Category Archives: orange
Britain’s Three hints at volte-face on 4G rollout
May now bring it forward rather than lose customers
Britain’s fourth biggest mobile operator, Three (3UK), may bring forward its introduction of 4G networks in a bid to counter the headstart gained by rivals. The carrier had originally intended to introduce 4G by the end of 2013, but now CEO, David Dyson, has revealed its customers could have access to the ultra-fast networks by this Summer if thought necessary. Continue reading
GoMo updates its Windows Phone 7.8 OS
Rating: Absolutely no idea what the benefits are
Here at GoMo Towers we just happened to pop a SIM card back into our Nokia Lumia 800 smartphone which we updated to Windows Phone 7.8 a while ago. This time we had the completely opposite experience to our earlier upgrade back in February [2013] see here ‘Nokia WP7.8 OTA upgrade notification fails.’ This time we had an OTA (Over-The-Air) notification that an upgrade was available if we plugged the handset into a computer (and used Zune). Continue reading
MNOs should fight back with their own VoIP & VoLTE services
Rating: Go with the flow and buy into ‘open’ ecosystem
It’s easy to forget that until very recently, voice was the key revenue generator for mobile network operators (MNOs). However, the voice call sector is now being fought over by numerous players, including OTT providers such as Skype and Viber. Plus Internet giants, Facebook, has just announced the availability of its VoIP application in the UK. However, there is an opportunity for MNOs to fight back by offering there own VoIP based services. Continue reading
Spreadtrum announces strategic partnership with Orange
Global operator teams with mobile platform provider across broad device portfolio to make high quality, feature-rich mobile handsets and smartphones more broadly affordable
Press release
March 27th 2013. Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD; “Spreadtrum” or the “Company”), a leading fabless semiconductor provider in China with advanced technology in 2G, 3G and 4G wireless communications standards, together with Orange, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, today announced that Orange has established a strategic partnership with Spreadtrum to use its low-cost mobile platforms for the delivery of a broad portfolio of cost-effective, feature-rich mobile handsets and smartphones to consumers in Orange’s European and African markets. Continue reading
UK postpaid hikes could incense UK subscribers
Rating: Tesco might be making a smart move
There’s nothing like personal experience to bring home a crucial issue in the mobile industry to you. And GoMo News has just received some very important news from our UK MNO – Orange. Yes, we have two separate accounts with the marketing arm of EE and have just been informed that our contracts are going up. They are not particularly steep rises but it is the principle that matters. Like most UK consumers we weren’t aware although the contract’s timescale is binding, the payment amount isn’t. MNOs are currently free to raise it. Which makes the recent announcement from UK MVNO Tesco (see here) so more important. Continue reading
Shopitize hires ex-Orange man Graham Halling as commercial director
Rating: Promises to take mobile couponing specialist to next level
Up and coming mobile shopping couponing specialist, Shopitize, has appointed Graham Halling as commercial director. Halling boasts over 20 years experience with some of the biggest telecoms, media and marketing services brands in the UK and Europe. He held senior roles at Orange UK/France Telecom in key areas such as Mobile Health, Paid Content Delivery, Data Revenue Modelling, and Mobile Advertising and Payments. “Shopitize is one of Britain’s Top 6 innovators and its mobile couponing platform is already helping brands such as Kellogg’s, General Mills and United Biscuits to better engage with their consumers,” claims Halling. Continue reading
EE to ‘be floated’ on London market by end of 2013
Britain’s largest mobile network EE is being primed for flotation at the end of this year in what could prove to be London’s biggest stock market listing in over two years.
