United Fiber, subsidiary of United Group, to kick off new terrestrial cable between Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, with UGI managing the commercialization

• The new terrestrial cable between Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, to kick off in September 2024 and to be completed by the end of 2025.
• The new route from Thessaloniki will connect Greece further to UG points of presence in Sofia and Belgrade and, through crossing all Balkan region, will reach West Europe’s main hubs.
• UG’s infrastructure footprint to be further solidified by the project, serving customers and large business clients in the region.
• Wholesale activities for this project will be managed by UGI Wholesale, the new business unit of United Group dedicated to telecommunications wholesale activities across the United Group operations.

Athens, 6 June 2024. United Group, the leading telecommunications and entertainment provider in Southeastern Europe, is pleased to announce a major, new infrastructure project, a terrestrial cable between Athens and Thessaloniki, whichwill be part of a wider regional backbone aiming to enhance United Group’s infrastructure footprint in the Southeastern Europe. 

The new terrestrial cable, is scheduled to kick off in September 2024 and be completed by the end of 2025.  It is implemented in Greece through United Group’s subsidiary, United Fiber, the 2nd largest FTTH provider in Greece. The project is part of UG’s broad international strategy, to further enhance its fixed infrastructure asset portfolio.

The Athens – Thessaloniki terrestrial cable will cover 548 km of network, passing through 8 key cities of Greece (Athens, Thessaloniki Volos, Lamia, Larissa, Livadeia, Katerini, Thebes).

From Thessaloniki, the new route will connect Sofia and Belgrade and, through crossing all Balkan region, will reach West Europe’s main hubs through Ljubljana.

To the East, it will be able to enforce the existing interconnections with Turkey and the Middle East, strengthening the existing interconnection with Bulgaria. To the West and South, the new route will be part of the current backbone linking Athens with existing submarine cable to Italy and Crete. 

The wholesale activities in context with this project will be managed by the Group’s business unit UGI. The unit is dedicated to telecommunications wholesale activities across the the Group operations, offering state of the art telecommunications services including data, voice, mobile and roaming to all European HUBs partnering with major carriers and large tech companies.

Paolo Ficini, CEO UGI: “By creating this completely new route, United Group tangibly demonstrates its commitment to be the largest fiber network provider in Southeastern Europe, enhancing competitiveness, creating new investment opportunities and accelerating the digital transformation of all countries involved. The project meets the increasing demand coming from the significant investment in new data centers in the region, as well as in new submarine cables landing in Greece in the Southern border.“

Through this large-scale infrastructure project, United Group tangibly demonstrates its commitment to be the largest-scale Fiber Network provider in Southeastern Europe, a region of unique geolocation as the crossroads between the East and the West, enhancing the competitiveness of the whole area, creating new investment opportunities and accelerating the digital transformation of all countries involved.

Media contact:

Alexandra DelvenakiotisVice President Corporate Affairs

United Group

media@united.group

United Group creates biggest Fiber Network in Southeast Europe under United Fiber

• United Fiber owns 60.000km of backbone and metro network spanning across 4 EU markets Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia.
• State-of-the-art broadband network reaches 3.6 Mio homes and connects Europe with Middle East and Asia, responding to the high demand for transit through the Group’s core markets.
• Strategic move in-line with industry wide trend to focus on growing infrastructure business.
• United Group to launch ambitious terrestrial cable project connecting Athens and Thessaloniki as part of United Fiber Greece. The overall investment pipeline of United Fiber is EUR 450 million (2024-2028).
• Infrastructure wholesale activities are managed by UGI.

Hoofddorp, 4 June 2024. Following the successful establishment of United Fiber in Greece in 2021, United Group has continued to bundle its EU based (Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia) fixed infrastructure asset portfolio under the United Fiber brand.

Beginning with the registration of the newly established company in Slovenia in March 2024, which will be followed by Bulgaria and Croatia by the end of this year, the Group is focused on further accelerating and strengthening its investments in this important geolocation. The modern broadband infrastructure connects Europe with Middle East and Asia, responding to the high demand for transit through the Group’s core markets. Its ultra-fast and reliable internet meets the high demand by customers and business clients across Southeast Europe.

