Orange to distribute iPhones

Mobile phone brand Orange, owned by Centertel in Poland, has signed a distribution deal for Apple's iPhone, with plans to make the phone available in the second half of this year.

Orange will distribute the phone in 10 of its European phone networks, but no details have been released as to the type of offer Orange is preparing for its customers. It all depends on the cost of the unit as well as the services that will be offered, explained Wojciech Jabczyński, spokesman with Grupa TP, owner of Centertel.

"The agreement between Orange Global and Apple gives different possibilities, depending on the market. Exclusivity and non-exclusivity are possible," he told WBJ.

Orange estimates there are currently about 17,000 iPhone users in Poland, although the fact that there has been no official iPhone service provider to date means that these users are potentially breaking the terms of service. Orange is not worried that unlawful use will cut into its potential client base, however.

"To give customers an iPhone would be good for our image," said Jabczyński. "Our main target is the business crowd." He added that Orange was confident about there being strong interest in Poland.

Grzegorz Bernatek of telecoms advisory Audytel told Rzeczpospolita that he estimates the Polish market will absorb up to 160,000 iPhones, which would mark a small fraction of the current 10 million mobile phones being sold annually.

Anna Olejarczyk