Telefonica Joins Starmap Alliance?

[Effendi]

Easier PrePay Top-Ups When Roaming

The European operators alliance, Starmap has announced a new service whereby customers of one operator can use the PrePay top-up vouchers from another other alliance operator to top-up their account. Using this service, customers are able to buy vouchers and top-up their pre-pay account abroad.

Starmap partners pre-pay customers can buy a pre-pay voucher in the countries belonging to the Starmap Alliance and use it to recharge their own pre-pay account. The balance is then credited to the respective customer account in just a few minutes time. The offer is valid in 9 countries: Great Britain (O2), Ireland (O2), Germany (O2), Italy (Wind), Norway (Telenor), Denmark (Sonofon), Spain (Amena), Switzerland (Sunrise) and Hungary (Pannon).

The offer will first take effect for O2 Ireland in March 2006. The Starmap members One Austria and Eurotel in the Czech Republic will not yet offering this service.

As part of the agreement for Telefonica to purchase O2, it will be leaving its own operator alliance, Freemove which includes France Telecom, Telecom Italia and Deutsche Telekom.