Zeljko Batistić, Vice President Technology United Group: “At United Group we know how to build and roll out state-of-the-art fixed infrastructure. In 2000 we started fully greenfield in Serbia and two decades later we became the largest optical network in Southeast Europe. In the four EU countries Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia alone, United Group owns 60.000 km of backbone and metro network.

Our state-of-the-art broadband network in these markets reaches 3.6 Mio homes and we are currently executing the plan of delivering 475.000 new FTTH homes in 2024 with the similar pace in the following years. Our vision is to be the go-to brand of choice for individual customers, business clients and the preferred partner for the public sector, to help digitize societies and position them to thrive. By bundling our investment and roll-out activities into United Fiber, we will be able to further expand our activities, create strong synergies, and bring our investment capabilities to the next level. Thanks to separate and dedicated expert teams in sales, support and technical operations, we will be able to service our clients even better.”  

United Fiber Greece has been essential in implementing the Group’s infrastructure deployment strategy. The company has been able to accelerate its impact in Greece with 20% fiber-to-the-home penetration on its own network (vs. 8% national), offering ultra fast connectivity.

In Bulgaria the Group has the largest FTTH network in the country reaching 50% of all households with the plan to expand to 67% by 2028.

In Croatia around 80.000 households are added per year with the plan to reach 40% of all households by 2028. In Slovenia the Group owns the second largest gbps enabled network covering around 50% of the total households in the country.

A new infrastructure project by United Fiber will deploy a terrestrial cable connecting Athens and Thessaloniki and linking Southeast Europe with key hotspots in Western Europe. The project, that is planned to be completed in 2025, will reinforce the existing interconnections with Turkey and the Middle East, strengthening the existing interconnection with Bulgaria, and facilitate plans for the Aegean submarine cable between Greece and Turkey.

United Group’s entire infrastructure wholesale activities including voice, data, mobile and roaming are managed by UGI.  Only three years after the launch, UGI has managed to attract the biggest carriers and technology providers to select United Group in addressing their infrastructure and connectivity needs in the region.  UGI is also in charge of the commercialization of Athens – Thessaloniki.

Paolo Ficini, CEO UGI: “By creating this completely new route, United Group tangibly demonstrates its commitment to be the largest fiber network provider in Southeastern Europe, enhancing competitiveness, creating new investment opportunities, and accelerating the digital transformation of all countries involved. The project meets the increasing demand coming from the significant investment in new data centers in the region, as well as in new submarine cables landing in Greece in the Southern border.”

Contact for media inquiries:

Alexandra DelvenakiotisVice President Corporate Affairs

United Group media@united.group

November 9, 2023 – United Group, the leading telecommunications and media operator in Southeast Europe, announced today the signing of an agreement to acquire Bulsatcom, a direct-to-home satellite television provider in Bulgaria.

The acquisition is part of United Group’s strategy to further expand and strengthen its market presence in Bulgaria. United Group currently operates in eight countries in the region and this latest acquisition will further accelerate the Group’s growth.

Bulsatcom, founded in 2000, is a direct-to-home satellite television provider in the Bulgarian pay TV market. The company currently serves TV and broadband customers, including both residential and business subscribers, through its direct-to-home satellite television, IPTV, and broadband internet services. It also operates its own national fibre infrastructure and retail distribution network.

The closing of the transaction is subject to receipt of all applicable antitrust approvals.

Victoriya Boklag, United Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “The acquisition of Bulsatcom is another important milestone for United Group’s operations in Bulgaria, a key market for our growth strategy. We remain committed to offering Bulgarian consumers the best quality products and services and will continue our investment in infrastructure, content and technology.”

Nikolai Andreev, Vivacom Chief Executive Officer, said: “We know that Bulsatcom went through some difficult times and has been severely challenged in the current economic environment. But we are confident that this transaction is a great opportunity for this business to recover and accelerate its development. By joining the United Group family, Bulsatcom’s customers will receive access to a wide range of benefits including high-quality and innovative products spanning broadband, DTH and 5G technologies. Our investment in the market will drive improvements to current services and customer experience.”

United Group entered the Bulgarian market in 2020 with the acquisition of Vivacom. Since then it has taken a number of significant steps to strengthen its presence and drive innovation in the market. Among United Group’s achievements are developing the biggest 5G network in the country and the rollout of the first 10GIGA fibre network. United Group has also provided Bulgarian consumers with the first 5G unlimited tariffs and access to the award-winning TV platform, EON.

