Under the patronage and in the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Telecommunications Jamal Jarrah, Alfa, managed by Orascom TMT, launched its new Alfa Flagship Store, the first of its kind in Lebanon, at its headquarters in Parallel Towers - Dekwaneh. The opening of the Store is part of Alfa's strategy to provide the highest level of service speed and quality and the latest mobile and electronic devices, in addition to offering customers on the spot consultation and services, same as in other modern stores in the world.
The event was attended by MPs Mohammed Al-Hajjar, Alain Aoun, Ziad Qadri and Simon Abi Rumia, Alfa CEO and Chairman Marwan Hayek, the General Director of Construction and Equipment at the Ministry of Telecommunications Naji Andraos, the General Director of Investment and Maintenance at the Ministry of Telecommunications Bassel Al Ayoubi, the Minister’s advisor Nabil Yamout, the Head of Owner Supervisory Board Naji Abboud, as well as representatives of supplier companies and the media, and Alfa’s administrative staff.
The ceremony began with a tour in the Flagship store during which the Alfa staff presented the integrated and modern services that will be provided to customers. In addition, a documentary was broadcasted showing the store’s different completion stages. Alfa's technical team then did a live demo of 4G+ advanced services, with the live speed reaching up to 500 megabits per second, which reflects the high speeds provided by the Alfa 4G+ network across Lebanon. The team also gave a presentation on the Alfa Smart Home service which was launched alongside the flagship store opening. Minister Jarrah, Mr. Hayek and the attendees also visited the Networks Operations Center, where they had in a tour in the center which monitors the network’s performance accurately and in real time.
Hayek
After welcoming the attendees at the opening of the prestigious Alfa Flagship Store, Hayek said, “Following the wish of many people to have offers, stores and outlets like those made available abroad by global operators, we have opened this modern store, which is the first of its kind in Lebanon. This is yet another achievement by Alfa, managed by Orascom TMT, thanks to a modern vision and a strong will, with funding and support from the Ministry of Telecommunications. This achievement would not have been complete without the creative vision of designer Ferdinand Djurovic, the Alfa Stores artist, in addition to the perfect execution by FMC, and the efforts of the Alfa team who worked around the clock to make this project happen”.
“We have harnessed all our energy, and the result is exceptional: a store with the latest technology offering a modern experience to customers that will cater to the needs of two thousand Alfa subscribers each month. It will feature a section showcasing various mobile and electronic devices for various brands alongside all the services offered and launched by Alfa, such as Alfa Smart Home, which we are also launching today”.
“The new design will be adopted in all Alfa stores, and we have already started working on two Flagship stores in the Unesco area and in Bikfaya. We will soon have presence in Downtown Beirut, in addition to Jounieh, Jbeil, Tripoli, Saida, Chtaura, Halba and Nabatiyeh, knowing that the expansion plan consists of reaching 20 Alfa stores across all regions”.
Hayek added, "In addition to the Alfa-owned and directly managed Stores network, we have adopted this year the concept of co-branding with key distributors, which will involve 120 stores in 2017 and reach 250 stores by the end of 2018. We are also present through 34 points of sales with Ogero in a number of areas. Furthermore, 15 new franchises will be added to the 10 existing ones by the end of 2017 to reach 25 franchise stores in line with the same modern concept, in addition to 2,000 points of sale across all regions. This distribution network is the largest and most modern network in Lebanon ready to support our two million subscribers through which we can reach our customers wherever they are”.
“This event coincides with the completion of the installation of 1,100 4G+ stations, one year after the launch of the project, operating on carrier aggregation and covering more than 90 percent of Lebanese and residents. We will be equipping 200 additional 4G+ stations in areas where we face logistical difficulties, and we promise that we will complete them within the next two months to reach 100% coverage”.
Hayek noted that 4G+ technology currently provides tremendous speeds of 150 and 200 megabits per second in the current coverage areas for customers who hold 4G+ capable devices. “We saw today through the 4G+ live demo in cooperation with Ericsson that the Internet speed reached 470 megabits per second, and we have already exceeded earlier today the 500 megabits per second threshold, and this is the fastest speed achieved in Lebanon. I challenge anyone to break this record, knowing that subscribers are the first and foremost beneficiaries of all types of competition. We promise that we will break this record in two weeks to set a new record in Lebanon and the region”.
Hayek confirmed “We are on the right track, accompanying the installation of this integrated infrastructure with the #LivePlus Campaign to introduce 4G+ with our Youth Ambassador Silvio Chiha. Together, we completed a “Mountain to Sea” challenge with live coverage using 4G+ technology, proving the popular saying that in Lebanon we can swim and ski on the same day”.
He concluded, “4G+ is now a reality and we are keeping pace with this development through our Flagship stores”.
Jarrah
In his speech, Minister Jarrah said, “I congratulate Alfa on this Flagship store, which reflects the company's image and ambition to provide the best for the Lebanese people and its customers through the excellent services and offers it provides thanks to the efforts of the Alfa staff and under the wise management of Mr. Marwan Hayek, who has many innovative ideas. The Ministry of Telecommunications supports you at all stages so you can implement these ideas that place you on the same footing as other countries globally thanks to the 4G+ technology”.
“When I took office at the ministry, we began to solve the problems related to this project that had accumulated over the years. In a short time, we were able to solve the fiber optic network issue and reach the tremendous speed that we witnessed today and that was supposed to be available for the Lebanese years ago. Today, we look forward to 5G technology and beyond”.
He affirmed that the telecommunications sector is on the right track and is able to make even more achievements with the excellent human resources composed of bright young people. The sector has a very promising future thanks to the competencies and abilities of this generation under the wise management of Mr. Hayek.
“We are working with Alfa with a one team spirit and we are ready to tackle any project that helps enhance productivity in this sector and provides new services to the Lebanese. Very soon, the Ministry of Telecommunications will launch with the companies a special service for the younger generation, as an earned reward, so we stand by them and help them translate their creative ideas”.
After congratulating Hayek and the Alfa team on their achievement, Minister Jarrah concluded, “I am proud that we will soon be applying this pioneering model in all Alfa stores, with a dedicated team that provides an all-inclusive service to the Lebanese and reflects the company's leading image”.
Source: Alfa
