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BT gets the green light to buy EE for £12.5 billion
In the 11 months since BT confirmed it was buying EE, the UK's biggest carrier, the two companies have waited on the approval of regulators that need to make sure their union won't stifle competition. It took almost eight months for the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) to provisionally give the deal the thumbs-up, but today BT has finally received the final rubber stamp it has been craving. In its investigation, the CMA looked at potential issues raised by rivals, which included TalkTalk, Vodafone and other major UK providers. It believes they would "not result in a substantial lessening of competition" in any of the markets that BT and EE operate in, including retail mobile, wholesale mobile, mobile backhaul, wholesale broadband and retail broadband services.
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UK carriers say draft snooping law will be a technical feat
Key to the draft Investigatory Powers Bill is a proposal that would require internet and other communications providers to collect and store 12 months of web traffic data, so it can be made available to government agencies when needed. It's a subject of ongoing debate in Parliament, and just last week, the UK's major ISPs voiced their concerns over the cost and technical challenges associated with gathering and processing these Internet Connection Records (ICRs). Yesterday, it was the turn of execs from EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone to meet with the draft bill's joint committee, and while the big four carriers echoed the sentiments of the ISPs, they are even more wary of the scale and scope of what the government is asking them to deliver.
Three UK gifts customers free Deezer music subscriptions
Deezer's music streaming service has been around for years, but its subscriber base is small compared to Spotify and newcomer Apple Music. Now, the company hopes to grow those numbers by partnering with a UK mobile network -- but this time, it's Three rather than Orange. New and existing customers on monthly and pay-as-you-go contracts, as well as SIM-only deals can get a free six-month subscription to Deezer Premium+. Usually this would cost £9.99 per month -- the industry standard for an ad-free music streaming service -- and is redeemable online starting today. The registration process is a little clunky, but presumably new Three customers will be walked through the process in stores.
Ofcom's spectrum licence fee increases: The carrier backlash begins
The UK's big four mobile providers -- EE, O2, Vodafone and Three -- woke up to a figurative punch in the gut this morning. Telecoms regulator Ofcom announced its final decision on increases to spectrum licence fees, and collectively, the carriers are looking at an annual bill of almost £200 million, compared with the £64.4 million they currently pay. The jump is said to realise the true financial worth of the mobile spectrum each provider licences; as the regulator puts it, spectrum "is a valuable and finite resource, and the new fees reflect that value." Ofcom's decision is set in stone, and mobile service providers have to come up with the money if they hope to continue, you know, providing mobile service. We can only speculate on how it'll play out, but you'd have to be incredibly optimistic to think consumers aren't going to be on the hook for at least some of the inflated bill. At this point, damage control and blame shifting are of primary importance to everyone involved. The backlash begins...
Bills could rise as Ofcom triples UK carriers' licence fees
After toying with the idea of quadrupling the amount providers must pay for mobile spectrum for almost two years, UK communications regulator Ofcom has finally arrived at a decision. It announced today that the big four -- EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three -- will now pay a total of £199.6 million annually for their allocations of the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands, more than triple the £64.4 million they currently have to hand over.
FreedomPop launches its free mobile plan in the UK
Price is high on the list of considerations when it comes to choosing a new mobile provider, but not so much with FreedomPop. The UK's newest MVNO has launched today, and as promised, offers a completely free SIM-only tariff with 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of 4G data per month (courtesy of Three's network) -- well, it's free after you pay the £7 for SIM delivery and activation, anyway. That might sound a little too good to be true, but FreedomPop has tried and tested its freemium model in the US, with the UK being its first target for international expansion. The company is still in the business of making money, of course, which is where its paid mobile plans and value-added services come in.
Ofcom tells mobile networks to sort out their customer service
Mobile networks have a lousy reputation when it comes to customer service. The moment you walk into a store it's all smiles and pleasantries, but once you're an established subscriber the experience can quickly sour. If anything goes wrong with your account or network access, or you want to switch provider, calling a company representative can be a gruelling, stressful experience. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, experienced an uptick in customer complaints between May and July this year. The numbers aren't unprecedented, but clearly Ofcom wants the situation to improve, not deteriorate. To that end, it's been meeting with carriers to "discuss their customer services practices and to drive improvements in behaviour." That's not an entirely new step for the regulator -- it's held similar talks in the past -- but the timing here could be particularly important.
