vodafone
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UK regulators want to investigate Three and Vodafone's blockbuster merger
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is concerned that the merger Three and Vodafone announced last year could lead to "substantial lessening of competition" and might conduct an in-depth investigation into the deal.
Google and major mobile carriers want Europe to regulate Apple's iMessage platform
The EU's Digital Market Act prohibits Apple and other tech giants from favoring their own systems.
AT&T helps complete the first 'space-based voice call' using a standard smartphone
The successful test brings consumer access one step closer to reality.
The first text message is now a $150,000 NFT
Vodafone will donate the proceeds to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Discovery+ launches today, and it's available on Fire TV, Roku and more
Discovery+ is available today in the US and you can basically access it on almost any major platform.
UK will ban mobile carriers from selling locked handsets in 2021
Mobile operators in the UK will be banned from selling smartphones locked to their networks, according to the regulator Ofcom.
Vodafone's Curve is a GPS tracker to help find lost items
Vodafone says Curve’s four different tracking technologies help keep better track of items.
Virgin Media and O2 announce £31 billion UK merger
The £31 billion puts BT, Sky and Vodafone on notice -- if it's approved.
UK carriers would appreciate you not setting cell towers on fire
The arson attacks against 5G masts in the UK have become serious enough that carriers are joining together to put a stop to the incidents. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have issued a joint statement both urging people not to set fire to cellular masts, threaten engineers or spread conspiracy theories falsely linking 5G to COVID-19. As the companies reiterated, cell networks are critical in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
UK internet providers will lift data caps during COVID-19 pandemic
The UK is echoing others in lifting internet restrictions to keep people online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major telecoms like BT/EE, Openreach and Virgin Media have struck an agreement that will remove "all" data caps on current landline broadband services. Mobile and fixed providers also have to offer "generous" new packages to help people stay connected (particularly the vulnerable), such as data boosts at lower prices and free calls.
European mobile carriers will share location data to track COVID-19 spread
More governments are relying on phone location tracking in a bid to track and contain the spread of COVID-19. Eight European carriers, including Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile), Orange and Vodafone, have agreed to share phone location data with the European Commission to help measure the coronavirus' reach. That immediately raises privacy issues, but an official talking to Reuters stressed that the EC would protect users.
Vodafone will remove Huawei equipment from its European networks
European telecom Vodafone will remove Huawei-made equipment from the core parts of its wireless networks, the carrier announced on Wednesday. CEO Nick Read said the move will cost the telecom, one of the largest in Europe, approximately €200 million ($220 million) and take about five years to complete, reports Reuters.
Vodafone is the latest to leave Facebook's Libra Association
The Facebook-created Libra Association is still bleeding members months after it formalized its council. Telecom giant Vodafone has confirmed to CoinDesk that it left the Association. Unlike past defectors, though, it's not so much about regulatory jitters surrounding the cryptocurrency. Vodafone said it instead wanted to focus on expanding its own payment service, M-Pesa, beyond the six African countries where it's currently available. It's not burning bridges -- the company said it wouldn't rule out the possibility of "future cooperation."
UK plans to ban sales of locked mobile phones
The UK's communications regulator is proposing a rule to ban carriers from selling phones that are tied to their networks. O2, Sky, Three, Virgin Mobile and some smaller carriers already offer unlocked phones, but Ofcom wants the likes of BT Mobile/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone to do the same. It's also seeking better clarity for customers about whether their handset is locked.
Vodafone tests open cellular radio tech that could lower call costs
Your wireless carrier is usually beholden to using proprietary cellular network tech from the likes of Ericsson or Nokia, but there may soon be a more universal technology that could benefit your bank account. Vodafone has started the first European tests (specifically, the UK) for OpenRAN, an Intel co-developed open access radio system that harmonizes hardware and software in cellular infrastructure. It doesn't sound exciting, but it effectively opens the door to lower-cost cell networks -- and that, in turn, could lower the costs of your calls and data.
5G isn’t ready for me
Over the spring and summer, the first 5G networks lit up over the US, with all the major carriers offering a 5G service of some kind. However, there are still only a few compatible phones to go around, the best of which is probably Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G. It's practically an entirely new phone. Samsung substantially upgraded its S10 with more cameras (six) and a third more battery than the standard S10 -- more capacity than the S10 Plus, too. It's an impressive phone on paper even before considering that it's made for next-gen 5G networks. It's been a few months since Chris Velazco tested 5G networks at launch in Chicago, so it was time for another network test -- this time, on the other side of the Atlantic. The plan was simple enough: pit the Galaxy S10 5G against the Galaxy S10 OG in London, UK. Vodafone provided both phones, so we could see how the phones fared on the same network.
Huawei is helping all the UK's top carriers build their 5G networks
British carriers apparently aren't put off by US pressure to ditch Huawei for their 5G network deployments. The Guardian's sources understand that all four of the UK's largest wireless providers (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) are all using Huawei to build their 5G networks. The Chinese firm is reportedly involved with six out of Vodafone's seven initial 5G cities, while it's also helping with "hundreds" of EE sites. O2 and Three have also awarded contracts to Huawei, according to the tipsters.
Mobile game streaming service Hatch is available in the UK
When it comes to game streaming, it's not just the likes of Microsoft, Google and Sony who are trying to capture players' attention. There's a mobile-focused option too, and it's now available in the UK.
The Galaxy S10 5G goes on sale in the UK June 7th
Samsung has revealed the Galaxy S10 5G will go on sale in the UK June 7th, initially on Vodafone and EE, and it'll be available in its majestic black and crown silver finishes. Pre-orders will open on May 22nd, though pricing is not yet clear.
Vodafone will launch the UK's first 5G service on July 3rd
The UK is finally getting 5G, and Vodafone will be the first network to provide it. The company says its 5G will go live on July 3rd, with 5G roaming following later this summer. And, crucially, it won't cost any more than 4G.
