mobile

Main business and financial news from Hungary – 5th week, 2018

See below main business and financial news from the previous week:

A FUTURISTIC METRO LINE M2 STATION TO BE BUILT – VIDEO

If everything goes according to the plans, the connection of metro line M2 and the suburban railways can start soon that will result in a rather futuristic and cool design. Check out how it will actually look like! Read more HERE.

HERITAGE FOUNDATION: HUNGARY’S ECONOMY MODERATELY FREE

According to a global survey of economies around the world carried out by the American Heritage Foundation, Hungary’s economy is moderately free. Read more HERE.

REGIONAL MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR EU DEVELOPMENT FUNDING MEET IN BUDAPEST

Ministers responsible for European Union development funding from the Visegrad Group countries of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia met with their counterparts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia in Budapest together with European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Gunther Oettinger.

NBH POLICY MAKERS KEEP BASE RATE ON HOLD

The National Bank of Hungary’s Monetary Council decided to keep the central bank’s key rate on hold at 0.90 percent at a monthly policy meeting. The Council has left the base rate on hold since signalling an end to an easing cycle at a policy meeting in the spring of 2016.

COMPETITION OFFICE CLEARS TAKEOVER OF KONZUM ALAPKEZELŐ, OPUS

Hungary’s Competition Office said it approved the takeover of sole direct control of fund manager Konzum Alapkezelő, and thus sole indirect control of holding company Opus, by the investor Lorinc Meszaros.

CELLUM GLOBAL PARTNERS WITH INDONESIA’S TELKOM GROUP

Hungarian mobile payment company Cellum Global signed a strategic cooperation and investment agreement with Metranet, a unit of Indonesia’s Telkom. Under the agreement, Telkom will acquire a 30.4 percent stake in Cellum in two steps and ensure the company’s expansion on the Indonesian market.

WIZZ AIR CELEBRATES 1 MILLION DEBRECEN PASSENGERS

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, celebrates the significant milestone of its one millionth Debrecen passenger. The lucky customer arrived from Moscow with the newest WIZZ flight and was greeted upon arrival with a value voucher. Read more HERE.

WIZZ AIR Q3 REVENUE CLIMBS 24 PC

Hungarian low-fare carrier Wizz Air had revenue of 422.9 million euros in the third quarter of its business year ending March 31, up 24.0 percent year-on-year, an earnings report shows. Revenue from ticket sales increased by 26.1 percent to 241.7 million euros and non-ticket revenue was up 21.3 percent at 181.1 million euros.

TELENOR MAGYARORSZÁG Q4 REVENUE RISES 7 PC

Telenor Magyarorszag’s fourth-quarter revenue rose by an annual 7.2 percent to 40.2 billion forints (1UR 130m), an earnings report released by parent company Telenor shows. Turnover was lifted by higher average revenue per user among retail post-paid subscribers and migration from pre-paid to post-paid contracts.

HUNGARY JOBLESS RATE REACHES 3.8 PC

Hungary’s rolling average three-month jobless rate reached 3.8 percent in October-December, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said. The rate was level with that a month earlier but fell from 4.4 percent a year earlier. The rate covers unemployment among Hungarians between the ages of 15 and 74. Read more HERE.

CONTINENTAL TO ESTABLISH EUR 17.8M SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN BUDAPEST

German-owned automotive industry supplier Continental is setting up a 5.5 billion forint (EUR 17.8m) software development centre in Budapest that will employ 100 engineers, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto announced. Hungary’s government is supporting the investment with a 1.4 billion forint grant.

NEW HOME PRICES ROSE 7.8 PC IN Q1-Q3 – KSH

Average new home prices rose by 7.8 percent in the first three quarters of 2017 while the price of resale homes increased by 7.5 percent, according to a summary of data published by the KSH. Read more HERE.

GOVERNMENT EARMARKS EUR 1.06BN FOR MODERN CITIES MISKOLC DEVELOPMENTS

The central government has allocated about 327 billion forints (EUR 1.06bn) in development funding for Miskolc (NE Hungary) in the framework of the Modern Cities programme, said Lajos Kósa, the minister without portfolio in charge of developments in Hungary’s biggest cities.

Has Budapest fixed its spam bot problem?

linkedin

Cybersecurity experts noticed a troubling trend when they studied Internet activities in Budapest back in 2011. Budapest was found to be the fifth most infected city in the world for spam bots. These bots end up on unprotected computers and use the RAM to send thousands of emails. Some of these emails are harmless while others are phishing emails designed to trick recipients into following links and sharing personal information.

