Demise of Mobile Providers: All Change...

[securespark]

Orange
T Mobile
O2
Three
Vodafone

used to be the choice if you wanted a contract mobile phone or PAYG SIM

(I know before that, there was Cellnet and one-2-one).

Did you know that Orange and T Mobile have been retired by EE? If you have a contract or SIM with them, it will still work but those companies are no longer accepting new customers.

Did you also know that Three have bought out O2?

The O2 brand will disappear, to be replaced with Three branding.

That leaves:

Three
EE
Vodafone

BT is an MVNO that runs on EE and there are many others that also piggyback on the big 3.

 

[PBC_1966]

The buyouts and mergers just seem to become more and more frequent over time. A few years ago, aside from the then-new Hutchison 3G network, everyone on GSM in the U.K. was on one of four networks: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or T-Mobile UK.

Vodafone had been around for a good many years, of course, although it was known earlier as Racal-Vodafone. O2 is the one which started out as BT Cellnet, and T-Mobile UK was originally Mercury's One2One. But by that time somebody ordering BT cellular service might not have been on O2, despite it being the old BT Cellnet and despite the fact that - at least initially - BT retained half ownership of it, and might have found himself served by T-Mobile UK instead. Then BT ditched both and put all its new cellular customers on former rival Vodafone. Then O2 got bought by the Spanish state telephone company Telefonica. Now it's all changing around yet again.

 

[Midas Man]

3 is the way forward nowadays. Best contract prices.

Plus, free to use your phone abroad.

 

[nickso]

Am I not right in saying Hutchison Telecom is now O2? I had a mobile way back in the early/mid nineties that was on Hutchison and I'm sure that morphed into O2.

 

[PBC_1966]

O2 is what started out as Cellnet in the 1980's. It became O2 sometime around the turn of the century, then was bought by Telefonica about 10 years ago but still marketed as O2.

Hutchison had an interest in Orange at one time, if I recall correctly.

 

[^woody^]

There are many other providers who piggy back on the main network's infrastructure.

 

[PBC_1966]

There are many other providers who piggy back on the main network's infrastructure.

And the salesmen often cannot - or will not - tell you exactly which network you'll actually be operating on. Sometimes one of these providers has deals with more than one of the network operators, and which network you end up on can depend upon the particular package you select. Sometimes they change provider as they get different deals, so the fact that someone you know signed up with Acme Mobile a few months ago and ended up on Vodafone doesn't necessarily mean that if you sign up with Acme Mobile today you'll end up on Vodafone too.

Some people probably don't really care, but in areas where coverage between the network operators can vary from reasonably good for one down to almost non-existent for another, it's important.

 

[^woody^]

but in areas where coverage between the network operators can vary

IIRC, there are infrastructure sharing agreements between the networks so that the various stations and frequencies are (or will be) available cross networks. So that if your network say, has the frequency that is not so good in buildings, you might be able to connect to one that has.

All the networks are also investing in voice over data and use of WiFi networks to deal with coverage issues.

 

[securespark]

Hutchison created the Rabbit telecommunications system (killed off by the arrival of GSM) then Orange in the early years but later sold up. Then they started up 3, launching on 03/03/03!

PBC, I have never known subscribers to an MVNO be connected to different networks. AFAIK, MVNO's sign contracts with one PCSP at a time. For example, Asda did piggyback off Vodafone but now use EE.

Here's a list of the better known MVNO's and the networks they are piggybacked off:


Asda Mobile EE
BT Mobile EE
Co-op Mobile EE
Giffgaff O2
iD (CPW) Three
Lebara Vodafone
Talkmobile Vodafone
Tesco Mobile O2
Virgin EE (formerly T-Mobile)


MM: 3 is great, although they used to have a PAYG add-on with all-you-can-eat data for £15 and they've just put it up to £20... No doubt to pay for the O2 buyout...

As far as coverage is concerned, there are 3 4G frequencies in use here, 800 (Band 20), 1800 (Band 3) and 2600MHz (Band 7).
Band 20 travels the furthest and is also best at penetrating walls so is good in rural areas (where masts are further apart) and built-up areas (where there's lots of concrete). Band 7 is essentially the opposite of Band 20 and Band 3 is somewhere in the middle.

EE use all 3 frequencies.
Vodafone use Band 20 and Band 7.
O2 only used Band 20.
Three use Band 3. They have access to Band 20 (and had access to it even before their O2 buyout) but I understand they aren't using it as yet. Why - I don't know!

Incidentally, here's a good pub quiz question: where did Vodafone get their name?

VOiceDAtaFONE

 

[HawkEye244]

Are you saying this will become like the energy market? Basically owned by one massive multi-national (BG) who own all of the smaller subsidaries and play them off against each other to give the general public the impression they are getting value for money ?

 

[JohnD]

Are you saying this will become like the energy market? Basically owned by one massive multi-national (BG) who own all of the smaller subsidaries and play them off against each other to give the general public the impression they are getting value for money ?

That doesn't make sense.

Even if you mean Centrica. (BG is an oil company, shortly to be bought up by RDS (Shell)).

What do you think they own?

NG, SGN and some others own some gas pipes. Various companies own some electricity cables.

 

[securespark]

Are you saying this will become like the energy market?

The EU equivalent of Ofcom are worried about the marriage of Three and O2 and are looking into the merger, saying it is unfair and will ultimately lead to price rises for consumers.

 

[HawkEye244]

Are you saying this will become like the energy market? Basically owned by one massive multi-national (BG) who own all of the smaller subsidaries and play them off against each other to give the general public the impression they are getting value for money ?

That doesn't make sense.

Even if you mean Centrica. (BG is an oil company, shortly to be bought up by RDS (Shell)).

What do you think they own?

NG, SGN and some others own some gas pipes. Various companies own some electricity cables.

I don't know enough and have been rumbled.

 

[securespark]

Sorry to drag this up, but I have just topped up my lad's mobiles and Three have just upped the price of all you can eat data to £25!!

Up from £15 a few months ago.....

 

[danechip]

Yes, It went up to £25 in the 1st April, although you get 500 minutes included in that plan rather than 300. I don't mind for the extra minutes. I just wish I knew a way of being able to tether 24/7 rather than that cap between 15.00 and midnight. It's as slow as dial up between these times (Although it's full speed on my actual phone)