Bulgaria's BTC Wraps Up Merger of Fixed-line, Mobile Businesses under Vivacom Brand

"With Vivacom the company [BTC] enters a new stage of its development, extending to the customer an offer for a new-generation service bundle. Vivacom offers integrated services, including reliable Internet, fixed-line and mobile communications, services with more value at competitive prices," the company said in a statement.

Fixed-line and mobile services will be marketed under the Vivacom brand (www.vivacom.bg), while the Internet services division, BTC ADSL, will be renamed to Vivacom Net.

"The rebranding is part of the strategy for the transformation of BTC from a technology- to a customer-centric company with closer relations with the client," BTC added.

Vivacom's portfolio of services will be marketed through a network of more than 1,000 company-owned and partner outlets nationwide, the statement said, adding that the outlets of 2be, the mobile services retailer recently acquired by BTC, will be folded into Vivacom's retail network.

BTC, majority-owned by AIG Global Investment Group, is estimated to have a 97% share on the domestic fixed-line segment while Vivatel is estimated to control some 12% of the mobile segment, according to company data.

Vivatel's competitors on the local wireless market are Mobiltel, part of Telekom Austria, and Globul, a unit of Greek wireless operator Cosmote.