Time to leave Three and go to EE which already has good 4G in my area on frequencies that my phone does. Just a shame their data is so expensive and not unlimited.
Where I live Three's network is tonnes better than o2, on 4g and 3g there's a massive difference
Yeah but like has been said that situation is sadly limited by area I know a few places where O2 has better 4G then Three and loads of places where Three has been 3G than O2.
Time to leave Three and go to EE which already has good 4G in my area on frequencies that my phone does. Just a shame their data is so expensive and not unlimited.
EE and Three use 1800MHz.....?
EE and Three will both use 800MHz?
What's your point?
Unless you mean EE has 4G in more places right now.
So how will this affect giffgaff and tesco mobile?
Giffgaff could well get the chop as its a wholly owned subsidiary that is rumoured to be making little profit and Li Ka-shing seems to be pushing for profitability above price recently.
Tesco is a 50/50 venture so probably safe for as long as their agreement lasts.
If this goes ahead surely a regulatory offer/option/concession/sacrifice could be to spin out/sell off GiffGaff as a proper MNO and give it some spectrum (and maybe some masts) along with a roaming agreement for customers to fail back to Three/O2?
That way a fourth MNO would still exist, it wouldn't need to start completely from scratch with its own infrastructure but could build out over a longer period (not exactly the same but also not completely dissimilar to how Three started itself)? It would also allow O2 (/Hutchison) to lose GiffGaff, whilst making GiffGaff attractive for investment of new owners with ambition?
Maybe even Tesco Mobile could "buy" GiffGaff and switch its MVNO base easily to GiffGaff (renamed Tesco Mobile I've no doubt)?
everyone saying a flood of O2 customers onto Three's 3G network. I don't see this happening, this wont happen straight away, they will need to upgrade all those O2 masts to Three's quality first otherwise all customers will suffer.
Even if this does go through, I don't see it happening for another 18 months at minimum once it goes through.
O2's 2G network could be opened up quickly though I suppose.
everyone saying a flood of O2 customers onto Three's 3G network. I don't see this happening, this wont happen straight away, they will need to upgrade all those O2 masts to Three's quality first otherwise all customers will suffer.
Even if this does go through, I don't see it happening for another 18 months at minimum once it goes through.
O2's 2G network could be opened up quickly though I suppose.
This is what T-Mobile / Orange did isn't it? Open up 2G roaming first, then start sharing "new" infrastructure, then open up existing infrastructure that had the capacity so it eventually became one network? Seems a common-sense approach.
Can't see how it would have any effect on MBNL really.
Three aren't changing, O2 are.
MBNL will still manage the network on behalf of EE and Three.
Whether Three allow O2 users to use it is up to them.
Spectrum is totally separate so doesn't affect EE.
As long as AYCE data is not lost on contract plans then I am happy.. They can increase the minimum monthly spend to £25 on PAYG to keep that and get some extra revenue:p
It is a lot of customers to add though isn't it, hasn't 02 got 25M odd?
Three need to do it smart. Integrate 02 2g nationwide as a backup and specifically ensure that any coverage areas not covered by 3 3G are covered.
I guess 3 will need a massive increase in backhaul, and amount of connections, going from 7M to nearly 32M will be a massive increase.............
Here in NI 3s coverage is dire. Outside a major town nothing where as O2 has coverage everywhere.
O2 may have very good coverage on 2g but their 3G is nowhere near the coverage and speed of 3 or EE in Northern Ireland.
After 2 years of investment by EE and 3 the MBNL 3G network now covers 95% of the northern Ireland population.
Would be interesting to know what area your in as your experience is the opposite of mine.
When was the last time you tried a Three SIM card?
In terms of 3G coverage, Three has over 420 sites in NI with over 95% population coverage. It's the best 3G network (along with EE) in NI. O2 don't even have half the 3G sites that Three have in NI.
When was the last time you tried a Three SIM card?
In terms of 3G coverage, Three has over 420 sites in NI with over 95% population coverage. It's the best 3G network (along with EE) in NI. O2 don't even have half the 3G sites that Three have in NI.
Probably the NI version of "it doesn't work in my house so it doesn't work anywhere"
Like the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy says on the cover Don't Panic
They are only in talks and it may lead to nothing. The deal is also subject to approval by shareholders and regulators.
These things take a very long time. Integration does not happen over night. Just look at how long Orange and T-Mobile took. The merger was announced in September 2009 and completed in April 2010. Roaming between both networks was available to everyone in October 2010 but did not include 3G data which didn't happen till October 2011. So that's pretty much 1 year for partial integration and 2 years for full integration.