Cyberattacks went up by 81 percent in 2011 in Budapest. The number of bots operating on unprotected computers was worrisome, but hackers were also actively trying to steal personal information and money.

Seven years later, Budapest is the 10th worst European city for cyberattacks. These attacks are 28 percent more frequent than in the average European city, which is somewhat of an improvement compared to what things were like in 2011.

Spam has dropped by 50 percent since the 2011 study. Antivirus companies have become aware of this problem and have developed better products. It is also likely that more Budapest residents are aware that their computer can get infected by bots and malware if they don’t use a good antivirus program.

There are still some risks Internet users need to be aware of. There are more hackers and scammers on the Internet than ever before, and these individuals are using complex techniques to steal information and money. The hacker group Anonymous received a lot of attention in 2011 after changing the text of the Hungarian Constitution online, but this kind of activity doesn’t represent what hackers actually do. Most of them focus on sending phishing emails or connecting with victims on social media to convince them to share personal information with them.

Social Media and Mobile

The use of social media represents a new cybersecurity risk. The companies behind the most popular social media platforms don’t make security their priority, and these sites provide users with a space where they can share information about themselves.

Mobile phones are another issue. Researchers have found that two-thirds of Hungarian Internet users have Smartphones. Using a Smartphone means that a person is more likely to use login credentials or share personal information on an unsecured connection while they are away from home.

Bots are no longer a major issue in Budapest, but Internet users need to be aware of other risks, such as phishing scams and hackers trying to steal their information.

Internet users can remain safe by being wary of any person or email requesting personal information and by using antivirus programs.

As we wrote before, according to the interesting study, 83% of the Hungarian Internet users reveal that they are on social media as well, that is considered to be the highest rate in whole Europe. Read more HERE.

Photo: unsplash.com

This Hungarian invention will help you get OFF your phone

greetings

Index.hu reports that a revolutionising idea of two Hungarian women might help overcome nomophobia, the anxiety caused by not having access to one’s phone. This is probably the 1st invention that wants to help quit mobile addiction that many suffer from. Here are the details!

An average adult spends around 3-4 hours a day on mobile devices that could also be devoted to one’s partner or kids. Furthermore, if people constantly engage their mind and attention with digital content, the mind cannot rest enough and therefore, the level of creativity also decreases. It is no surprise that many struggle with concentration problems, and needless to say that it can easily lead to relationship problems, too. But here is the solution to the long-standing problem!

The inventors

The new invention was made by 2 Hungarian women, Bori Kovács and Eszter Baur, who love technological gadgets.

For this reason, their innovation should not be considered an anti-mobile campaign, but more like a campaign that aims to develop a healthier relationship with smartphones.

They personally experienced that the time spent on phones is done to the detriment of personal contact with others. Since they are both fresh mothers, they want their children and the future generations to grow up in a society that is not full of phone addicts. This motivated them to come up with something new.

As they believe, we have to take control of our lives and be in charge of ourselves instead of letting online games and social media websites direct our life. Therefore, they came up with a new invention that is not really technology-dependent because there have been similar solutions before.

How does their idea work?

As indiegogo.com describes, Out OFF The BOX is a great self-development tool which can help individuals reduce the time spent on technological devices. When it comes to addiction, it does not always have the same form. Playing games, being glued to the TV, social media or the latest news are only a few forms of this illness.

Today, applications exist for all kinds of things, like for losing weight, calculating calories etc., but this is not an application. It is a physical toolset with tangible tools.

Badgers to motivate yourself

It is a 3-step program in which the stages are the following: KICK OFF, GO OFF and HOLD OFF. In the 1st phase, you have to fill in a survey and set down the goals you want to achieve. The 2nd phase consists of a 30-day OFF challenge with the use of functional, inspirational and recreational tools that constantly remind you of why you are doing the programme and motivate you in the process. And finally, the HOLD OFF stage is about celebrating your achievements by filling out the questionnaire again and sharing your experiences on a postcard.

Here is a video of the whole programme.

If you might wonder if it really works, try it out. The inventors made much work on designing this programme by talking to experts and reading the relevant literature. Pre-ordering has already started, but they are pleased to receive a contribution to launch the production. If you interested and want more detail, check out the website here. 🙂

photos: getoutoffthebox.com

Hungarian application gains international success

Hungarian application, Route4U has been around since 2014, and by now it has gained well-deserved international recognition, szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu reports. Route4U is yet another Hungarian invention to be proud of.

