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Everything Everywhere announces the UK's first major LTE service, EE: combines Orange and T-Mobile networks
Finally, after gaining approval from UK regulator Ofcom, Everything Everywhere announced today that it's calling its incoming 4G service EE. It's a new company, new network and a new brand, we're being told here at London's Science Museum. Officially formed of the combined network might of Orange and T-Mobile, the union has been allowed to use 4G services on its 1800 MHz spectrum starting today, although we're still waiting to hear precisely what hardware will be compatible with the UK's first LTE network. EE will also start offering a fiber service. Orange and T-Mobile will still exist, with the colored carrier concentrating on giving customers "more from their phone" (whatever that consists of), while T-Mobile will appeal to customers chasing value. We've been told both 4G and fiber offerings will be launching soon, though this will also depend on hardware availability. We're also hoping there will be more on the cards than just a WiFi dongle, but more as we get it. The first cities to get the service are London, Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol, with 16 more launching by the end of the year -- including the likes of Manchester and Southampton. EE puts that at covering a third of the population of the UK. We were given an ever-so brief glimpse at incoming devices for the new 4G service -- Brits can expect to pick up devices from Samsung, Nokia, Huawei and more "in the coming weeks" -- the same timeframe that with encompass the launch of the network to its customers after testing. (The offering from EE will also include MiFi and USB dongles.) It even dropped a iPhone-tinged "one more thing" that more devices are incoming. Possibly something we'll hear about tomorrow.%Gallery-164927%
UK carrier in talks to make Nokia Lumia 920 a British LTE exclusive, says Financial Times
We're hoping for big news from UK carrier partnership Everything Everywhere over the next couple of months -- not just the first real LTE service in the British Isles (as if that wasn't enough), but also new handsets to put that bandwidth to use. According to the Financial Times, the conglomerate is now in talks with Nokia to make that happen, with the LTE-sporting Lumia 920 standing to become an Everything Everywhere exclusive if the negotiations end happily. There's nothing official to confirm it at this point, but Nokia struggled to win over some carriers with its last batch of Lumias and has now made it clear that it's open to alternative strategies, just as it already has a special relationship with AT&T in the States. Of course, by the time the Lumia 920 reaches the UK -- likely in early November -- there could well be another honest-to-goodness 4G superphone in its midst.
European Commission clears Vodafone, Telefonica UK and Everything Everywhere's mobile wallet and advertising plans
Everything Everywhere's been keeping itself plenty busy on the mobile wallet frontier and its involvement with the slow-burning alliance with Telefonica UK (O2) and Vodafone has finally been given a nod of approval from the European Commission. The joint venture aims to "remove a number of barriers" that are apparently hampering the phone networks' efforts, while it will allow businesses to connect with a single mobile payments system compatible with the majority of the UK's carriers. Take a look at more specifics (including the less thrilling advertising details) at the press release after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Note II coming to Three UK and O2 later in the year (update: and Vodafone)
We've been speaking to the big five UK mobile networks, finding out where British phablet fans can get their Galaxy Note II fix. So far, only Three UK (after the break) and O2 have confirmed they'll be carrying the device when it arrives later in the year, while T-Mobile and Orange said they didn't have any details for us yet. Most cryptically, Vodafone's response was that it "isn't involved in this," so we figure we'll have to sit tight for more concrete news. If anything changes. we'll let you know. Update: Vodafone's got back in touch to say they will be stocking the device when it lands on British shores.
Everything Everywhere signs 5-year deal with MasterCard for mobile payments
MasterCard has switched up its NFC and Mobile Payments deal with T-Mobile and Orange to include corporate parent / sibling Everything Everywhere. The pairing will leverage the existing Orange Cash standard to get users onto the service, building out a person-to-person payment system similar to Pingit as they go. It's reportedly angered rival networks Vodafone and O2, still smarting from last week's 4G news, who were co-operating on a unified mobile payments service called "Project Oscar" that would have standardized the system nationwide. Given that Vodafone has partnered with Visa and O2 is trying things out on its own, perhaps the next time you choose a phone, you'll have to side with your card-provider of choice, too.