I was in the Three store today and the guy said they got an email in telling them about it and even if it does get approval nothing will really happen till the middle of 2016 which seems about right.
So keep calm. Its not a done deal. If you are signing up for a 2 year contract then you may see changes in 2016 and bigger changes in 2017.
Comments
Yeah but what could i do, i could'nt exactly afford to buy out the contract as much as i'd of like to have done.
If you'd posted here about your issue, I'm sure someone would have given you the CEO's email address to get it properly escalated.
Time to leave Three and go to EE which already has good 4G in my area on frequencies that my phone does. Just a shame their data is so expensive and not unlimited.
I'm pretty sure i said about it on here plenty of times.
Three are in with EE, O2 are in with Vodafone. I wonder what will happen to those agreements. One thing for certain is that prices will rise.
Yeah but like has been said that situation is sadly limited by area I know a few places where O2 has better 4G then Three and loads of places where Three has been 3G than O2.
EE and Three use 1800MHz.....?
EE and Three will both use 800MHz?
What's your point?
Unless you mean EE has 4G in more places right now.
Giffgaff could well get the chop as its a wholly owned subsidiary that is rumoured to be making little profit and Li Ka-shing seems to be pushing for profitability above price recently.
Tesco is a 50/50 venture so probably safe for as long as their agreement lasts.
That way a fourth MNO would still exist, it wouldn't need to start completely from scratch with its own infrastructure but could build out over a longer period (not exactly the same but also not completely dissimilar to how Three started itself)? It would also allow O2 (/Hutchison) to lose GiffGaff, whilst making GiffGaff attractive for investment of new owners with ambition?
Maybe even Tesco Mobile could "buy" GiffGaff and switch its MVNO base easily to GiffGaff (renamed Tesco Mobile I've no doubt)?
Even if this does go through, I don't see it happening for another 18 months at minimum once it goes through.
O2's 2G network could be opened up quickly though I suppose.
This is what T-Mobile / Orange did isn't it? Open up 2G roaming first, then start sharing "new" infrastructure, then open up existing infrastructure that had the capacity so it eventually became one network? Seems a common-sense approach.
Can't see how it would have any effect on MBNL really.
Three aren't changing, O2 are.
MBNL will still manage the network on behalf of EE and Three.
Whether Three allow O2 users to use it is up to them.
Spectrum is totally separate so doesn't affect EE.
Do not come on these forums just so to correct someone's sentence. That is so 1990's!
Where have they said that?
It is a lot of customers to add though isn't it, hasn't 02 got 25M odd?
Three need to do it smart. Integrate 02 2g nationwide as a backup and specifically ensure that any coverage areas not covered by 3 3G are covered.
I guess 3 will need a massive increase in backhaul, and amount of connections, going from 7M to nearly 32M will be a massive increase.............
O2 may have very good coverage on 2g but their 3G is nowhere near the coverage and speed of 3 or EE in Northern Ireland.
After 2 years of investment by EE and 3 the MBNL 3G network now covers 95% of the northern Ireland population.
Would be interesting to know what area your in as your experience is the opposite of mine.
http://i.imgur.com/NQHKSVE.gif
When was the last time you tried a Three SIM card?
In terms of 3G coverage, Three has over 420 sites in NI with over 95% population coverage. It's the best 3G network (along with EE) in NI. O2 don't even have half the 3G sites that Three have in NI.
Probably the NI version of "it doesn't work in my house so it doesn't work anywhere"
I can see every reason why it might have an effect on MBNL and indeed Cornerstone.
They're Spanish.......?
And they're not leaving the UK yet.
Can people please get educated on what's going on. No one is merging with anyone yet.
Like the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy says on the cover Don't Panic
They are only in talks and it may lead to nothing. The deal is also subject to approval by shareholders and regulators.
These things take a very long time. Integration does not happen over night. Just look at how long Orange and T-Mobile took. The merger was announced in September 2009 and completed in April 2010. Roaming between both networks was available to everyone in October 2010 but did not include 3G data which didn't happen till October 2011. So that's pretty much 1 year for partial integration and 2 years for full integration.
I was in the Three store today and the guy said they got an email in telling them about it and even if it does get approval nothing will really happen till the middle of 2016 which seems about right.
So keep calm. Its not a done deal. If you are signing up for a 2 year contract then you may see changes in 2016 and bigger changes in 2017.
Coldplay - Don't Panic