[belleville1]

Yes, it's true--there's now a sixth mobile phone operator in the UK, with its own spectrum and transmitters as opposed to reselling someone else's... but there's a catch.

From The Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/19/uk01_launch/

Quote:

The spectrum used for UK01's network is around 1800MHz, so within the operating band of most mobile handsets, but the operator's licence is only for low-power deployments which will have very limited range - so customers won't be able to wander far from the kiosk bearing the UK01 service mark. They'll also have to manually select the UK01 network, as the company apparently has no roaming agreements with other operators to provide additional coverage.

It's a bit of a cross between wi-fi hotspots and a mobile phone network; not quite sure how well it'll do! There's no info on their website as to where they cover.

[ok.]

This will never work, the website has stock photos nicked from a stock photo site.

No rates are displayed either. If they were serious they would have a .com and would have real money to spend.

The spectrum cost them 77,000 from Ofcom, in big contrast to the 6 billion or whatever 3 paid.

This will never, ever work.

[Adam D]

6?

Orange
Virgin
T-Mobile
o2
Three
Vodafone
BT
Fresh
Tesco
Global something

Now i know these may use other networks, but they are still providers are they not?

[bradleyspencer1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by belleville1

Yes, it's true--there's now a sixth mobile phone operator in the UK, with its own spectrum and transmitters as opposed to reselling someone else's... but there's a catch.

From The Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/19/uk01_launch/


It's a bit of a cross between wi-fi hotspots and a mobile phone network; not quite sure how well it'll do! There's no info on their website as to where they cover.

Sounds a bit like the Rabbit phones from the early 90's!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam D

6?

Orange
Virgin
T-Mobile
o2
Three
Vodafone
BT
Fresh
Tesco
Global something

Now i know these may use other networks, but they are still providers are they not?

Dont forget Blyk

[!!11oneone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam D

6?

Orange
Virgin
T-Mobile
o2
Three
Vodafone
BT
Fresh
Tesco
Global something

Now i know these may use other networks, but they are still providers are they not?

Yes, they're providers. But there are still only 5 (now 6) companies with networks

Orange
Vodafone
T-Mobile
3
02
now UK01 (which will disappear soon enough).

[Ricardodaforce]

Yep, as said it sounds very similar to Rabbit.

[ok.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam D

6?

Orange
Virgin
T-Mobile
o2
Three
Vodafone
BT
Fresh
Tesco
Global something

Now i know these may use other networks, but they are still providers are they not?

These are VMNO's they are virtual networks, they don't exist as a proper network, only the billing etc.

They don't broadcast anything, they just use Orange or whoever's network and then the real network bill the company for the network usage.

I'll sell you a phone if you like, well call it "network me" and I'll pay Orange £15, then you pay me £17 for your contact ok?

It doesn't make it a mobile phone network, just a "virtual operator" or billing company.

I have no idea what this company is thinking, they must be bonkers. It has 0% chance of success.

[The Phazer]

I always wanted a non mobile mobile phone.

Oh, that's right. I didn't. FAIL.

Phazer

[kyussmondo]

I just don't understand this at all, not this late in the game anyway. The costs to build an entirely new network must run into hundreds of billions. Most of the UK pretty much has blanket coverage now the only investment really happening now is improving 3G coverage and 4G. Not to mention health and safety concerns. Mobile operators already get enough wrap for the amount of masts they use, I highly doubt we need a whole lot more masts. Complaints aren't really about coverage in the UK, I think most the complaints are about price. And until the main networks (not the virtual ones) are prepared to lower prices, then we are pretty much stuck with what we have got. A new network would just add to confusion and unless they have bucketloads of cash then they will never be able to compete with the other networks unless they go for a niche market.

[ok.]

There's 4g?

[prking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ok.

There's 4g?

Yes. It offers huge speed increases even when in a car. Was demonstrated in a moving car at 100Mb a second and when stationery In ideal conditions at 4Gb a second. If I recall correctly the first networks will be installed in the far east in 2010.

[wavejockglw]

Yep... its like Rabbit. You can only use the daft service within yards of a phone box that some other Wi-fi distributor has a transponder installed in (because of some sharing arrangement).

This is a pure no hoper and will die a death just like Rabbit did.

Not very practical unless you happen to live in a phone box!!

I dare say it might actually pay for itself as they wont have to sell too many SIMS to recoup the licence cost. Some careful target marketing might just make this scheme attractive to callers who use mobiles to make overseas calls but with mobile calls falling at the rate they have been even that might prove a tough market.

BTW Other operatiors have similar small scale GSM licences and they intend to roll them out for use by large businesses who need their own private networks.

[Lurch]

Yeah, that sounds amazing, think I'll get one of those.

Might get a Premicell and a reeeeeeaaaaalllly long line cord so I can wander several metres before losing the signal...........

........or maybe not.......

[acoolwelshbloke]

When you think about all the phone boxes BT have removed and continue to remove due to people using pay go mobiles these days your going to be very lucky if you ever got to use the service!

Put that to one side, who in their right mind would take this service up? It's doomed!!!!

[Lurch]

Another competitor, conveniently in all the same locations as the doomed network itself, is WiFi and VoIP, both of which are also conveniently located on newer mobile phones on the market.

I'm sure there must be some catch, the bloke at the top must have a very good accountant, and a good insurance policy that I'm sure will come into play one day?

[wavejockglw]

Interesting to note that UK01 have not published any details of their pricing either....

[agent_c]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam D

6?

Orange
Virgin
T-Mobile
o2
Three
Vodafone
BT
Fresh
Tesco
Global something

Now i know these may use other networks, but they are still providers are they not?

Virgin, BT, Fresh, tesco and the others are not "networks" they are "Virtual Network Operators" who resell space on the main networks. IIRC Virgin is T-Mobile, Tesco is O2.

[agent_c]

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

Yes. It offers huge speed increases even when in a car. Was demonstrated in a moving car at 100Mb a second and when stationery In ideal conditions at 4Gb a second. If I recall correctly the first networks will be installed in the far east in 2010.

4g Is either WIMAX (which some people claim isnt really 4G at all) or LTE (Long Term Evolution)

There are some WIMAX networks around and about... I think theres one or two here in the UK still trying out stuff.... Apparently its rather popular in Pakistan. There was one in Australia that decided to shut down and fall back on reselling 3g services because the equipment was underperforming.

I'm not aware of any LTE networks running.

[prking]

I think WiMax is not really 4G at all, there were some trials in US cities which were/are spectacular failures.

But when technology is going to take another leap in the next five to ten years, it seems a very odd time to be trying a business model which has already failed several times.