Press News

Pécs, May 22, 2005

On May 6 Matáv's name changed to Magyar Telekom and the company's LoBs adopted the international T-brands. As a result of Matáv's rebranding the Matáv Pont shops too, serve customers under a new name (T-Pont) with renewed looks. The T-Pont shop in Pécs opened to customers on Sunday morning.

From Matáv to Magyar Telekom

The Shareholders' Meeting held on February 22, 2005 approved the January 20 Board decision on Matáv's rebranding and full introduction of the T-brands in Hungary. From May 6, 2005 Matáv's new corporate name is Magyar Telekom and the Group's LoBs adopted the international T-brands: T-Com (earlier Matáv Wireline Services LoB), T-Online (earlier Axelero), T-Mobile, T-Systems (earlier Business Services LoB), T-Kábel (earlier MatávKábelTV). The close cooperation maintained for years between the Magyar Telekom Group and its parent company Deutsche Telekom (DT) will be further deepened with the introduction of additional T-brands in Hungary. Closer cooperation with the DT Group offers the opportunity of sharing skills and international experience and making joint developments. The customers will also enjoy the resultant advantages.

Renewed customer service points

The company's walk-in customer service points, the Matáv Pont shops are also being renewed.
In the spirit of customer-orientation T-Com started the development of a standardized shop network with T-Pont shops. T-Com's T-Pont network consisting of 18 shops - partly newly opened, partly renewed - aims at a high standard of customer service and availability of T-brand related offers one a one-stop basis. For this purpose the T-Pont shops handle in addition to T-Com products also T-Online, T-Kábel and T-Mobile offers. At the same time several T-Mobile shops offer T-Com products.

The T-Pont shop in Pécs was officially opened at 10 a.m. on May 22 when Gábor Héjjas, Director of T-Com's Residential Services LoB cut the magenta ribbon representing the rebranding. (The magenta color is the central identity mark of the T-brands.)

"It is very important for us that as soon as possible the Hungarian people be aware of the corporate renewal accompanying the rebranding. Although we cannot personally participate at all T-Pont shop opening events, but we lay emphasis on one of the cornerstones of the new corporate philosophy, customer-orientation, with our personal presence in key regional centers like Pécs," said Gábor Héjjas at the event.

In Pécs the first T-Pont shop was opened in February 2002 at Rákóczi u. 19 replacing the earlier Fészek supermarket. The shop was moved to its current location in the Árkád shopping center on September 13, 2004. The shop with 127 m2 area has substantial turnover, on the average 280 - 350 customers a day visit the shop that is open seven days a week.

Regional developments

Magyar Telekom's wireline LoB T-Com is committed to development of the information society and the fast spread of Internet usage in Hungary. In 2004 the company achieved the set target: by the end of the year the number of ADSL subscribers exceeded 200,000. The company continues to make huge efforts to enable availability of the ADSL service in the largest possible area. Our objective is to raise the number of broadband internet accesses by the end of 2006 to 600,000. As a result of the latest developments in Baranya County broadband internet access is available already in 40 localities. Sásd, Pellérd, Görcsöny, Keszü, Magyarbóly and Vásárosdombó recently joined the scope of areas covered with ADSL service. We plan to complete developments in a further 20 towns by the end of 2005. The service will soon be available also in Mágocs, Szászvár and Mecseknádasd.

Historical background

On September 1, 1887 the Hungarian Royal Post established the Pécs Post and Telegraph Directorate. At that time telegrams were transmitted via the Morse network. The first manual exchange (with 4 subscribers!) was brought into operation on October 1, 1885. The exchange located at Váradi A. u. 6. was managed by private entrepreneurs, János Koharits Nemumuk, a savings bank official and István Vécsei post manager. The Pécs Telephone exchange was privatized in 1900, then the Directorate operated in Munkácsy utca. The new post palace was inaugurated 4 years later on Labor Day (May 1, 1904) at today's Jókai u. 10. The manual exchange brought into operation three years later on May 1, 1907 served already 300 subscribers. The first automatic exchange was brought into operation on December 22, 1930, while the Morse network was replaced by a new telegraph network in 1962. After several exchange upgrading projects the Pécs telephone exchange was connected to the international telephone network in 1982.