white label deal signed in pakistan

AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE
FRESHTEL SIGNS WHITE LABEL DEAL WITH PAKISTAN’S INCUMBENT
TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER
Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, 18th September 2008: Freshtel Holdings Limited (ASX:FRE) has
announced today that it has signed a deal with Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited
(PTCL), Pakistan’s largest telecommunications provider, to provide pre-paid calling services in
the UK and Europe.
PTCL will target the lucrative pre-paid calling market in the UK and Europe by launching its own
branded version of Freshtel’s pre-paid calling solution which allows users to pay for call credit
online using credits or via vouchers and make calls over a fixed line, mobile or internet
telephone. All calls made using the service will be routed through Freshtel’s network.
The deal is a white label agreement meaning that Freshtel will provide the network, payment
and account management interface and customer support that makes up the solution, but it will
be marketed and distributed under the PTCL brand.
Under the terms of the deal, PTCL will pay Freshtel an annual licence fee to establish and
manage the service. Freshtel will also earn revenue for calls made over the Freshtel network by
PTCL customers using the pre-paid service.
With its new service, PTCL aims to bring the more than 1 million Pakistanis living in the UK and
Europe closer to their friends and families back home in Pakistan by offering a calling service
which is superior to traditional calling cards. It will include features such as unmatched call
quality, competitive call rates, speed dialling, online account management and a host of value
added services.
In the UK the pre-paid calling market is estimated to be worth more than £500 million per
annum1. In particular it is extremely popular with students, travellers and migrant communities.
Dr. Sadik Al-Jadir, Senior Executive Vice President (Commercial) from PTCL said:
“There is a very large Pakistani expatriate community in the UK and Europe that maintain strong
ties with friends and family back home in Pakistan. Our aim is to serve this community better by
delivering a greater value for money service with superior call quality and world class service
standards.”
“With Freshtel’s solution we are able to offer these consumers more choice and better value on
their calls to Pakistan and a range of functionality that exceeds the traditional offerings available
today. PTCL will be able to give consumers an alternative calling solution without gimmicks and
above all a solution that is trusted and reliable. Our goal is for the service to become the
preferred choice for calling friends and family in Pakistan and other international destinations.”
Rhonda O’Donnell, CEO of Freshtel Holdings said:
1 Source: Ofcom; Office of Communications UK
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/bulletins/comp_bull_index/comp_bull_ccases/closed_all/cw_007/