The name Route4U might ring a bell for a reason, we have already reported on the matter when the application was first presented at a press conference in Budapest in 2015. Back then, the start-up project was available only in Hungarian and it could be downloaded for Android only. The application has gone through serious development since then. The mobile application is now available free of charge for both Android and iOS.

Route4U is a mobile map designed for people with special needs when it comes to transportation.

The seemingly simple act of getting from point A to point B poses many challenges for people with physical disabilities, and this application is designed to make the life of these people much easier. How does it work? The app surveys the sidewalks with the help of built-in sensors, it helps its users to find the best accessible places based on other users’ ratings and it shows the most comfortable routes toward specific destinations. The app makes it easier for people in wheelchairs to design their routes in advance, knowing what places or routes to avoid.

It is important to mention that

even though Route4U focuses on people in wheelchairs, this application is extremely useful for parents with strollers too.

The use of Route4U is not recommended for blind or visually impaired people, because the sensors only survey the sidewalk, and certain barriers, that are easily bypassed by people who see them, go unreported, while these barriers can cause serious difficulties for blind users.

How does the application collect its data?

Besides the built-in sensors that survey the sidewalks, users are welcome to report observations or problems manually, thus helping to improve the app’s database.

Reporting information on where one can stumble upon curbs, slopes, or marking the buildings that have accessible entrances or accessible toilets are all helpful. People can report obstacles and upload photos of them so that other users become aware of those obstacles as well. Users can also rate certain places based on their accessibility.

Anyone who finds accessibility to be an important issue can help to improve the app. People who do not have any kind of disability or difficulty with transportation can also use the app and rate places, report buildings that offer accessible entrances or toilets.  Someone’s entire world (or at least their daily routine) might change with the help of a few clicks.

Photo: Facebook.com/route4u.org

Ce: bm

 

Mobile app that could save heart attack victims launched in Hungary

Hungary’s National Ambulance Service (OMSZ) has partnered with software developer Alerant Informatikai, the local charity of the Order of Malta and the Hungarian Resuscitation Society to create a mobile application that sends alerts to people who may be able to help heart attack victims on the street before paramedics arrive.

When emergency operators get a call about a possible heart attack victim on the street, they dispatch an ambulance and send the location of the victim to the app.

The app alerts people within a 500 metre radius of the victim, giving them a chance to start CPR even before the ambulance arrives.

Speaking at a press conference on European Restart a Heart Day, state secretary for health Zoltán Ónodi-Szűcs said the app, unique in Europe, is an exemplary product of cooperation between the civil and state sectors. He added that the odds of a heart attack victim surviving are greatly increased if somebody starts CPR before the arrival of the paramedics.

The app, dubbed SzívCity — “Heart City” — has been downloaded more than 5,000 times, said OMSZ spokesman Pál Győrfi.

The app works only Budapest at present, but a country-wide rollout is expected by year-end or early next year, Péter Domokos of Alerant Informatikai said.

Also we wrote about WIWE which is a new medical tool developed by Hungarians. WIWE can foretell the risks of stroke and sudden cardiac arrest. The small device and the application connected to it can save the lives of thousands.

Photo: MTI

The iPhone X is going to be the most expensive in Hungary

Apple’s presentation of the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus aired on Tuesday evening in Hungary, where the new updates were revealed, including a neural processor and the face-detecting emoji. Index.hu reports that the Jubilee iPhone will be the most expensive in Hungary.

As Apple is celebrating their tenth anniversary this year, they are putting a celebratory iPhone model on the market on November 3rd. Customers are used to the expensiveness of the iPhones, but it seems that the iPhone X will set a new price record. According to Index, the lowest price for which you can get an iPhone X in Hungary is 379,000 forints (~ 1.2 thousand EUR), while the most expensive and full-extras version will cost almost 437,000 forints (~ 1.4 thousand EUR).

It isn’t the price itself that is shocking, but the fact that it is much higher in Hungary than it is in the US, or anywhere else in the world. It is the same case as it was with the iPhone 7, since that model was the most expensive in Hungary too. This is owing to the 27% VAT.

Index.hu has put together an interactive map (which you can check out in the original article) regarding the price of the 256 GB version. The colours denote the price range. In the countries marked with lighter colours, it is cheaper, where the colours are darker, it is more expensive. The biggest difference is between the two sides of the ocean, there is little differing between the European countries.