About United Group

Dutch-based United Group is the leading telecommunications and media operator in Southeast Europe. Active in eight countries, the company has more than 15,5 million users and nearly 15,000 employees. It generates almost €2.7 billion in annual revenues. United Group has the widest network coverage in the region and offers users the most attractive selection of TV content from around the world. Significant investments in digital infrastructure, content and technology ensure the excellence of the products and services it provides to customers. United Group has been majority owned by BC Partners, one of the largest global investment companies, since March 2019.

For more information visit https://united.group/

Sofia, 12 October 2023. The projects ''It depends on me too'' and ''The Mountain, a teacher and an inspirer'' are among the fourteen finalists in the eighth edition of the Vivacom Regional Grant, the largest initiative of the company. In it, the company finances socially-significant projects for the development of regions and local communities in two main directions - education and environmental protection.

The project ''It depends on me too'' of the ''Clean Struma'' association aims to reduce waste pollution in the Struma River. As part of it, several large-scale clean-up activities were carried out under the motto ''The river is not a dump'', in which more than 100 volunteers cleaned up nearly four tons of waste from three highly-polluted points in the Kyustendil area. Within the framework of the project, a process was developed for the regular cleaning of hundreds of kilograms of waste from the most polluted tributary of the Struma - the Banshtitsa river, as well as a campaign for meetings, active work and motivation of young people in the local schools about the meaning of building a cleaner world.

''The mission of ''It depends on me too'' is to show the students in our area how serious the problem is with the congestion of the riverbeds of the Struma River and its tributaries, which are the main irrigation source of the district. And to give them the confidence and meaning to care, change, and hold the future in their own hands. We believe that, thanks to the efforts of the ''Clean Struma'' association and the active contribution of people, institutions and responsible business, we will contribute to a cleaner environment and will be able to reduce ecological waste on the water bodies in the region. For the last three years, we have managed to free the rivers of Kyustendil from over 2,000 tons of waste!'', added Lyudmila Dobreva from the ''Clean Struma'' association.

The ''Rhodopska Iskra - 2020’ Community Centre is also committed to the protection of the environment with the ''The Mountain, a teacher and an inspirer'' project, which is aimed at protecting the local nature in the area of the Rhodopi village of Lilkovo, municipality of Rodopi.

''The Mountain, a teacher and an inspirer'' is an environmental educational project, by means of which we would like to attract the attention of children and adults and, through interesting games, creative workshops, tent camp, hikes and events, to protect and preserve the nature and the forest around us, to learn to value them, to be informed, and to use natural resources without harming them.There are many tourist routes in the area of the village and our desire is to keep them clean and attractive for tourists while, at the same time, calling to protect the forests from fire and pollution. We hope that with this we will successfully lay the foundations for the sustainable development of the area and the protection of nature'', said Elena Andreeva from the ''Rhodopska Iskra - 2020'' Community Centre.

The initiative includes various family activities for children and parents: planting flowers and trees in the community centre yard, hikes through picturesque mountain routes, combining games and observations, and familiarisation with the flora and fauna of the region.

There have already been successful events such as ''Eco Art Academy: Re-use'', including: making art installations of plastic caps, and transforming everyday household waste into toys and objects for future use. Under the motto ''Hedgehog made with cones for spikes'' it was demonstrated how waste can be given a new life by combining it with natural materials. The children painted on old used roof tiles, giving full freedom to their imaginations, creating beautiful paintings that they took home.

After coordination with the ''Ecology'' department of the Rodopi Municipality, information brochures were printed, introducing nature and the animal world in the area; their environmental awareness messages are expected to reach over 1,500 people.  Specific roles and tasks in the organisation were also assigned to the children themselves at the community centre, such as making of badges, guide cards, fun and educational crosswords etc. More than 25 volunteers are directly involved in the organisation and preparation of the events: children and adults from the local community, and there are over 20 planned activities and preparatory events for the whole project.

