UK communications firm Everything Everywhere, which owns and operates the British Orange and T-Mobile brands, has announced that it is to invest £1.5bn ($2.4bn) in a three-year network evolution programme. The project will accelerate the integration of the Orange and T-Mobile networks and ready them for LTE through the “implementation of 4G-ready technology following successful trials,” the firm said.
Under rules approved by America’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC), AT&T and Verizon will be required to share their data networks with smaller operators. Network sharing arrangements for voice calls are already mandatory; prior to yesterday’s ruling, network sharing for mobile data was arranged on a voluntary basis.
The second and third-placed mobile operators in the Irish market, incumbent Eircom and Telefonica’s O2, have announced that they are to share networks in a deal that Eircom described as the first of its kind in Ireland. Eircom said that the deal will “result in an unrivalled mobile experience for customers” as the two carriers seek to meet growing demand for high bandwidth services.
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Ericsson has announced that the project to merge the UK 3G networks of T-Mobile and 3 has been completed, with more than 12,000 sites consolidated. The two carriers created a third party organisation, Mobile Broadband Network Ltd (MBNL) in 2007 to run the joint network, with Ericsson the primary service provider to MBNL.
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Vendor The UK arms of Orange and T-Mobile began promoting the consumer benefits of their mammoth merger on Monday. But the service improvement promises made by the newly created company—Everything Everywhere—seemed to carry an acknowledgement that the coverage profiles of the two networks individually were previously somewhat lacking.
Indian fixed and mobile operator Reliance Communications (RCOM) has announced that it is to spin out its cell tower subsidiary Reliance Infratel. The move would create the world’s largest independent telecoms infrastructure company, the firm said Monday.
The past year has been particularly challenging for Europe’s mobile operators, in light of the economic downturn and the growing impact of regulatory measures. These factors and heightened competition in the industry have caused operators to focus on costs and operational efficiency.
The telecoms industry is beginning to see signs of economic recovery and can look forward to sustained, slow revenue growth in 2010, according to analyst research released by Informa Telecoms & Media.
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Leading operators in Western Europe have instigated infrastructure sharing and outsourcing deals, but carriers in developing markets are now beginning to look into alliances that would relieve them of heavy costs and speed expansion into rural areas.
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Mobile Communications International December 2009
Issue #162
Exclusive interviews with:
Lee Williams, executive director of the Symbian Foundation
Mike Fairman, CEO of crowd sourcing MVNO Giffgaff
Plus the following features: Application Stores, Africa, Android, Network Sharing
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