The prices in the article are in HUF, converted according to the current exchange rate, and then rounded. Please note that the VAT is not included in the US price (which varies in each state between 0 and 10 per cent), as Apple has not disclosed the end price there.

index.hu

These are the countries in order of mention: Hungary, the USA, Canada, the UK, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Mexico.

The iPhone X will be available in many other countries as well, but Apple only has published the official prices in these countries so far.

featured image: https://www.facebook.com/apple/

Ce: bm

Hungarian business and financial news from the previous week

See below MTI’s main business and financial news from the previous week:

MOL Q2 PROFIT CLIMBS 12 PC

Second-quarter net income of oil and gas company MOL rose by an annual 12 percent to 88.8 billion forints (EUR 291.4m), an earnings report showed. Earnings were over the 70.1 billion forint estimate by analysts polled by Portfolio.hu. The company raised guidance for full-year clean CCS EBITDA to “above 2.3 billion US dollars” from “at least 2 billion US dollars” earlier.

MTEL Q2 PROFIT EDGES UP TO HUF 10.9 BN

Magyar Telekom’s second-quarter after-tax profit edged up an annual 2 percent to 10.9 billion forints, lifted by lower taxes, an earnings report showed. Revenue rose by 9 percent to 153.5 billion forints, but direct cost of sales jumped 28 percent to 62.7 billion forints. EBIDTA fell 2 percent to 47.9 billion forints. MTel booked income tax of 3.9 billion forints for Q2, down 27 percent from the base period. Guidance for full-year revenue was raised to “around 580 billion forints” from 560 billion forints earlier

TWO-THIRDS OF VISITORS TO HUNGARY DURING SWIMMING WORLDS PLAN TO RETURN

As we wrote before, two-thirds of foreigners who visited Hungary during the FINA World Aquatics Championships in July definitely plan to return to the country, a survey by the Hungarian Tourism Agency showed. Four of five visitors said they would recommend Hungary to their friends. The FINA Championships attracted 485,000 spectators on July 14-30.

Another representative survey said, fully 80 percent of Hungarians asked said that hosting the recent world aquatics championships was a good idea.

HUNGARY HOME PRICE INCREASE SLOWS TO 11.6 PC IN Q1

The increase in home prices in Hungary slowed to 11.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, a report released by the National Bank of Hungary showed. The annualised increase slowed from 15.2 percent in Q4, 14.9 percent in Q3 and 12.7 percent in Q2 of last year. In Budapest, home prices were up 16.9 percent year-on-year in Q1.

Student rental accommodation in Budapest is being advertised for a monthly 150,000 forints (EUR 490) on average, according to estate agents.

HUNGARY INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT CLIMBS 4.0 PC IN JUNE

Hungary’s industrial output rose by an annual 4.0 percent in June, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said in a first reading of data. Adjusted for the number of workdays, output was up 6.5 percent. The unadjusted increase slowed from an 8.8 percent rise in May. The adjusted increased accelerated from 6.2 percent.

TAKARÉKBANK, SAVINGS COOPS BOOST COMBINED STAKE IN FHB TO 86.76 PC IN BUYOUT OFFER

Takarekbank acquired a little more than 20 million shares of FHB Mortgage Bank in a pubic purchase offer, bringing the stake it holds in the lender, together with stakes held by savings cooperatives with whom it acts in concert, to 86.76 percent, FHB disclosed on the website of the Budapest Stock Exchange. Takarékbank offered 533 forints per share for FHB’s “A”-series ordinary shares and “B”-series preference shares, and 5,330 forints per share for the bank’s “C”-series ordinary shares between June 26 and July 31.

HOME LOAN OUTLAYS HIGHEST IN YEARS

Hungarian banks signed contracts for 66.8 billion forints of new home loans in June, 37.4 percent more than in the same month a year earlier, and 8.9 percent more than in May, data released by the National Bank of Hungary showed. Outlays were last higher in October 2003.

NBH SELLS EIFFEL PALACE FOR EUR 53.8 M

The National Bank of Hungary (NBH) said it sold the landmark Eiffel Palace office building in the centre of Budapest for net 53.8 million euros to a fund managed by Corpus Sireo, base in Luxembourg. The NBH called an open tender for the sale of the building in March 2017. It paid net 45.3 million euros for the property in the summer of 2014.

HUNGAST ACQUISITION OF SODEXO MAGYARORSZÁG CLEARED

Hungary’s Competition Office (GVH) said it cleared family-owned cafeteria company Hungast Holding’s takeover of peer Sodexo Magyarország. The companies’ combined market share of Hungary’s school cafeteria business is 35-45 percent, but GVH said the transaction had no verifiable impact on horizontal market competition.

