HKT, the telecom unit of PCCW group, has unveiled a new mobile service brand –‘csl.’ – which combines existing PCCW-HKT mobile brand and CSL’s existing mass market brand “one2free”.
HKT completed the acquisition of CSL New World Mobility on 14 May. As part of this acquisition, which was first announced in December, HKT re-acquired its previous mobile brands and can now use them again.
Alex Arena, HKT group managing director, said the company will adopt a three-brand strategy comprising the premium “1010” brand and the budget-conscious New World Mobility (NWM) brand [which is operated as a joint venture with Telecom Digital Mobile Limited], and "csl." as the mainstream "go-to-market brand’.
This three-brand strategy enables HKT, which is now Hong Kong’s largest mobile service operator by customer numbers, to address the mobile communication needs of all segments of the Hong Kong market, Arena added.
"We have built a very solid platform for our customers and we are now ready to go to market," Arena said yesterday at the launch of new brand.
As part of the integration, HKT has also streamlined its pricing plans by reducing the total number of monthly tariff plans from 52 to 27. The voice roaming app, WeChat data package and cloud storage have been added to the new mobile service plans.
In respond to the comment that HKT increased its monthly tariff plans, Arena said the company adjusted the monthly charges based on one2free's pricing and the public should not focus on price alone as csl has upgraded services to its customers.
"It's not a question of what the price is," Arena said. "We have already consolidated our customer base with better networks and better value-added services."
The integration of CSL's shops has also created the city's largest mobile retail network with 137 stores that offer the widest range of smartphone brands, from Apple to Xiaomi, Arena added.