Evolution of the WelcomE Service

1999
Installation of WelComE facilities in Bosnia. Voice only including Inmarsat.

Jun - Oct 2000
Design, development & testing of Internet Services

Nov 2000
Shipping & upgrade to 3 trial sites in the Balkans for Internet: Free user trials commenced

May 2001
WelComE Customer Care Centre (WCCC) opened

May 2001 - Feb 2002
Major increase in Welfare Internet capacity & terminals, delivering to 24,000 personnel (Internet using VSAT, Iridium and PSTN dial-up)

Mar 2002
WelComE services deployed to Afghanistan

Oct 2002
Significant expansion across the Balkans

Nov 2002 - Mar 2003
Installation of new Digitalk system at Stevenage

Feb 2003
WelComE services deployed to Kuwait

Mar 2003
Design/upgrades and deployment to Iraq

Jun 2004
Start of TextLink I

Sept 2005
Design upgrades

Oct 2006
Deployed troops 20 minute publicity funded weekly calls increased to 30 minutes per week

Feb 2007
Visit by HRH Prince Andrew to the WCCC in Stevenage

Apr 2007
Project Mercury (uplift and upspeed of network components)

Apr 2007
Planning and installation of the new Hub Room to house the new Vocality System for WelComE

Jan 2008
Voicemail fully operational. Free access from UK and Germany

Apr 2008 onwards
Wi-Fi development, trials and rollout

2 Jun 2008
Welfare Iridium & VSAT rates equalised across WelComE

10 Jul 2008
9 & 12 month deployed tours commence, with additional WelComE benefits introduced

Nov 2008
Start of TextLink II and BGAN services

Mar 2009
Free voicemail service available for family and friends based in Cyprus

Sep 2009
10th birthday of the WelComE service