OTP JELZÁLOGBANK HOME LOAN PRODUCTS CERTIFIED “CONSUMER-FRIENDLY” BY NBH

Home loan products offered by OTP Jelzálogbank, the mortgage arm of Hungary’s biggest commercial lender, have been certified “consumer-friendly” by the National Bank of Hungary, the central bank said. The NBH recently rolled out the consumer-friendly home loan certification to counter high interest margins and a low rate of borrower refinancing. Lenders could apply for the certification from June 1. Products offered by MKB Bank, K+H Bank, Erste, FHB Commercial Bank and 50 members of Hungary’s integrated savings cooperatives have also been certified.

Photo: http://eiffelpalace.hu

Telenor launches Digital Welfare mobile internet package

Telenor on Tuesday launched a government-initiated internet service package tailored for people who still aren’t online.

The package, launched under the aegis of the government’s Digital Welfare Programme, is targeted at the 18 percent of the Hungarian population between the ages of 16 and 74 who are still not internet users, said CEO Alexandra Reich. Telenor is offering such subscribers affordable service as well as a mobile device with the package, she added.

Telenor is the sixth telco to include a Digital Welfare package among its products, but the first to offer a mobile internet package.

Telenor CEO Alexandra Reich, photo: mti

Tamás Deutsch, who oversees the Digital Welfare Programme, noted that the rate of internet users among the Hungarian population had risen from 72 to 78 percent over the past year and a half. The increase was concurrent with reductions in the VAT rate on internet service as well as the launch of the Digital Welfare Programme, he added.

Hungary signs declaration on EU 5G development

Hungary signed a European Union declaration on the development of 5G networks at an informal meeting of EU telecommunications officials in Estonia on Tuesday, the national development ministry said.

The declaration urges the EU to create the policies and regulations necessary for the bloc to become a market leader in 5G connectivity, the ministry said in a statement.

Deputy state secretary for EU and international relations Akos Peter Mernyei said at the meeting that 5G technology will have a bigger impact than previous mobile telecommunications technologies, as it will affect transportation, health care, energy and even agriculture.

Hungary has the world’s third fastest 4G mobile network, the deputy state secretary was quoted as saying, adding that this would give Hungary an advantage in the global competition of mobile communication network development.

Photo: MTI

Wizz Air launches a new mobile app

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe announced today the launch of its all-new mobile application which is available for all Android and iOS users free of charge.

Global trends show that the role of mobile communication is clearly increasing. In 2016 around 49% of e-commerce transactions involved a smartphone, and this is expected to increase to more than 80% by 2020*. This tendency is fully in line with Wizz Air’s experience: last year the number of active mobile WIZZ app users increased from 2.6 million to 4.1 million.

As an airline focusing on ensuring the best possible customer experience, Wizz Air decided to introduce a brand new app providing easy-to-use solutions for the needs of its passengers, who are always on the go and need the possible fastest access to their booking details.

The new WIZZ app features a brand new timeline to make it even more convenient to follow all the important milestones of the journey from the moment of booking to the arrival of the flight, as well as an easier booking flow and an in-app boarding card, which remains available also in offline mode without internet connection.

Last year, Wizz Air also introduced an all-new responsive web platform. Since then, accelerated growth in mobile traffic and overall visitor numbers made Wizzair.com the 6th most visited airline website in the world. Delivering upon the expectations of the airline’s always-on-the-move customers, WIZZ is proud to be the clear number one mobile first airline in the top 10. **

Harry Drok, Head of E-Commerce at Wizz Air said: “We’ve seen that the number of smartphone users has been significantly growing recently, that’s why I am delighted that we launched a new mobile application. Thanks to the user-friendly new features, including the in-app boarding card and the timeline – the new app will serve as a travel companion for our passengers and guide them through the whole WIZZ customer journey from the moment they book their flight until they get home.”

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/tag/airport/” type=”big” color=”lightblue” newwindow=”yes”] Read more news about AIRPORT![/button]

68 pc of pre-paid Hungarian SIM cards had their data reconciled on time

call-phone-sim cards

The data of 68 percent of pre-paid mobile telephone SIM cards in Hungary has been reconciled, by the legal deadline of last Friday, the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) said on Tuesday based on information from telecommunication service providers.

Hungarian lawmakers tightened rules on pre-paid SIM cards last year amid concerns they could be easily resold to criminals or terrorists. The rules required telcos to check and confirm the personal data of all pre-paid subscribers by the end of June.

