News
Astelit rolls out new lifecell brand in wake of takeover by Turkcell.
In welcome news for anyone who has long believed that a smiley face doesn’t belong in a brand name, the Ukraine’s Astelit has renamed its mobile operation.
Turkcell-owned Astelit has dropped its life 🙂 brand in favour of lifecell, bringing it into line with the branding style of its parent company.
The Turkish operator acquired the 44.96% of Astelit it did not already own for US$100 million in June last year, leaving it as the sole owner of the telco. At the time it said the Ukraine would serve as a test bed for the development of its international operations.
In the rebrand announcement, Astelit explained that the Ukraine is the first market in which Turkcell is implementing its home market practices and innovation, as well as using its "vast experience" to progress.
"This was one of the important reasons for changing the brand," it said.
Under the lifecell brand, Astelit will continue to operate as a multi-service provider, it added. It also noted that its goal is to be equally relevant for consumers with smartphones as for corporate customers.
When it comes to licensing new technologies, the Ukraine lags behind much of the rest of the world though. Lifecell launched 3G services as recently as mid-2015, the country having awarded licences earlier in the year.
It aims to start the 4G licensing process within the next two years.
