It was in June 2017 when all faculty and staff with work mobile phones were encouraged to observe the procured agreement and change contracts. Approximately half of those under contract switched from Telia to TDC/Tele2 at the time, something that the entire university and all departments/units have rewarded from, both through reduced administrative costs and lower contract pricing.
"The monthly cost of each contract has fallen by almost SEK 200, and now amounts to less than SEK 100 per month. A unit with 20 mobile phones therefore saves almost SEK 50,000 per year through the new agreement," says Arne Vedefors, head of the IT Office.
However, during the summer a number of error reports were submitted from employees with new contracts at Tele2, which resulted in the IT Office temporarily suspending the transfer. This was predominately due to problems with geographic coverage and weak mobile signal connection for calls and data traffic. Tele2 appointed a special team that has been working with the university's error reporting. They have reviewed all reported errors, and in certain cases have made adjustments to the masts or in the mobile phone settings.
Special solutions
Tele2 is offering a special solution for those that are still having problems with coverage. It is a special contract that is called Tele2 Open, and it actually consists of two contracts in one, which is one that searches the nearest mobile phone mast (in addition to Tele2's) within Sweden's borders.
There is also a special solution for employees who require large amounts of mobile data, which is called Mobil extra surf, and for those who need a contract that is not personal. The later often means getting a so-called "technical subscription" when the contract is used in a technical solution or when several people share a mobile phone contract.
Costly special contracts
Arne Vedefors points out that all special mobile phone contracts are much more expensive than the standard solution.
"For instance, Tele2 Open costs just over SEK 200 per month, which is twice as expensive as the regular Tele2 contract. It is therefore up to each individual head of department or unit to decide on the needs for every employee. A special contract also requires a special order, and the standard contract needs to been tested and evaluated as insufficient for operational needs," says Arne Vedefors.
Final transfer in December
The IT Office is now allowing for all employees that have yet to transfer their contract to place a new order. A first round of contracts will be transferred on 6 December and the remaining will be transferred on 14 December. Those that have already submitted their order but have not received their new contract do not need to submit a new order. On 1 January 2018, all remaining mobile phone contracts with Telia will no longer be valid.
The final date for submitting orders for the respective rounds are:
- Wednesday 22 November at 12:00 p.m.
- Friday 1 December at 12:00 p.m.
More about mobile phones contracts
If you have any questions, contact:
Teleservice
Arne Vedefors
IT Office