Originally Posted by enapace:
“I still think the 2x5MHz of 800MHz that Three has might be required to be divested so that a fourth entrant would have lowband spectrum to compete with. You have remember that is the reason Three got it in first place.
There biggest worry is they will be biggest network in UK with a smaller amount of spectrum resources than EE and only about same as Vodafone who will have nearly half the customers they will.”
“I still think the 2x5MHz of 800MHz that Three has might be required to be divested so that a fourth entrant would have lowband spectrum to compete with. You have remember that is the reason Three got it in first place.
There biggest worry is they will be biggest network in UK with a smaller amount of spectrum resources than EE and only about same as Vodafone who will have nearly half the customers they will.”
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.




but my gast will be totally flabbered if this goes ahead and 4 are allowed to become 3.