Goodbye T-Mobile

[buzby]

EU Regulators have green lighted the takeover of T-Mobile (previously Mercury 'One 2 One') in a move that will - most likely - eventually lead to the disappearance of the brand on these shores.

 

Orange (the UK's second-to-launch GSM 1800 network) is expected to announce that up to 2000 jobs are likely to be surplus to requirements when the operations are merged/subsumed into the new entry.

 

The deal was agreed after Orange signalled that it would be prepared to relinquish 25% of the radio spectrum allocated to the two networks (which had already been paid for), and the UK Government will get to sell this again to 'interested parties' in two lots - probably in 2013 & 2015.

 

Orange's MD Tom Alexander will assume the same responsibility for the merged company. After the merger, with a customer base of more than 30 million connections this will catapult orange into pole position as the UK's largest mobile network, ahead of O2 (2nd) and Vodafone (3rd).

 

Orange is a wholly-owned subsidiary of France Telecom.

[MaxxPower]

Oh dear. I'm on T-Mobile and absolute hate Orange. Last time I had an Orange phone I had terrible reception and horrible service, I was glad to get away from them.

Orange also seem to hate the idea of unlimited internet usage on phones, which I currently get from T-Mobile for free on my G1 contract. I can see that vanishing when Orange fully take over...

 

I wonder when this is going to be fully implemented. If it's before September and they try to do anything with my contract I'll be straight out of there....though I can see them letting all existing contracts run to term before they try to change anything. (Such as my precious unlimited internet usage and Flext plan)

 

Looks like O2 or is going to be my only option when my contract is up in September! (Or Vodafone if I want to pay £5 extra per month)

[Human Writes]

After approval was given Tom Alexander Orange CEO stated it will be at least 18 months before they integrate the operations of the two companies, until that point both companies will continue to trade seperatley and in competition as Orange & T-Mobile.

[buzby]

If you believe that, you'll believe anything.

 

A French company will in no way pay money to promote a German outfit (and a EU competitor) out of the goodness of their heart? Like Mercury, I doubt anyone will know who T-Mobile was this time in 2011, that, and they're annoying tinkle-tune.

[MaxxPower]

Indeed, I can see the T-Mobile branding being dropped altogether within the next 6 months and everything is switched over to Orange. Though I do believe (or at least hope!) that existing contracts will be honoured until the end of their minimum terms, after which they'll be switched over to their (inferior) Orange equivalents.

If they try to change them early, I'll immediately be calling to quote breach of contract and leaving.

[buzby]

No, this won't change. It has happened very often. The original T-Mobile contracts will continue unaltered, even after the minimum term and the tariffs & bundles too (but not for new sign ups). Natural wastage will see to the rest. Orange will inherit quite a few Mercury contracts too, and these will carry on (as they've always been assignable).