The public company responsible for managing the portuguese rail network infrastructure, REFER, decided to turn its internal telecommunications unit autonomous. For this spin-off the company had the support of LBC.

Conception and implementation 

LBC conceived the business model, as well as the economic and financial models, the strategy, organization, all business processes, job descriptions, technology strategy, supply services and marketing (including the telecom’s logo). We supported the implementation, which involved the staff transfer and hiring from the parent company, REFER, and also the negotiation of technological equipment acquisition, among others. We produced a benchmarking of european successful telecommunication spin-offs in the railway sector, including a brief analysis of various business models.

Specialization and competence center 

We also conducted a study in the fiber optic contracting market in Portugal. In order to maintain competitiveness in the telecommunications area, REFER Telecom wanted to position itself in the aggressive capacity sales segment in wholesale. In this matter, it was necessary to know and systematize the supply and demand trends, the plans of potential customers, including the public administration and operator’s segments, and also major competitors, especially in terms of their networks expansion, products marketed and main contractual conditions.

The result? The business plan developed by LBC created an entity that provided a contractual service within the railway, with expertise and a center of competence that came to successfully capitalize the business carrier to carrier: REFER Telecom started to sell its services to major telecom operators in the portuguese market.

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