Orange & T-Mobile to merge

[Rik]

The BBC reports that:

T-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]

My son uses 3 and rarely gets a signal  he's in Newcastle at the moment and his laptop is useless.

[Ray]

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

[Rik]

Don't Tesco as well?

[Ray]

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]

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

[Mr Booh]

Tesco use O2

[Rik]

Thanks, wrong again.

[john]

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]

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]

What will the name be      Torange or Orobile   

[Sebby]

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]

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]

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

[pup]

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]

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

[Glenn]

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

[Rik]

Will you move to PAYG?

[Glenn]

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

pence/month

[Rik]

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]

What will the name be      Torange or Orobile   

Orange Tea ? 

[Rik]

 

[Glenn]

I do like Den's Orobile suggestion.

[JohnH]

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

[Rik]

That would be the pits.