Three's Voice over LTE launch means better signal in more places
There's more than one way to wipe out a not-spot, and to compliment Three's inTouch app for WiFi calling, the carrier has today become the first in the UK to add Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support to its mobile network. Simply put, VoLTE -- or "4G Super Voice," as Three's branding team would prefer you call it -- uses your 4G connection to handle calls (when appropriate), instead of older 2G and 3G networks. That part isn't particularly important, however, but it means customers will be able to call, text and check Instagram in places they haven't been able to before. In addition to its existing 1,800MHz slice of 4G spectrum, Three's been building out an 800MHz network to support VoLTE services. These lower frequency airwaves probe further into underserved rural areas, and deeper into buildings, lavishing mobile coverage on previous dead zones.
Compare all UK networks with Ofcom's mobile coverage checker
Between price, data allowances and customer perks, there are plenty of things to consider when choosing a new mobile plan. But all of that research is moot if the carrier you end up choosing has poor coverage in your area. The four major providers -- EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone -- offer coverage maps to help inform your decision, but ever the people's champion, Ofcom's gone one better. Today, the telecoms regulator launched the "Mobile Coverage Checker," an online tool that pools data from all four carriers and some of its own intel to provide a comprehensive overview of signal strength across the UK. Simply whack in a postcode, and the tool will show you what level of 2G, 3G and 4G coverage you can expect, both indoors and outdoors, on any of the major networks. The map can apply to smaller MVNOs, too, provided you know what provider they're allied to. Ofcom is hoping users will also provide feedback on their local coverage to help improve the new tool, with an updated version slated for release this autumn.
New UK mobile provider bundles music streaming service as standard
New mobile providers seem to be springing up left, right and centre these days. Already this year, we've seen BT and Carphone Warehouse join the MVNO club, not to mention Sky's after its own membership and FreedomPop's due to unleash its completely free mobile plans on the UK sometime this summer. And today, we welcome another new kid on the block going by the name ROK Mobile. Launched last year in the US and going live in the UK today, ROK Mobile is aimed specifically at music lovers. The new MVNO, which piggybacks on Three's network, offers just one SIM-only tariff on a rolling one-month contract. For £25 per month, you get unlimited calls and texts, 4GB of 4G data, and -- here's the hook -- free access to 7digital's music streaming catalogue through the ROK Mobile Android/iOS app. Available only to paying customers, the app lets you stream over 20 million tracks, build playlists and download music for offline consumption.
Don't like your mobile carrier? Ofcom wants to help you switch
When your contract is up and you're toying with switching to another carrier, the hassle of porting over your number might stop you from actually following through. UK communications regulator Ofcom realises that, so today it's outlining plans to improve mobile switching by putting the onus back on the carrier. As part of its consultation, the watchdog is taking feedback on whether it should force operators to scrap PAC codes and remove the need for consumers to initiate the switch, exactly like it's now doing with broadband contracts.
Three backtracks on mid-contract price hikes
With all-you-can-eat data tariffs, 4G connectivity as standard and free roaming in popular travel destinations, Three's often applauded for being a carrier of the people. Whenever a new service is announced or a new country added to the free roaming roster, you can bet Three's going to make sure everyone knows about it. One thing you can also count on, however, is the network provider keeping mum when something might damage its pro-consumer reputation. Case in point: Three's stance on mid-contract price increases.
EE's 10 million 4G customers are great news for BT
EE was the first mobile network to offer 4G in the UK, and now, more than two and a half years later, it's still easily the most popular. The company has accumulated 10 million 4G customers, beating the numbers last reported by Three, O2 and Vodafone. It's a huge lead and one that will please BT, which is in the midst of buying EE's business. BT wants to strengthen its quad play offering and EE, provided the deal goes through, will give it a substantial network and subscriber base to work with. The company already offers mobile contracts -- using EE's network, unsurprisingly -- and Sky has confirmed it'll launch an O2-powered network in 2016. Three UK's owner, meanwhile, is acquiring O2 in order to leapfrog EE and become the UK's biggest carrier. While they sort out the details, BT has some time to fortify its position -- after all, EE's base of 4G subscribers will only continue to grow, benefitting the provider when its £12.5 billion buyout is finally approved.