Around 4 million pre-paid SIM cards were affected by the changes and 2.7 million were registered and identified by the deadline.

The NMHH again said that pre-paid subscribers who failed to reconcile their data had their contracts cancelled, but added that the law does not prevent them from signing new contracts to keep their numbers and their balances.

Main Hungarian business and financial news from the previous week

See below MTI’s main business and financial news from the previous week:

TAKATA GOES AHEAD WITH EXPANSION AT AIRBAG PLANT IN HUNGARY

As we wrote, Japanese automotive industry supplier Takata is continuing with a capacity expansion at its airbag plant in Hungary, as planned, Takata Safety Systems Hungary told MTI after its parent company declared bankruptcy in Japan and the United States because of liabilities related to recalls of defective airbag inflators. In the coming months, Takata will add another 200 jobs at the plant in Miskolc (NE Hungary) which employs 1,400 people at present.

HUNGARY HOSTS OECD’S CONFERENCE OF THE GLOBAL FORUM ON PRODUCTIVITY

The Hungarian government hosted the OECD’s 2017 Conference of the Global Forum on Productivity in Budapest. In the framework of the conference, Economy Minister Mihály Varga and OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria signed an agreement to jointly develop a broad strategy for improving the competitiveness and productivity of Hungarian SMEs. The agreement marks the first such country-specific project for the OECD.

WABERER’S OFFER PRICE SET AT HUF 5,100, LOW END OF RANGE

The offer price in an IPO of shares of Hungarian haulier Waberer’s International was set at 5,100 forints (EUR 16.5) per share, at the low end of the 5,100-6,300 forints offer price range. Calculating with the offer price, Waberer’s will raise about net 14 billion forints in the IPO or 45 million euros.

SOFT DRINK MAKER HELL ENERGY INAUGURATES HUF 30BN CAN PLANT

Quality Pack, a unit of soft drink maker Hell Energy, inaugurated a 30 billion forints can plant in Szikszó (NE Hungary). The 42,000-sqm plant can turn out 1.2 billion cans a year. Headcount at the plant will reach 150 within three years.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/wizz-air-announces-massive-expansion-budapest-network/” type=”big” color=”pink” newwindow=”yes”] WIZZ AIR ANNOUNCES MASSIVE EXPANSION OF BUDAPEST NETWORK[/button]

BUSINESS LEADERS JOIN PM’S DELEGATION ON VISIT TO ANKARA

Business leaders from 72 Hungarian companies, including ones in the water management, farming and IT sectors, joined Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his ministers on an official visit to Turkey. Orban opened a Turkish-Hungarian business forum and participated at the third meeting of the Hungarian-Turkish High Level Strategic Council during the visit.

EXTREME WEATHER TO CUT WHEAT HARVEST TO AROUND 4M TONNES

Extreme weather conditions are likely to cut Hungary’s wheat harvest to around 4 million tonnes this year from 4.9 million in 2016, farm minister Sándor Fazekas said on public television.

SANATMETAL COMPLETES HUF 500M PRODUCTION UPGRADE

Hungary’s Sanatmetal Ortopediai, which makes trauma implants and joint replacement prostheses, completed a more than 500 million forints production upgrade. A little more than half of the cost of the upgrade was covered by European Union funding.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/three-fourths-hungarian-families-use-10-year-old-cars/” type=”big” color=”black” newwindow=”yes”] THREE-FOURTHS OF HUNGARIAN FAMILIES USE 10+ YEAR OLD CARS[/button]

US HUNGARY BUSINESS COUNCIL BRINGS SECOND ANNUAL MISSION TO BUDAPEST

The US Hungary Business Council (USHBC) brought its second annual business mission to Budapest. The US is the second-biggest foreign investor in Hungary after Germany, but American companies want to take the top position, said USHBC chairman Eric Stewart. The USHBC was established early last year by American businesses operating in Hungary to facilitate dialogue between US business leaders and the Hungarian government.

MTEL, TELENOR MAKE CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR PRE-PAID SUBSCRIBERS

Telcos Magyar Telekom and Telenor said they will allow pre-paid subscribers who fail to reconcile their data by the deadline on Friday to keep their telephone numbers and balances if they sign new contracts. Hungarian lawmakers tightened rules on pre-paid SIM cards last year amid concerns they could be easily resold to criminals or terrorists. The rules now require telcos to check and confirm the personal data of all pre-paid subscribers by the end of June. The contracts of subscribers who fail to comply will be cancelled.

