CellOne launches a senior’s phone and plan branded “EasyTalk”
Caters specifically to Bermuda’s aging population of 65 years or older
Hamilton, Bermuda- January 9th 2012- CellOne announced today the launch of, “EasyTalk” a senior’s package made up of a user friendly flip phone designed for the older mobile phone user combined with a basic rate plan, the most affordable in Bermuda.
“CellOne is cognizant of the aging population of Bermuda and being a major partner and supporter of Age Concern over the years, we’ve had great insight into what seniors are looking for in wireless services.” said Frank Amaral, Chief Operating Officer of CellOne. “CellOne takes great pride in offering not only innovative mobile options, but also in creating plans to suit different lifestyles and budget choices. CellOne strives to offer all of its customers the best phones and plans possible.”
In speaking about the new senior phone Mr. Amaral added, “The Doro 610 is an excellent device for our older customer, offering what is most important to them- safety and security.”
CellOne’s new Easy Talk senior’s plan is Bermuda’s first plan built for residents of 65 years or older. The plan consists of 100 anytime minutes for only $27.00 per month and customers activating will have the ability to add unlimited nights and weekends and unlimited text messaging to the plan for a small additional monthly charge.
With the EasyTalk launch, CellOne is introducing the Doro “PhoneEasy”610; a basic GSM flip phone with enhanced security features .The Doro 610 is hearing aid compatible, has an extremely loud speaker for the hearing impaired, and includes an ICE “In case of emergency” option where all personal health information on the owner can be stored. Another major feature of the Doro 610 is the emergency security key conveniently located on the backside of the device. This security key is a programmable panic button which when pressed sets off a loud 5 second alarm to alert the surrounding public of a crisis. The Doro 610 will then escalate an unanswered alarm by attempting to contact up to 5 emergency contacts added by the user. Emergency contacts will be called and text messaged in the sequence that has been manually programmed until the contact is reached.
CellOne’s new Easy Talk senior’s voice plan and the Doro 610 senior’s phone are available today exclusively with CellOne. Age Concern in partnership and agreement with CellOne will be offering all members 1 month’s free service with activation and a free group seminar on how to use the device. Age Concern members or future members are advised to visit any CellOne store and present their Age Concern membership card to be eligible for this offer.
Claudette Fleming, Executive director of age Concern stated, “Age Concern Bermuda is pleased to endorse its LINK Partner, CellOne in its launch of the new Easy Talk plan and the Doro 610 mobile phone for seniors. We hope that with the introduction of the mobile phone and plan, more seniors will reap the benefits of a phone designed especially to meet their unique needs. We congratulate CellOne for its innovation and its contribution to helping our island home respond to the needs of seniors throughout the service sector.”
For more information on the new Easy Talk for seniors plan and Doro 610 senior phone, visit one of CellOne’s three retail stores, conveniently located on Church Street in Hamilton, York Street in St. Georges or Mangrove Bay Road in Somerset.
CellOne To Sell iPhone 4S For $999
November 1, 2011 – Bernews.com - CellOne today [Nov.1] announced that they will be carrying the new iPhone 4S and new BlackBerry suite of products.
Frank Amaral, CellOne's chief operating officer said, "The iPhone 4S is a truly outstanding device and the new BlackBerry Smartphones are definitely the best products RIM has ever produced. When running on Bermuda's only 4G network, they are a joy to use."
The Apple iPhone 4S has created a lot of buzz around the world with a new operating system highlighted by new voice recognition software called "Siri" which acts as an intelligent personal assistant.
The iPhone 4S also has upgraded features from the iPhone 4 including an 8 megapixel camera, a dual core processor for the fastest response time, 1080P HD video and numerous other features.
The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry yet at only 10.5mm, and the first to offer the perfect union of a high performance keyboard and touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. It runs on the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system.
Over the coming weeks CellOne will be adding more BlackBerrys to their lineup including the BlackBerry Torch 9810, BlackBerry Curve 9360, and the BlackBerry Torch 9860.