Free mobile plans are coming to the UK in July
Sure, mobile plans are getting cheaper by the day, but what if you could enjoy voice, texts and mobile data without having to pay a penny? That's what mobile carrier FreedomPop will offer when it launches in the UK in July. After finding success in the US and announcing its plans to expand almost a year ago, the company has set its sights on this side of the pond, noting that it will provide 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of data free on its very first SIM-only plan. Basic, but perfect for someone who uses their phone sparingly. To further discourage the competition, FreedomPop will also offer free international calling to over 60 countries and allow free calls and texts to anyone on one of its plans.
Carphone Warehouse's 'iD' mobile network launches tomorrow
Carphone Warehouse is launching its "iD" mobile network tomorrow, and in preparation it's revealed new details about its contracts and how they differ from the competition. For starters, they'll be separated into four tiers: Shockproof, TakeAway, Go To and SIM Only. The Shockproof tier starts from £7.50 per month and is designed to help you avoid expensive bills. To do this, iD will cap your usage automatically, while offering a customisable "buffer" just in case you find yourself craving a few extra GB. TakeAway, meanwhile, will offer plans from £25.50 per month with free roaming in 22 countries -- that's more than Three's "Feel at Home" initiative, if you're keeping score.
By teaming up with Three, Huawei's Honor brand goes mainstream
Chinese firm Huawei is no stranger to the UK. Unbeknownst to many, it's an important provider of cellular infrastructure, and just a couple of weeks ago, it held its new flagship smartphone launch in London. Over the years, some of Huawei's top handsets have been ranged by major UK carriers, but these days you're more likely to see its name attached to low-cost, pay-as-you-go devices. Towards the end of last year, Huawei debuted its Honor smartphone brand in the UK and Europe, hoping this range of reasonably priced devices would find success in these parts. Perhaps to its detriment, Huawei went to great lengths to mask its ownership of Honor, instead introducing the brand as a new, pro-consumer smartphone manufacturer. Employing an online-only sales model, however, meant the name slid quickly into obscurity, but that changes in the UK today with Honor's first carrier partnership since the brand launched just over six months ago.
Carphone Warehouse launching flexible 'iD' mobile network next month
Does the UK need another carrier? Carphone Warehouse seems to think so. It's been rumoured for months, but finally the company is ready to unveil its own mobile network. "iD" will arrive in May and, as expected, be powered by Three's network infrastructure. What makes it special? Well, the retailer says it's focusing on a few key benefits. The first is "controlled and capped plans," which it claims will be the cheapest on the market. It's also emphasising "flexible" 12-month contracts and 30-day SIM-only plans.
Three's launching Voice over LTE support this autumn
Three's hellbent on continually improving network reliability and coverage, and as part of that, the carrier has today announced it's gearing up to add Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support to its network this autumn. The provider is currently on track to switch its VoLTE service on in September, facilitated by tagging additional 800MHz spectrum onto its existing 1800MHz network. This new slice of bandwidth is expected to significantly improve coverage in problem areas, particularly inside buildings, where 800MHz airwaves can penetrate more easily than other frequencies. Three expects roughly 1 million of its 8.5 million customers to be reaping the benefits of VoLTE by the end of the year, taking calls in places 2G and 3G signals can't reach. The only catch is you're going to need a VoLTE-compatible handset, such as the iPhone 6 or Galaxy S6. Any relatively new handset should do, though.
Google wants no-cost international roaming for its phone service
Google may not have grand ambitions for its upcoming cellular network, but the company could still have a few clever tricks up its sleeve. The Telegraph claims that Google is talking to wireless giant Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of Three (and soon O2), about letting American customers roam at no extra cost on the foreign carrier's networks. In other words, you could go on Instagram photo tours of places like Hong Kong or the UK without facing an outrageous phone bill when you get home. Neither of the companies are commenting, but Hutchison Whampoa would be a very logical partner. It already lets its customers roam in other countries (including the US) as if they were at home -- in a way, a Google deal would simply be returning the favor.
Three UK's owner is buying O2
A huge mobile shake-up has just kicked off in Britain. Telefonica has agreed to sell O2 to Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of Three UK, for £10.25 billion. We knew it was likely, after the pair entered "exclusive negotiations" back in January, but now it's essentially a done deal. Provided the purchase is approved by regulators, it means the UK's four major networks will soon become three: Vodafone, EE and the combined might of Three and O2. The confirmation comes by way of Telefonica, although the company is saying little beyond the amount of money involved. For instance, it's unclear if Hutchison Whampoa plans to maintain O2's brand and services in the UK, or merge them entirely with Three.