HUNGARY SOLAR POWER CAPACITY COULD REACH 2,100 MW BY END 2018

As we wrote, commercial solar power capacity in Hungary could rise to 2,100 MW by the end of 2018, exceeding the capacity of the country’s sole nuclear power plant, the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (MEKH) said. MEKH noted that solar power plants operate on average for 1,050-1,200 hours per year in Hungary, generating enough power for 250 households for each half a megawatt of capacity. In 2015, commercial power generation capacity using renewable resources stood at 837 MW, MEKH said.

Photo: MTI

MTel, Telenor, Vodafone make contingency plans for pre-paid subscribers in Hungary

call-phone-sim cards

Telcos Magyar Telekom and Telenor have said they will allow pre-paid subscribers who fail to reconcile their data by the deadline on Friday to keep their telephone numbers and balances if they sign new contracts.

Hungarian lawmakers tightened rules on pre-paid SIM cards last year amid concerns they could be easily resold to criminals or terrorists. The contracts of subscribers who fail to comply will be cancelled.

Telenor said pre-paid subscribers who miss the deadline would have 60 days to sign a new contract to both keep their old number and their balance. After that, they can sign a new contract until the end of next February and still keep their number.

Magyar Telekom did not specify any deadlines for signing new contracts for pre-paid subscribers that don’t reconcile their data by Friday, but said it would make a detailed announcement later in the week.

Vodafone also promised to announce details concerning its pre-paid subscribers who miss the Friday deadline later in the week.

Hungary is already in the international vanguard in 5G

5G technology in telecommunications opens new dimensions in economic and industrial development, László Parragh, head of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce said on Monday in Budapest.

He addressed a conference held on the launch of the “Hungarian 5G coalition” which comprises nearly fifty governmental, administrative and industrial players to promote the introduction and development of “fifth generation” technology. Parragh said that Hungary is already in the international vanguard in 5G and intends to react swiftly to further leaps in technology. 5G, a telecommunications technology predicted to usher in qualitative changes by the speed and “no-delay connection” it provides, could be a “turning point” in Hungarian digital development, he said.

Zoltán Balaicz, mayor of the southwest Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg, said that smart technologies will create almost a 1000 jobs in the city of 62,000 inhabitants in 2017 and cited farm and health care innovation and the autonomous vehicle test track as examples.

László Jakab, dean of the informatics faculty at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, noted that 5G technologies can be implemented in several areas including smart homes and cities, applications, higher education, banking and transport.

Gábor Kőrösi of Telenor praised government commitment to digital development. The investment burden on companies introducing 5G would hamper the spreading of the technology, he said. Government support and university research are also indispensable for implementation, he said.

After the 46 participants signed the 5G coalition founding statement, prime ministerial commissioner for the Digital Welfare Programme Tamás Deutsch hailed the agreement as “historic”. He said it showed that Hungary had joined global competition for utilising 5G technology. Thanks to the joint efforts of players in the digital ecosystem, “things considered impossible for a long period” can now be implemented in Hungary, he added.

Hungary will be one of the centres for 5G development in Europe

internet

Almost 50 government institutions, companies, business chambers, universities, research institutes and professional and civic organisations will establish a coalition to support the development of the next generation of mobile telecommunications technology in Hungary, Tamás Deutsch, who oversees the government’s Digital Welfare Programme, said at a conference on Wednesday.

The 5G Coalition will officially be established on June 19, Deutsch said at the conference organised by the Information Technology for Society Association.

The coalition’s goals include drawing up a 5G development strategy, establishing a testing environment that gives Hungary a say in setting global 5G standards and becoming the first to adopt those standards from 2020, he said.

The aim is to make Hungary one of the centres for 5G development in Europe, he added.

The government is also striving to ensure equal access for all Hungarians to the benefits of digitalisation, Deutsch said.

Hungary 4G network world’s third fastest!

Hungary has the world’s third-fastest 4G/LTE network, according to the latest report by OpenSignal, the secretariat of the government’s Digital Welfare Programme said on Friday.

Average speed of the network in Hungary was 42.61 Mbps, up 2 Mpbs from six months earlier.

In OpenSignal’s ranking of 4G/LTE coverage, Hungary moved up three places to ninth position. The country’s coverage rate improved four percentage points to 83.59pc.

“[Hungary] has one of the world’s best 4G mobile networks and is well placed not only to guard its position in the area of mobile telecommunications but to turn this into a competitive advantage with its proactive role in the area of 5G mobile developments which will define the coming period,” the Digital Welfare Programme secretariat said.

