I suspect that if Hutchinson is allowed to buy O2 without any immediate conditions on spectrum, then I'd say that the 2x5MHz 3 currently have in the 800 band could see a deal done with EE involving a spectrum trade - The new O2/3 would have non-concurrent 800 spectrum (fine for CA devices, not for all others) and could offer 3's 800 spectrum for part of EE's 2600 spectrum (say 2x15 or 2x20MHz FDD) giving O2/3 some important 2.6GHz spectrum for high density deployments while allowing EE to double their 800MHz spectrum (leaving all three MNOs on the same 800 bandwidth) and help it meet its contract for emergency services. The fact that BT weren't asked to siphon off their NSV spectrum is making me think that such a scenario is just falling into place all too nicely. Wouldn't be surprised then if the 1800 band was then sought to be tided up so that 3's and O2's allocations here could be adjacent, allowing them to run a 2x20MHz 4G1800 allocation.

I reckon the main condition for an O2/3 merger will be that they won't be allowed to bid in the 700MHz auction, with spectrum set aside for a new MNO.

I don't think the position of quadplay would have actually factored into the regulatory decision, essentially a non mobile company has purchased a mobile company.

With Three and o2 it is a whole different ballgame, 2 networks want to merge with the accompanying loss of competition in the sector. While I'm not saying the merger definitely won't get approval, I would be very surprised if that approval comes, or comes in anyway that does allow the merging of the networks to result in a less competitive market of only three networks.

Stranger things might have happened in history, I mean if you believe some books dead people came back to life but my gast will be totally flabbered if this goes ahead and 4 are allowed to become 3.

Maybe the idea of multiplay was a moot point, but I still think there is a large issue of the effectively monopoly provider of end-to-end landline phone & broadband solutions in the country (unless you live in Hull) taking over the largest UK network in terms of subscribers dominating the communications market overall being the elephant in the room.

Meanwhile Telefonica clearly want out, and Hutchinson don't want to remain where they are right now, either they want to expand their UK operation or they too will want to sell out. Neither O2 or 3 look that healthy in their present states and there isn't much to suggest they'll improve on their own. Maybe a new entrant to the UK mobile market is lying in the wings waiting to pick off the carcass of O2 but if there is, it's not public knowledge right now.

Lots of people dislike BT, and that colours the argument, but remember the French and German versions of BT are the current owners so for EE to be becoming British owned would be seen as a good thing, it's bringing ownership back into the country from foreign phone company control.


Agreed, but I doubt any of that will be considered in the investigation, chances are that there will probably be more than one predator hiding in the undergrowth waiting for their chance .

With the possibility that could be a temporary situation.

As a result of the EE deal, DT now own a significant chunk of BT (and will be able to appoint a person to the BT board). There's a lock out for a few years (other than acquiring Orange's BT stake) but after that it's not out of the question DT would want to acquire the rest of BT. If that happened maybe they will rename EE as T-Mobile

God, that would be funny .

Ha ha....

Maybe it will be T-Mobile BT by EE.

Quite aside from being funny we may be spared having to have BT in our status bars.
I would be very comfortable with T-Mobile.

Well T-Mobile can't put a takeover bid for BT until 2019 so we still have years of EE or maybe BT Mobile on our phones lol.

T-Mobile buying BT depends on if they can sell T-Mobile US off or not to be honest.

TBH I'm OK if it changes to BT.

What I don't want is, when I have a Cat 9 or 10 mobile connection available from EE is for my phone to ignore that and automatically connect to a BT Homehub wifi connection when I walk past someones house who has BT broadband with, I don't know, some crappy 1.7 Mb/s ADSL connection because, you know, it's wifi so it must be better!

The force really is strong with you isn't it.
Check out my question over on the EE thread.
It's a really great idea but I'm probably dreaming.

If the O2 Three merger doesnt go ahead could we see O2 sold to another outside provider (AT&T/Verizion/someone else) and then CHK/Hutchisson sell Three UK only for it to be bought up by the same entity that bought O2

I'd just like it sold somebody who would invest in it. Verizon have the best network in the USA so they seem like a good owner.

From my knowledge of Verizon, it really isn't something that we would want at all. Yes they have a good network, but their prices are really high and their data allowances are really low whilst taking lots of government money and pocketing most of it, not actually investing it. Whilst i think this mostly relates to their DSL/FiOS network rollout/maintainance, it could hold true.

