O2 are to take legal action against Ofcom for allowing Everything Everywhere to use 4G on 1800Mhz. They are taking it to the Competition Appeals Tribuneral.


http://m.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/29/mobile-internet-4g-o2-delay?cat=technology&type=article

http://m.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/31/o2_4g_appeal/

More legal action like the legal threats from O2 that already delayed 4G in the UK.

O2 you really are a disgrace, your pathetic excuse for a 3G network is a mess. Why not improve that before wasting more money on lawyers to push for 4G which you will only roll out to big cities, and if it's anything like your 3G service won't be up to much anyway.

To paraphrase, up yours O2. For once why not think of the consumer, YOU delayed 4G already.

I couldn't have put this better.

In short, does this mean that EE won't now launch 4G this year?

I'm in agreement with O2. Why should EE get a head start on 4G. Ofcom is supposed to give everyone a level playing field.

Christ, we're already a good year or more behind some other countries who are on 'par' with ours. We don't need to wait for 4G for another year. Realistically, how much will this even have an effect on O2? Their 3G network is pathetic - the other networks all have far superior 3G networks - but they still, somehow, have 22million customers.

If the CAT has any sense, they'll side with Ofcom.

CEO of Everything Everywhere had threatend to launch legal action against the auctioning of 800Mhz and 2.6Ghz if anyone took legal action over 4G on 1800Mhz in a tit for tat war. They are all as bad as each other!

A level playing field went out of the window when OFCOM allowed O2 and Vodafone to launch 900MHz 3G.

I think what O2 is up to is hilarious. Their own 3G network is absolutely shocking, so they stop others (who have much better 3G networks) from advancing technology further by launching LTE. Maybe they should spend some money on their tin-pot network rather than on lawyers.

It's the Apple approach. Others are producing innovative phones and instead of competing, just try to sue your competition down to your level or worse.

o2 wants to sort their 3G out,if they carnt run a decent 3G service what mess are they gonna make of 4G???

I think the Ofcom decision factored-in that E.E had made a massive investment in 4G infrastructure well in advance and excess of what the other networks had put in. They therefore felt they deserved the chance to reap the benefits, whilst improving thereby wireless data connections to areas that were previously "off the grid". In other words, in this case, what is good for E.E will also be good for society in general. They felt that consumers should not have to wait for O2 et al to "catch up".
Or summink like that.

If that was the case then Ofcom could have just said - 4G will be available for everyone on all frequencies from a certain date. If O2 didn't have the infrastructure then thats their fault alone. But to open it up only to a single provider... thats just wrong.

Maybe it's because 1800MHz is usable spectrum for 4G. It just so happens that one company owns both of the licences (although they are intending to sell some of that spectrum to 3 as required by OFCOM).

Ofcom must've had a good reason to have allowed EE to re-farm the 1800MHz, a reason good enough to outweigh concerns over competitiveness.
So, whatever it was, I'd expect it to trump O2's tantrum in court.

I'll chuck in my last 2p on this before I head off....

O2 should be banned for bidding on 4G licences until it gets it's 3G network up to scratch and also made available to at least 96% population (85% is a joke)

If they're going to chuck in a lawsuit, why not take 3G900 off them whilst the legal process is in place?

They can't have it both ways.

Nice to see it's not only me who thinks networks such as O2 with such a poor quality of service on 3G should be made to get their acts together with their existing infrastructure before looking at new technologies.

If you can't roll out 3G, then how on earth can you roll out 4G successfully.

Not least the fact that O2 were largely given all their 2G frequencies very cheaply, whilst others paid billions for 3G frequencies, then they were allowed to re-use those 2G ones for free for 3G services. That disadvantaged others who paid billions for their blocks.

O2 were the first to ask to re-use spectrum already assigned for 1 technology for another and the first to use 900Mhz for 3G, O2 have 1800Mhz too, but haven't been working toward deploying 4G yet other than the trials.

Even with the 900Mhz their network is still the crappest 3G / data network, so they should concentrate on that before wasting money on lawyers. They are also responsible for delaying the 4G auction which made it worthwhile for EE to launch this interim solution and have such a market lead in terms of time ahead of the others.

Flippin 'eck

Hopefully this doesn't hold things up for too long.

http://www.orangeproblems.co.uk/phpBB2/index.php

O2 are far better than Orange. Anybody else remember how they took over Freeserve internet and trashed the service ?

I am going to risk feeding the troll here but it matters not a jot what you may think of their home internet service. This is about their mobile operation. The two are functionally separate.

What else can O2 do? Haemorrhage customers as everyone abandons them for EE 4G (and Three's 4G service), make a massive loss and pull out of the UK? Telling O2 to allow their competitors to get one up on them is like asking someone to shoot themselves in the head for everyone else's benefit!

EE have invested in their 3G network to cover 98% of the UK, O2 on the other hand dont seem to have done anything, their 3G coverage map will only let you view small areas at a time to hide the awful state of their coverage. Up until recently I was an O2 customer, having given them a chance to improve over the past few years which they DIDNT i left for a better provider, they are running scared because they know their network is poor.

roll out 3G across the uk! its going to take a while for 4g phones to come out and of course people are still in contract, but O2 dont really care about their customers, they flog smart phones with expensive contracts and most of the time people cant even use their smart phone due to lack of decent 3G signal

You're quite right. I left Orange Broadband for Sky because I didn't think it was good enough for my money. However, the service I get from the mobile side of things is fantastic.

Of course there are people who will have a different view because of problems they've had, but I bet there are far more happy Orange customers (EE in general probably) than O2 and Vodafone (O2 without a doubt).

If there's any justice in the world these scum will not acquire a licence at the auction. That'd learn 'em.

Because they are using their own part of the spectrum that they currently own and operate.

Why SHOULDN'T they get the advantage for having the gumption to take the initiative?!

Oh good grief that was around a decade ago, was a totally different business, owned and operated as a seperate entity by people who are not there now.

You might as well accuse father christmas for the mp's expenses scandal, its as relevant as your spurious analysis.