The iPhone 4S 16GB is launching at $999 on a two year contract, $1199.00 on a one year contract, and $1399.00 with no contract. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be priced at $599 on a two year contract. Both are available in stores tomorrow [Nov.2].
Blackberry Service Restored
CellOne wishes to advise the public that RIM has announced that its BlackBerry service in Bermuda has been restored to normal. If you are still experiencing issues, please call CellOne at 700-7000 to troubleshoot. CellOne wishes to thank its customers for their patience during RIM's outage period.
CellOne Introduces 24/7 Customer Service | 441.700.7000
• Bill Payments • Plan Changes • Billing Inquiries • Troubleshooting • Any time of day!
August 1, 2011 – At CellOne we believe in giving you support whenever you need it. Talk to one of our live agents any time of the day, any day of the week.
CellOne gives a boost to its network
New cell site improves data speeds and network coverage in the west end of Hamilton
July 13th, 2011 – CellOne announced today that it has implemented a new 4G cell site in the west end of Hamilton, which should increase coverage and improve data speeds for many customers.
"We are continuing to build upon our brand promise of the "The Power of More" with More Speed and More Coverage" said Frank Amaral, CellOne's Chief Operating Officer. "Since the merger with M3, our engineering team has been very busy working on an optimization process in advance of a full merging of the networks. This new cell site is just one of the many advances in store for our customers."
The new cell site is located near the Fairmont Princess hotel on Pitts Bay Road and utilizes advanced 4G high speed packet access evolved (HSPA+) technology. The site is now active and should help with coverage all over town as other cell sites are relieved of traffic.
Click image to enlarge.
Temporary satellite store closures in St. Georges and Somerset throughout the month of July
CellOne’s satellite stores in St. Georges and Somerset will be temporarily closed throughout the month of July. The St. Georges store will be closed from July 6th to August 1st and the Somerset store will be closed from July 11th to August 1st. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause. You can still always call 700-7000 for customer service or email us at info@cellone.bm. Our flagship store at 18 Church St. in Hamilton (across from City Hall Parking lot) is also equipped to handle all your wireless needs.
CellularOne announces new store opening and rebrand post merger with m3 Wireless.
Grand Opening of new retail store has "CellOne" as new company name with purple as its brand colour
May 16th, 2011 – Hamilton, Bermuda - This morning CellularOne announced the opening of a new retail store with a new look following its merger with m3 Wireless just two weeks ago. The company's flagship retail store is now open at 18 Church St. in Hamilton (across from City Hall parking lot) and is outfitted with new branding as the combined company will now go by the name "CellOne" along with the colour purple.
In the two weeks since the merger announcement, a lot of work has been done to start the integration of the two companies, but the new branding is the first thing to be presented to the public.
"It is only fitting that the new company be given a new look." said Frank Amaral, CellOne's Chief Operating Officer. "We are excited about bringing these two great companies together and felt that the new company deserved a refreshing new look. We feel that the colour purple evokes passion and friendship much like our employees at CellOne and the people of Bermuda. As the only majority Bermudian owned mobile wireless provider it is the perfect choice with which to outfit our new company."
The new store is state of the art and with over 2000 square feet of space has the latest mobile phones, interactive displays and customer service stations. There are 9 stations for retail staff and all Smartphones on display are active and ready for hands on demonstration so the customer can have a much more complete experience of what they are getting before deciding to purchase.
"Our new retail store is the biggest and most modern wireless retail space on the island" said Amaral. "It's extremely spacious and will be a great experience for the customer. We welcome everyone to come in and browse and talk to our customer service representatives about our phones and service. I think people will be impressed with our offering and we have a lot more planned in the near future."
To celebrate their Grand Opening, CellOne has phones on sale like the BlackBerry Curve at $99 and the iPhone 3GS at $299. In addition there will be giveaways and draws for free iPads and Playbooks throughout the week. For more information, customers can also go to a brand new website at www.cellone.bm
M3 Wireless and CellularOne Announce Agreement to Merge Wireless Businesses
New Company will Keep CellularOne Name and Executive Team
Hamilton, Bermuda (May 3, 2011) – CellularOne and M3 Wireless announced today that they have agreed to merge their wireless businesses. The merger will create a new, majority Bermudian-owned business that will use the CellularOne brand and be operated by the current CellularOne executive team.