''We are happy to work with dedicated and enthusiastic teams, such as those of the ''Clean Struma'' association and the ''Rhodopska Iskra'' Community Centre. Their environmental projects are a great example of the involvement of local communities in various initiatives to clean, improve and protect nature in these towns and villages. This is one of the best ways to achieve sustainable results. We wish them every success and we can already see the great results they are achieving,'' shared Elitsa Georgieva, Director of Corporate Communications at Vivacom.

The total support of the Vivacom Regional Grant so far amounts to over 500,000 BGN, with 108 projects implemented throughout the country. The campaign is implemented with the partnership of the Bulgarian Non-Profit Law Centre.

13 September 2023, Sofia. Vivacom announced the sale of the first Vivacom 5G smartphone, which will be offered for only 1 BGN per month with the Unlimited 300 plan. The telecom also removed the internet speed limits of all Unlimited plans until October 31, 2023.

“These great offers are for all our customers to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the launch of our all-new portfolio of unlimited plans. With this step, we gave unlimited freedom of communication to our customers and changed the telecom market in Bulgaria forever. And today''s results prove that this freedom is highly appreciated by our customers," said Nikolai Andreev, CEO of Vivacom.

The Vivacom 5G Smartphone is a perfect solution for all users who want an affordable 5G device that can do everything. It comes with a 3-year warranty and has numerous impressive features that can satisfy the needs of modern users. The Vivacom 5G Smartphone offers a 6.52“ HD+ screen, 50-mega pixel dual main camera, 128GB built-in memory and 4GB RAM. It has a long-lasting battery life and supports NFC for easy, fast, and contactless payments via phone.

"With the launch of the Vivacom 5G smartphone, we are giving our customers the opportunity for an even more complete and amazing 5G experience - an affordable 5G phone, Unlimited plans and speeds and access to the biggest 5G network in Bulgaria, that we continue to grow. By the end of the year, we plan to cover 85% of the country''s population and in this way we continue to make technologies even more accessible to even more people in Bulgaria," added Nikolai Andreev.

"Almost half of Vivacom''s customers are already using the Unlimited plans, and for the last year alone we have marked a nearly 50% growth in megabyte consumption. For us, this proves that our customers have really appreciated the freedom and opportunities that Unlimited plans provide them and use them to the maximum extend", said Stoyan Karanlakov, Chief Commercial Officer of Vivacom.

Vivacom continues to offer some of the best products and services based on the newest technologies. The telecom''s 5G network has established itself as the biggest one in the country with a coverage of 83% of Bulgaria’s population. Vivacom''s 10 GIGA fibre network already covers 500,000 households throughout the country, and in just two years since it started the EON interactive TV is already watched by over 600,000 users across the country.

In 2023, Vivacom also launched 5G high-speed home internet, allowing its customers to watch EON in perfect quality and rely on super-fast internet for work or entertainment without worrying about speed. And all this is available even in locations without fibre connectivity or in remote locations. In June this year, the telecom launched the first pre-paid 5G package in Bulgaria – FREE2GO, with which it complemented the opportunities to fully benefit from the entire potential of the largest 5G network in the country for everyone, from everywhere.

08 August 2023, Sofia. Vivacom will bring great summer mood to the customers and vistors in all its stores with a special lottery from August 8th to September 6th for 100 Samsung smart devices. All Vivacom clients who signed a contract before July 1st, as well as all the visitors in the stores who have familiarised themselves with the telecom’s current offers, can take part in the lottery. They can register by scanning the special QR code at the checkout areas. Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on the Vivacom website on September 11th, where the full text of the lottery terms and conditions can be found.

Visitors and customers will have the chance to win the hottest and latest smart devices from Samsung – the foldable Galaxy Fold5 and Galaxy Flip5. The new Galaxy Watch6 smart watch is on the list too. All these devices were presented at the Samsung Fashion Show event in Sofia at the end of last month. The great prizes also include the elegant Galaxy A14 5G model, as well as the comfortable wireless Galaxy Buds 2 headphones.

''We put our clients in the centre of everything we do, that is why we keep offering innovative services, great offers and special games and lotteries, combined with an excellent customer experience. With this lottery, that we organize with our partners from Samsung, we give our customer a chance to win exclusive devices and have fun while taking part in it,'' said Lyubomir Maloselski, Products and Services Director at Vivacom.

More information about the Vivacom and Samsung summer lottery can be found HERE.