If the IPO succeeds it would raise billions for owners Deutsche Telekom and France Telekom, both of whom are in need of a cash injection to invest in expanding their home networks, acquire new spectrum and pay off debts. Continue reading
Britain’s EE could be bought by US teleco giant
But there are plenty others in the frame too
Britain’s biggest mobile operator EE could be the target of a takeover by US telecom’s giant AT&T, it’s claimed, as a virtual guinea pig for its pricing strategies and new technologies. According to the Wall Street Journal, such a purchase would also help AT&T to expand activities beyond American shores as its home market becomes increasingly saturated. Continue reading
Tenth of EE stores for the chop
Merging of T-Mobile and Orange brands to blame
EE is to close at least one in ten stores within the next three months following the merging of its former T-Mobile and Orange brands. The re-branding in October 2012 cost EE a rumoured £50 million, but it has left it with more stores on the High Street than it needs. The company, owned jointly by Spain’s Telefonica and Deutsche Telekom, now says it will shut 11 per cent of its existing 700 stores, though the locations have not been named. A question mark similarly hangs over frontline staff, though EE says some will be offered work at alternative stores though it’s thought managers’ job, in particular, will be at risk. Continue reading
Ofcom poised to outlaw mid-term price hikes on mobile contracts
Customers will also get right to cancel without penalty charge
Mid-contract price hikes for millions of UK mobile users will become a thing of the past under plans by the country’s regulator Ofcom to outlaw the practice. At present customers on contracts involving monthly billing can only cancel if price rises cause “material detriment”, a legally untested term, otherwise they are invariably obliged to continue paying until the deal ends or face an exit penalty. Continue reading
Guest Post: Time for comms to get real in 2013
by Mark Windle, head of marketing with OpenCloud
The arrival of LTE around the globe and in the UK was one of the defining features of 2012. Operators are under increasing pressure from Over-The-Top (OTT) services and are looking to use LTE spectrum to develop innovative IP-based services to catch up with other offerings on the market and defend their market share in the voice, messaging and video calling marketplace. During 2013, I expect to see some interesting innovations from operators as they look to claw back market share from OTT players, protect their revenues, and reconnect with the consumer. However, they won’t be the only ones looking for something new. Continue reading
Phone users get the pip with Orange
Latest figures reveal it was the most moaned about
UK mobile operator Orange witnessed ther highest level of complaints of all the operators in the last quarter, figures from regulator Ofcom reveal. Orange, part of EE, saw complaints double following a decision to cut off free broadband service for mobile customers unless they also took out a line rental. Since the outcry Orange has made some concessions but it is still the first time it has leapfrogged rival TalkTalk which for the past two years has had ther dubious honour of topping Ofcom’s complaints list. Continue reading
EE extends headstart with 17 more cities added to its 4G coverage
Competitors Vodafone and O2 will have to wait until early summer
Seventeen more British cities are to be embraced by EE‘s 4G network, as the nation’s biggest mobile operator seeks to extend its headstart over rivals Vodafone and O2. EE, which owns T-Mobile and Orange, will be able to offer ultra-fast broadband to an extra 40 million potential users by March 2013 – several months ahead of competitors who are currently bidding in a government auction for new spectrum and whose own 4G services will probably not be operational until early Summer 2013. Continue reading
Ofcom closes door on 4G bidders as auction starts in earnest
Operators forced to pay £100k each as initial ‘entry fee’
The first round of the 4G bidding process by UK regulator Ofcom came to a close last night [11th December 2012], marking the start of a race that will begin in earnest next month. Ofcom will now begin sifting through the list of applicants, who each have had to pay a £100,000 entry fee, in an auction that will see up for grabs a total of 250 MHz of spectrum in the 800 MHz and 2.6 MHz frequency bands, compared to 333 MHz in use today. Continue reading
Orange partners with Lookout to protect customers across Europe
Orange to install Lookout Mobile Security application as standard on Android devices starting in 2013 in France, Slovakia, Spain, and the UK, with more markets to come
Providing mobile security protection for millions of customers in the first year alone
Press release
December 4th 2012. Every day €5.5 million worth of phones are located by Lookout. People in some European cities lose two phones per year on average, and 40 per cent of Android users will click on a malicious web link on their phone this year – highlighting the need for protection. Continue reading