At 1:00 pm today company executives will hold a press conference at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute to announce the details of the merger agreement.
“We are creating a stronger and more capable single wireless company out of two very complementary businesses,” said Kurt Eve, CEO of CellularOne. “This merger will be very good for wireless consumers in Bermuda. We are going to use our combined strengths in the marketplace to deliver new products, greater coverage, better service and more options for our customers.”
“In looking at each other and the marketplace, we recognized that we could be in a more competitive position and deliver greater value for our customers as a combined business,” commented Sheila Lines, CEO of M3 Wireless. “Together, we will be on an even footing with the competition and we intend to leverage our respective competitive strengths to deliver more for consumers.”
With the merger, the new CellularOne will have about half of the Bermuda wireless market, including both post- and pre-paid. As the two companies execute the merger, customers will see the transition to the single CellularOne brand. There will be no service disruptions and the new CellularOne will honor existing agreements, service plans and pricing. There will be no changes to customers’ phone numbers as a result of the merger – every customer will keep their current number. CellularOne will ensure customers of both companies receive the high level of service they have come to expect.
The new CellularOne will be more than 50% owned by individual Bermudian shareholders, with KeyTech Limited, the parent company of M3 Wireless, and Atlantic Tele-Network, the parent company of CellularOne, together owning about 80% of the new company. For KeyTech, the change means it will no longer actively manage a wireless business, but it does not represent an exit from the wireless business. KeyTech views the merger as a way to enhance its competitive position in the wireless marketplace.
Eve continued, “We are confident that, as we grow our service and products, more and more customers will see the great value of the new CellularOne. This merger will provide for more efficient use of capital and ensure funding for investment in new technologies and other products and services. CellularOne customers will enjoy reliable island-wide coverage and a broader range of wireless plans and devices. Corporate clients will enjoy the extensive roaming services and a comprehensive sales and support team that will be available under the combined company.”
Lines continued, “Recent surveys have identified CellularOne and M3 Wireless as having the best reputation for customer service. Now, as the only majority Bermudian-owned wireless company, the new CellularOne will be even more focused on investing in the best service and products for wireless customers in our country.”
CellularOne and M3 Wireless are very sensitive to employment concerns and announced that there will be no significant job cuts as part of the merger. The companies have taken steps to ensure that nearly every current employee will be retained in their current job or offered a new position. Over the next several weeks CellularOne and M3 Wireless will communicate closely with every employee, with other stakeholders, and with customers to ensure a smooth transition for everyone involved.
CellularOne unveils Bermuda's first 4G phones to work on Bermuda's only 4G network
APRIL 8th, 2011 - CellularOne, Bermuda's only wireless carrier to launch a 4G network, today announced the arrival of the first 4G capable phones to the island.
CellularOne launched their 4G network back in January of this year with theoretical download speeds of up to 21 MB/s, but access to 4G capable phones was limited at that time. Today, CellularOne launches the Motorola Atrix 4G and the HTC Inspire 4G, which both operate on the Android operating system, the most popular Smartphone operating system in the U.S.
"It's very exciting to be leading the wireless market in Bermuda in technology and innovation." said Frank Amaral, CellularOne's Chief Operating Officer. "Launching the first 4G network was great, but now to be able to provide smartphones that support that increase in speed and allow our customers to do more with their phones even faster is a thrill."
Both the Motorola Atrix 4G and the HTC inspire 4G have theoretical download speeds of 14.4 MB/s which is four times faster than any BlackBerry in market today and twice as fast as the current iPhone products.
"We know how popular the BlackBerry lineup is here in Bermuda, but these 4G phones are among the best sellers in the U.S. due to the fact that you can do so much with them at the fastest possible speed." said Amaral. "With the latest iPhones, BlackBerry's and now 4G Android devices, CellularOne truly has the best handset lineup on the island."
CellularOne plans on rolling out more 4G devices throughout the year.