Orange and T-Mobile merger approved this afternoon

[MilhouseVH]

Originally Posted by normal

You're presuming they don't just use their mapping engine to work out which transmitters to turn off. Now who would be so daft as to believe a coverage map?

True, they'll probably switch off the Orange transmitter... d'oh!

[MarkJ]

There's talk of Vodafone or O2 going after 3 now this has been passed, Voda being pushed into 3rd place isn't going to sit well with them I would imagine.

Also read some story about a Vodafone and O2 merger (though it stated a network merger), which I can never see happening.

If one of the other big two pick up 3, I can't see the customer gaining anything out of it.

Glad it's Orange and Tbag though, the two networks I swore I would never go back to again

[richardyates]

Agreed - I don't see how 3 is viable in this market place. If Vodafone gobbles 3 up, we will have less competition in the UK than almost any other market in the EU. That isn't so impossible - 3 has become part of Vodafone in Australia, and the combined ompany wouldn't be much different from Orange T-bag in size so I don't think the competition authorities would do much. If you want to see what only 3 companies is like - look at mobile prices and contract in France - peak rate calling times, long contracts, hardly any inclusive minutes and so on.

We used to have a rule that >30% market share was a no-no - not sure what happened to that.

It would have been so much better if 3 and T-moBile had merged - that would have left 4 broadly even sized companies

[richardyates]

Vodafone and O2 are doing a mast share. Perhaps we should take all the masts and network infrastructure away, provide really good coverage and then let the networks sell the time.

It always amazes me where we can't have coverage in the UK - I have been in remote valleys in the Italian alps with strong coverage because the networks share transmitters. Last year I was 2 miles from a town in the lake district and had no mobile coverage at all for a mile in any direction from where I was staying

[normal]

Originally Posted by richardyates

Vodafone and O2 are doing a mast share. Perhaps we should take all the masts and network infrastructure away, provide really good coverage and then let the networks sell the time.

It always amazes me where we can't have coverage in the UK - I have been in remote valleys in the Italian alps with strong coverage because the networks share transmitters. Last year I was 2 miles from a town in the lake district and had no mobile coverage at all for a mile in any direction from where I was staying

A great idea! A bit like Network Rail, aka Network Mobile. One problem is that I'm sure the politicians believe there's money to be made (again) by selling them radio frequencies. I can't see the networks falling for the same trick twice.

[camperdown9]

Originally Posted by richardyates

3 has become part of Vodafone in Australia, (

Does anyone know what the deal is with Vodafone Aus and 3 AUS?

I though that 3 Australia was going to be rebranded Vodafone. So hutch was going to exchange its Australian network for a share of an enlarged Vodafone Aus. However I was in Sydney last week and 3 still has stores.

Alex

[hawlie]

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/Mobile_...s_at_risk.aspx

poss staff losses, a too familiar story when firms merge

[jonmorris]

http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/searc...0&submit=Go%21

A few opinions from other networks.