Orange & T-Mobile to merge

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 09:53:44

The BBC reports that:

QuoteT-Mobile and Orange are to merge their UK businesses, creating a mobile phone giant with 28.4 million customers.

The deal between Orange-owner France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile UK will see a business with sales of 9.4bn euros (£8.2bn; $13.5bn).

Holding about 37% of the mobile market it will be the UK's largest provider, overtaking Telefonica's O2.

Interesting move - I wonder where that will leave 3, who use T-Mobile's network, don't they?

J!ll · Sep 08, 2009, 11:38:24

My son uses 3 and rarely gets a signal

he's in Newcastle at the moment and his laptop is useless.

Ray · Sep 08, 2009, 11:40:06

I think Virgin use T Mobile's network as well.

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 11:41:52

Don't Tesco as well?

Ray · Sep 08, 2009, 11:44:45

Quote from: Rik on Sep 08, 2009, 11:41:52
Don't Tesco as well?

I don't know, Rik, I didn't know that Virgin used them until some calls I'd diverted to my mobile showed up on my Idnet bill as T Mobile.

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 11:47:56

They were marketing 'indirectly' quite strongly at one point, so I suspect other virtual networks are carried by them as well.

Mr Booh · Sep 08, 2009, 12:02:17

Tesco use O2

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 12:06:12

Thanks, wrong again.

john · Sep 08, 2009, 12:40:10

My wife's on T-Mobile and frequently cannot get a signal but I've never had a problem with Orange (mobile). It will be interesting to see if my wife's improves, whether mine will go worse or we'll stay the same.

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 12:42:29

That was something going through my mind, as an Orange customer, John. I certainly don't think I'll want to tie-in to a new contract until the dust settles. One would hope they would use the best combination of base stations to get optimal coverage, but that would mean upgrading all those which are retained, so I can see some problems ahead.

Den · Sep 08, 2009, 13:14:05

What will the name be Torange or Orobile

Sebby · Sep 08, 2009, 13:29:08

Quote from: john on Sep 08, 2009, 12:40:10
My wife's on T-Mobile and frequently cannot get a signal but I've never had a problem with Orange (mobile). It will be interesting to see if my wife's improves, whether mine will go worse or we'll stay the same.

Interesting. It's the complete opposite where I live!

zappaDPJ · Sep 08, 2009, 13:38:32

I'm an Orange customer and always have been. I've stayed with them because I have them locked into a service plan that probably costs them more than it does me. The down side is the network coverage in my area is such that I need to leave the house to make or receive a call. I'm just wondering how this merger will effect my service plan and coverage.

Glenn · Sep 08, 2009, 14:17:25

I have too, They are locked in to a Virgin Orange contract, no line rental to pay, only call charges.

pup · Sep 08, 2009, 14:28:28

Quote from: Rik on Sep 08, 2009, 09:53:44

Interesting move - I wonder where that will leave 3, who use T-Mobile's network, don't they?

I was told yesterday by 3 customer service that up to 29th March 2009 "3" roamed to "O2" when you couldn't get a 3 signal post 29 March they roam to Orange, hence the 3 phones in our house being next to useless.

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 14:47:04

So we're all going to be holding off new contracts for a while then.

Glenn · Sep 08, 2009, 16:29:27

My 3 contract will be cancelled once it expires in January, I just don't use it enough.

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 16:34:33

Will you move to PAYG?

Glenn · Sep 08, 2009, 16:54:51

I still have my Virgin Orange contract phone. My monthly bills are around 60 - 90........

pence/month

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 16:58:34

That high, huh.

Currently, we pay £10pm each, with unlimited (OK, 50 hours/month each) calls to landlines, each other and 'magic numbers' (friends on Orange), plus 300 minutes any network/anytime, plus 100 texts. We hardly touch the 300. With IDNet's Anytime package taking care of the 0870/0845 and 0800 numbers, our bills are cheaper now than they were 20 years ago.

JohnH · Sep 08, 2009, 17:01:28

Quote from: Den on Sep 08, 2009, 13:14:05
What will the name be Torange or Orobile

Orange Tea ?

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 17:03:19

Glenn · Sep 08, 2009, 17:04:16

I do like Den's Orobile suggestion.

JohnH · Sep 08, 2009, 17:07:01

The might get themselves into a bit of a hole with a name like that

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 17:09:28

That would be the pits.

Glenn · Sep 08, 2009, 17:17:32

They could move a name forward 38 years, A Digital Orange.

Rik · Sep 08, 2009, 17:30:17

Things would run like clockwork.

Sebby · Sep 09, 2009, 01:00:56

Gary · Sep 09, 2009, 01:24:36

Looks like they are decommissioning masts and closing shops and aim to save £3.4 or £3.5 billion over several years, so that does not bode well. I was with Orange in the very beginning and they were fantastic, even sending out a courier with a new phone, last time I was with them they were expensive (1p per delivery report per text) extra cash for mms (O2 take them out of your text allowance) and I could not get through to customer service for hours, may have changed now but I'm not sure how this amalgamation will effect CS.

Rik · Sep 09, 2009, 10:17:35

Or just service in general, Gary.

Gary · Sep 09, 2009, 11:08:51

Quote from: Rik on Sep 09, 2009, 10:17:35
Or just service in general, Gary.

That would be a shame, Rik, Orange were the best in their day, sadly they have slipped over the years, what hapened to all the great services like setting up a days worth of call forwarding by time for places you knew had bad signals, when you were out travelling to friends or work. So much has changed with them, and te last time I was with them they were not keen to try and even want you to say as a loyal customer, I left as it took me almost two weeks for calling up and being on hold twenty minutes each day to get through

Rik · Sep 09, 2009, 11:30:21

I've been lucky in the 13 years or so that I've been with them, Gary, but they're definitely not as good now as they were in the Hutchinson days.