job and become a part of a large mobile operator. Tele2 now counts over 8000 employees with most of them being young people.

The work of Tele2 managers is based on delegation of duties. While solving interesting practical tasks, young professionals feel personal responsibility and develop leadership qualities. Students who think about their future career may take part in Tele2 internship program. During their internship participants get experience in different Tele2 subdivisions. The company developed a mentorship system for the program. Young interns are working over large-scale and interesting projects under the guidance of experienced managers.

Facts and Figures

• Tele2 has operations in 67 Russian regions including Moscow and Moscow Region

• As of 2019, Tele2’s subscriber base totals 44.6 mn

• In January of 2017, Tele2 launches the lifestyle enabler strategy and the “Other rules” communications platform. It still allows the company to win new customers and retain loyalty of existing clients

• As a part of the “Other rules” strategy, the operator develops innovative services that have no equals on the Russian market

• Tele2 is the first and only MVNO “factory” in Russia. As of 2019 a number of MVNO clients on the Tele2 network exceeds 3.75 mn. The Tele2 infrastructure hosts over 20 MVNOs

• Tele2 staff counts over 8000 people