Telenor giving checkmate to the industry with unlimited data in Hungary

Telenor did not only surprise its subscribers with unlimited data traffic, but also its competition. The reactions to the new package of the conservative service only appear in the form of promotions so far.

According to HWSW.hu, the two rival companies probably did not foresee that Telenor Hungary was going to come up with new smartphone tariffs that provide unlimited data traffic, at least according to the recent statements of the operators. Hello Data came in a quite bad time for Telekom and Vodafone anyway as the former one also renewed its entire mobile tariff portfolio this spring, and the latter one introduced its promotion with almost unlimited data (Adatmilliomos).

Have no fear, unlimited data is here

Reviving Telekom Hungary’s promotion from last year and countering Vodafone’s “Adatmilliomos” campaign, Telenor provides unlimited data traffic during the three summer months for áll customers who subscribed for Mobil L or XL and accepted two years of loyalty.

An important difference between Vodafone’s and Telekom’s promotion is that the former one does not attach the preferential period to any exact data, and it automatically activates the unlimited (officially 1 million Mb) data quota to those who prolong their Red subscription or claim a new one. The promotion is opt-in type at Telekom, which means that this unlimitedness must be activated in a Telekom application.

Though Telekom makes a long list of the advantages of unlimited data (especially during the summer and vacation season) in today’s press release, the senior management of Telekom supported the new portfolio in their recent statements. “If we discuss unlimitedness as an offer, we see that our tariffs provide exactly what our clients currently need. Most of our users transfer a couple of GB’s of data monthly, and this volume would not be significantly higher if we offered namely unlimited portfolios, while those who long for a larger data traffic are able to choose even a 30-GB pack as well,” chief executive officer of Telekom Christopher Mattheisen told portfolio.hu.

The service truly has a 30-GB mobile internet offer in their new portfolio, its cost with its minimal sound package (Mobil S, 80 minutes or SMSs included monthly) is 39 euros with two years of loyalty. Telenor’s cheapest Hello Data S tariff with minimal talking minutes (50 minutes or SMSs) costs exactly the half of it, moreover, it does not require loyalty, so the major consumers of mobile data might be better off with Telenor’s offer.

Also, we should not forget about the aspect of the connection between the average monthly data traffic per customer and the data limit of the tariffs and their costs. So as long as customers think that the mobile data traffic is expensive and they need to pay a higher upkeep for the higher limit tariffs, their consumption will not increase significantly. We might observe the same psychological effect in this case as in the case of roaming to which the customers approach with the attitude that calling is expensive abroad, so many of the subscribers don’t even turn their smartphone on when leaving their country.

Unlimited sound good, unlimited data bad

Vice president of Vodafone Hungary’s Branch of Enterprise Services István Király also gave a statement about Telenor’s unlimited offer. Though Vodafone came up with an unlimited offer first (Red tariffs), Király highlighted in a radio interview that while time limits talking (so nobody will call 24 hours a day just because they can do it), unlimited data packs might help customers to overload the network.

Concerning network capacity, Vodafone Hungary has the largest reserve in this field, as it has to satisfy less subscribers in a spectrum unit. The service’s situation is even encumbered by the fact that Telekom and Telenor share the LTE800 network’s radio capacity, thus improving their cell capacity in the countryside.

We learned from a non-official source that despite the statements, Vodafone is working hard on an offer that resembles Hello Data in order to counter Telenor’s service. This new offer might be introduced in the following days.

Ce: bm

Pre-paid mobile subscribers face tight deadline for data reconciliation in Hungary

call-phone-sim cards

Budapest, May 8 (MTI) – Hungarian telecommunication companies may face a rush of activity in the coming weeks as a deadline for registering pre-paid subscribers approaches, business daily Világgazdaság said on Monday.

Hungarian lawmakers tightened rules on pre-paid SIM cards last year amid concerns they could be easily resold to criminals or terrorists. The rules now require data reconciliation for all pre-paid subscribers by the end of June.

Magyar Telekom pre-paid subscribers may register their data online or on the telephone. Telenor pre-paid subscribers may only confirm their data in stores at present, but the telco is “working on” allowing data reconciliation online and on the telephone. Vodafone subscribers may register in shops or on the phone, and the company will soon put up an online platform for registration, too.

The data reconciliation rules could affect “several million” SIM cards.

The contracts of subscribers who fail to comply with the registration rules will be cancelled after the deadline passes, Világgazdaság said.