Beirut, February 7, 2023: Under the auspices of the Minister of Telecommunications, Eng. Johnny El Corm, touch inaugurated the first smart customer service center of its kind in the world, marking a step forward in the digital future with touch's entry into the virtual Metaverse world. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Labor, Mustafa Bayram, the Minister of immigrants Affairs, Issam Sharaf El-Din, the Minister of Information, Ziad Makari, the representative of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Colonel Khaled Youssef, and deputies: Dr. Ibrahim Al-Moussawi (Chairman of the Parliamentary Telecommunications and Media Committee), Tony Franjieh (Chairman of the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee), Jimmy Jabbour and Saeed Al-Asmar, President of the Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate Joseph Al-Koussaifi, Eng. Basil Al-Ayoubi, Director General of Investment and Maintenance at the Ministry of Telecommunications, Eng. Naji Andraos, Director General of Construction and Equipment at the Ministry of Telecommunications, CEO and General Manager of alfa, Jad Nassif, CEO and General Manager of touch, Eng. Salem Itani, and board members, number of senior technicians, and the media.
In his speech, minister El Corm stated: “Since we assumed responsibility for the Ministry of Telecommunications, we knew that we would work under great pressure, given Lebanon’s unusual circumstances and the financial crisis, however, nothing would have stopped us from achieving our goals, and the best evidence for that is our presence here today, and what we have achieved during this short period, such as:
- The network availability rate increased from less than 80% to 99% across Lebanese territory, while the average revenue for cellular subscribers rose to about $7 per month. Lebanon also achieved a qualitative improvement in the data speed on the Ookla global scale, jumping from the 85th place in December 2021 with an average speed of 20.35 megabits per second to the 73rd place in December 2022 with an average speed of 27.28 megabits per second.
- The average data speed per subscriber increased from 18.4 megabits per second in June 2022 to 30.97 megabits per second at the end of 2022.
- Data consumption per subscriber increased by 25% to 5.7 GB.
- 5G Live experiments were completed at a speed of 2000 megabits per second, which is one of the best 5G speed rates.
- More than a million subscriptions to new services were recorded in one year (at touch).
- Launching a partnership and cooperation program with universities to answer customer calls and solve problems through call centers.
- Roaming revenues in the sector increased by 197 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, a noticeable increase.
- The cost of diesel has decreased by 30 percent so far in 2023 due to the policy of controlling operating expenses and spreading clean energy solutions in transmission stations, noting that fuel prices have increased more than 25 times.
- Between 2018 and 2022, operating expenses decreased from $409 million to $203 million, a decrease of $206 million.
Minister Corm added, "we are undoubtedly going through Lebanon's worst economic crisis, but our determination to develop and progress, and implement the future vision, is reaping its fruits today by insisting on expanding the scope of the telecommunications sector works at all levels and directions to meet the needs of the Lebanese consumer and market."
“Today, we are opening a new customer service center within touch's headquarters, which simulates development, modernity, and progress. This is in line with the vision that we have worked on and strive to achieve from scratch, and this is what we will work to achieve. This step is nothing but an affirmation that we can create strength out of incapacity, out of faith in the goals that we have drawn and worked to achieve with the utmost precision, and therefore this center will be a new glimmer of hope in this long tunnel, and its opening today is only an affirmation that the will to work, progress and succeed is still present, because our faith in Lebanon does not fade.”
Minister Corm concluded his speech by praising the efforts of the employees and managers of touch and the work of the teams who showed full and permanent cooperation, starting with plans to save the sector from bankruptcy, to moving forward with plans for development, modernity and progress.
In his welcoming speech, the Chief Executive Officer General Manager of touch, Engineer Salem Itani, affirmed, "Our insistence on completing and opening this center is nothing but a challenge to everyone who tries to curb the pioneering aspirations of the Lebanese, and a commitment" and an eagerness "to benefit from all the money that was paid in a previous stage before the economic crisis, no new investment was done. As for the delay in finishing the works to launch the center, it is due to the circumstances and events that followed, the latest of which was the Beirut port explosion and the material damage it left behind, which is still evident in the center, awaiting compensation from the insurance company.”
He pointed out, "In light of these facts, we were faced with two options: either to keep the current center situation, leading to the loss of previously paid funds, since the equipment will be obsolete with time; or the completion of the work without any significant cost, while adding an innovative quantum leap, free of charge, with our business partners, to operate the center. In our concern for public money and to avoid any material or moral loss, our choice was the second: meaning proceed with completing the necessary works under the valuable directives of the Minister and with the support of our partners to whom we are grateful for the success of this national achievement and the sincere efforts of all employees.”
“Together, we open this center determined to meet the challenges, while providing a center of excellence for customer service in touch HQ in Beirut, first of its kind in the world, not only in terms of the equipment spread throughout, but also in terms of the advanced technological systems that will allow our customers to become more involved in the world of digital transformation.”
Itani also announced “the launch of touchVerse in parallel to the opening of this center, stepping forward in the digital future by entering the virtual MetaVerse world. By being present on the world-leading Decentraland platform, touch becomes the first and only cellular communications company in the world in the virtual world of MetaVerse through its new customer service center. Currently, any user can visit touchVerse to be able to engage in this new technology, and when the special laws that allow the use of cryptocurrency in Lebanon are approved, the customer can then complete all available operations.”
Itani then invited the attendees to explore the various sections of the center, which is equipped with interactive screens that guide the customer how to complete any transaction related to his line through the electronic channels of touch and the mobile application. He will also have the option of taking a prior appointment through the application to save time. Large screens are spread throughout the center, spreading a distinctive atmosphere for customers while waiting for the completion of their transactions. In addition to displaying the latest mobile handsets that feature the fifth generation technology.