[pow wow]

I'm 1 year into 24 month contract with Orange, my phone is able to use 4G, but of course Orange don't offer it (the only network that don't). I don't understand why EE insist on keeping 3 brands active, 2 of which don't offer 4G.

Is it not time they picked 1 name and put everyone onto the same network?

[MGS4SnakeRulez]

They will eventually. I think anyway. They've already done away with Orange and T-Mobile shops and I never see them advertised on TV anymore. So I think it's just a matter of time before they are dropped totally in favour of all just being called EE.

[Gigabit]

They essentially already are gone.

What will happen eventually is all non-EE customers will get 4G at no extra cost and will just become EE customers. I think the reason behind the wait is the uncertainty about EE's future - it's been quite clear for some time that EE (in terms of ownership) wasn't a permanent solution.

The EE brand name is horrific by the way - whoever thought that up deserves to be fired.

[The Lord Lucan]

Well in a year or twos time.. they will be the only Network that actually comes close delivering what the EE name means

[Rush]

I'll never understand why they ditched the well established "Orange" brand for EE.

[a516]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rush

I'll never understand why they ditched the well established "Orange" brand for EE.

Because EE is the result of Orange and T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom) merging their UK operations on a 50/50 basis. If Orange had have taken over T-Mobile, then the Orange name could have stayed. EE might be BT soon, judging by reports, anyway.

[The Lord Lucan]

Because the parent companies didn't want the new venture to keep their name and wanted to differentiate 4G as a separate new product and network.

Which despite the other networks giving 4G away for near free and in some cases free.. I'd say it's worked for EE. It was the gun ho approach to the implementation of EE in the first year not the brand that caused issues.

[Gigabit]

The issue is, many people do not understand what EE is or does, or what it stands for.

T-Mobile and Orange at least were well known; I still get people asking me the difference between Orange/T-Mobile and EE.

[carnivalist]

So is it the case that just legacy custmers are on Orange and no new customers can join it? I kind of fancy going back to Orange itself instead of EE.

I still don't see why EE couldn't simply have renamed the new brand Orange - IMO it was by far the best branding in the market. My brother used to be the creative director of a major graphic design agency who did a lot of branding and packaging design and he thought they were nuts to ditch such a strong brand.

EE's branding is just horrible - green & yellow are the colours of disease (sorry Norwich) and its an all round insipid effort. Its only the clout they have due to their size and the market position of the predecessor organisations that alleviated the negative effect. As has already been said the name is dreadful and even the initialism is cumbersome - "EE" hardly rolls offf the tongue unless you're a stammering Yorkshireman.

[Gigabit]

The worst thing is when they say, 4GEE, they don't say 4GEE they say, "4G EE".

[DevonBloke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

They essentially already are gone.

What will happen eventually is all non-EE customers will get 4G at no extra cost and will just become EE customers. I think the reason behind the wait is the uncertainty about EE's future - it's been quite clear for some time that EE (in terms of ownership) wasn't a permanent solution.

The EE brand name is horrific by the way - whoever thought that up deserves to be fired.

Yeah but the only reason they called it that is so when you manage to get your EE(TM) SIM to connect to a legacy Orange mast, your phone displays "EE E".
Obviously.................

[Gigabit]

EE's website is such a disaster. Half the links don't work, most of the information is contradicted somewhere and there are random things like very low quality images (?).

[DevonBloke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

EE's website is such a disaster. Half the links don't work, most of the information is contradicted somewhere and there are random things like very low quality images (?).

I agree totally.
It's a classic, classic (I'll say it again) example of not following the golden rule of KISS
Keep It Simple Stupid.

[Gigabit]

It's strange as the Orange website was quite good back in the day? T-Mobile wasn't bad either.

[jchamier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

It's strange as the Orange website was quite good back in the day?

Orange website was good until the France Telecom takeover when it became a news and information "portal" - almost impossible to find anything about mobile plans! The stupid animal plans is still insane.

Quote:

T-Mobile wasn't bad either

T's was much better, it was very simple and quick to use.

EE's seems to be designed for those who can't see. Large writing and capitals, at least they changed the font earlier in the year. Merging the two networks was good, but I believe a lot of former-Orange sites are now gone, in preference to a bigger T-Mob/MBNL site near by. This is a big shame as these fill-in sites did make a massive difference to indoor coverage, and hence phone battery life.

Quite a few inactive "street pole" type Orange masts in Fleet now

[Gigabit]

Why don't they remove them or use them again?

[jchamier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

Why don't they remove them or use them again?

Yeah, good question!! Surely they're still responsible for the safety of the installation, but saving power costs, and I assume the backhaul has been cut, so quite a lot of cost saving.

Orange was the only network that covered this area properly due to these masts. Now all networks (3, EE, Voda, O2) have "no service" blackspots that are very very small but irritating.

[Gigabit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

Yeah, good question!! Surely they're still responsible for the safety of the installation, but saving power costs, and I assume the backhaul has been cut, so quite a lot of cost saving.

EE is certainly lacking in masts near where I live. O2 and Vodafone have the area well covered with 2G (no 3G) - their masts seem to be well placed and the use of 900MHz is helping them.

[jchamier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

EE is certainly lacking in masts near where I live. O2 and Vodafone have the area well covered with 2G (no 3G) - their masts seem to be well placed and the use of 900MHz is helping them.

How annoying. :-/ They should take some of the spare ones in Fleet

[Gigabit]

I am hoping 800MHz LTE may help but who knows.