My US family are on Verizon, but the competition has caught up in the last 4 years, and T-Mobile is a realistic challenger for them (I know as when we visit, we roam on T-Mob, as Verizon don't let anyone roam, still working as a CDMA network).

Also the Government will want more bidders not less in an auction. So to stop someone bidding could be quite foolish and selling off assets on the cheap,as such.

Not for much longer though right? The CDMA thing is nearly over.

Telus is closing their CDMA network in Canada, almost gone now and the coverage map doesn't even list it, Bell CA to close CDMA by the end of this year.

Verizon will close their 2G / 3G CDMA networks off over the next 6 years.

Just look at the defunct CDMA networks list, the ones in Europe which have filed for bankruptcy or the ones which are planning to switch off over the next 5 years.

It is a very dead technology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CDMA2000_networks

Verizon has a good wireless network but it is at the expense of their wireline network.

If you live in an area that has FiOS (fibre to the home) the service is generally top notch, but coverage is incredibly limited - and if you're stuck on DSL, then you're very unfortunate.

I've constantly whined about BT's rollout strategies, but compared to Verizon they look positively futuristic. At least when BT installs a street cabinet, they'll do VDSL from it. Verizon's most recent DSL rollouts (mandated by law) are limited to 3Mbps ADSL max, even when they've run fibre to the damn thing and the equipment is capable of at least 24Mbit. That's assuming your phone line works at all, since Verizon doesn't like their technicians making proper repairs to the copper network - just stick a rubbish bag over it, hopefully it'll keep the water out

They'd love to abandon their copper network and sell everyone extremely expensive, low-usage-limit, high profit fixed LTE instead. Hopefully BT doesn't do the same thing once they have EE, for those people that FTTC/FTTP currently does not touch.

If Verizon or AT&T did get their hands on a UK network, I think they'd have a hard time adjusting. Many of the anti-competitive business practices that they love just wouldn't wash here. Imagine having to pay a ton more per month because an automated system has noticed you own a smartphone and that has a special, more expensive, data plan? Or that they won't unlock your phone for use on other UK networks, only foreign ones? Or having to seek permission to use your phone on their network?

Agreed, LTE killed it. It was Qualcomm corp's own technology, and just have a look at their share price Once Verizon Wireless is a pure LTE network they may start to think about roaming, but they've probably not got their heads around this yet.

The CDMA technology worked very well for 2G, in fact better than GSM for large distance coverage, think the US midwest, or countries the size of Russia or China - needing less masts than GSM. What happened was CDMA version of 3G was awful, and the technology could not really cope with the growth of smart phones.

No wonder Apple didn't touch the tech until Verizon Wireless paid them to make a version of the iPhone 4 with CDMA. Since then the amazing pace of cellular modem development has meant incorporating all modes into one handset. Nokia never really did 2G phones for the CDMA market either, they essentially left that market to Samsung and LG.

Anyone remember when the original AT&T mobility network switched from CDMA to GSM and did a handset swap? This is before the advent of buying/merging with Cingular. (And when the US had PacBell, Powertel, Voicestream, Omnipoint and other almost state wide local GSM networks).

Two companies, one brand. Verizon Wireless was half owned by Verizon and half by Vodafone for the majority of its life so far, so had very different direction. Only in the last 2 years did Vodafone sell up and Verizon buy the remaining stake in Wireless.

VZW is I believe still a separate division owned by VZ - I guess how BT will hold EE for quite a while - you take it slow when the bit you've bought is very successful.

Verizon Wireless is generally quite a good network for LTE. Most coverage certainly out of all the American ones. But it's expensive and feels a bit old compared to what T-Mobile USA are doing.

If Three were going to be sold I'd quite like SoftBank or Telenor to consider them. SoftBank I think have done a lot with high frequency spectrum in Japan so I feel they could perhaps bring some ideas to Three's network.

SoftBank could work, but then you have to consider they also own Sprint, who are currently running out of money and are miles behind in rollout, but when they are good they are very good. Kinda like Three I guess.

Sounds like a perfect O2 buyer!

Sprint are behind because of WiMax and 5MHz primary carrier LTE balls up IMO. SoftBank have done some good work in Japan. They do seem to be doing the network side of things properly at least in the USA now on Sprint, where it is rolled out.