Brightstar gets Vodafone Turkey's distribution contract

Brightstar gets Vodafone Turkey’s distribution contract

Brightstar has landed an exclusive distribution deal with Vodafone’s business in Turkey, Mobile can reveal.

Brightstar will now manage all of Vodafone’s handset buying and distribution in Turkey, after the network switched from four distributors to one. Its four former distributors are known to have been domestic players.

Brightstar’s rivals, Brightpoint and 20:20 Mobile, are also understood to have tendered for the Vodafone contract in Turkey.

One source explained that the country’s tax rules encourage companies to outsource operations. The source said: ‘An operator can’t buy their own handsets, and it is very difficult to manage handset buying in Turkey.’ An estimated £15 tax has to be paid by the operator for every Sim card it connects, with other hefty taxes placed on handsets.

Vodafone bought the Turkish operator Telsim in December 2005 for £2.5bn. It became the second largest operator in Turkey with 14 million customers and a 26% share of the market. The operator lags behind market leader Turkcell (65%), but is ahead of low-cost operator Avea.