Everything Everywhere completes sale of spectrum to Three, waits for regulators approval
Three and Everything Everywhere have completed the sale of two 15MHz blocks of the 1,800MHz spectrum, announced yesterday. It follows Ofcom's controversial decision to let the latter network queue-jump to offer LTE services in the UK before the official auction process begins. Three won't be able to use its new toy until its frenemy has vacated it, which could be as late as September next year, but could start preparing 4G internet shortly after. The sale was made due to merger requirements by the European Commission, but still needs approval from Ofcom, but given that it's already handed the company an unassailable head-start, we hardly think it'll be too concerned by the deal.
LTE iPhone could revolutionize UK mobile market
The Verge is reporting that today's a big day in the UK mobile market. The UK regulator of telecommunications, Ofcom, granted approval for carrier Everything Everywhere to roll out 4G LTE service in the UK on its 1800 MHz spectrum before the official 4G auction that is expected next year. Everything Everywhere is a joint venture of T-Mobile and Orange, and they're now free to offer LTE to UK customers beginning on September 11. While competitors Vodafone, O2 and Three are not very happy about this, there's a possible scenario that probably scares the heck out of those three carriers: what if Apple announces the next generation iPhone on September 12 as planned, and it supports 1800 MHz LTE? That would give Everything Everywhere an exclusive lock on LTE iPhone service in the UK. For the rest of the carriers, there's a wait until early 2013 for the spectrum auction to happen, with actual implementation by the others expected no earlier than the third quarter of 2013. Does that give Everything Everywhere an unfair advantage? In the opinion of Ofcom, EE would have an advantage, but it's better to have some sort of 4G service in the UK as soon as possible. An 1800 MHz LTE iPhone would, however, give Everything Everywhere a killer advantage for at least a year. September 11 and 12, should be very interesting days in the UK for fans of 4G and iPhones.
T-Mobile and Orange to rebrand as Everything Everywhere, sell 4G spectrum to rival Three (update)
When UK networks T-Mobile and Orange united under the Everything Everywhere umbrella, many people speculated if the two would become a single entity. That didn't happen, but according to Sky News, that rollout of 4G services in October will also be part of a rebrand. The sources claim that new customers will join Everything Everywhere, with existing customers to be migrated around March 2013. A statement from Everything Everywhere acknowledges there was a confidential brand review, but refuses to comment on the speculation. Rival networks are already complaining that the approval of spectrum for use with 4G services gives the joint venture an unfair advantage, but the FT reports that the European competition authority has forced the pair to sell some of that spectrum -- and is in "advanced talks" with competitor network Three. This could mean that there are two operators offering next generation services, but neither being Orange or T-Mobile, or rather, not as we know them. Update: We've received the following official statement from Everything Everywhere: Everything Everywhere confirms that we are planning to launch a new brand in the UK later this year. This new brand will sit alongside our existing brands Orange and T-Mobile. We will reveal more information on our exciting plans in due course. So, it looks like the existing brands will remain, with a mysterious new addition in the mix. It's also confirmed that the new brand won't simply be "Everything Everywhere," but instead something totally new. More as we get it.
Ofcom approves Everything Everywhere's early 4G plans, starting next month (update)
While Brits still languish at the back of the queue for LTE, there is at least a sliver of hope that regulator Ofcom is moving forward with plans for 4G provision. It's announced today that carrier Everything Everywhere (the combined network of Orange and T-Mobile) will be allowed to use its 1800 MHz spectrum to push out next-generation phone services. Ofcom decided that the change to the UK network's license would deliver "significant benefits to consumers, and that there is no material risk that those benefits will be outweighed by a distortion of competition." Auctions for additional 800 and 2.6 GHz bands are still on track to happen later this year, aiming for a roll-out through 2013. Everything Everywhere will be allowed to use LTE and (bizarrely) WiMAX starting 11 September 2012, although this may not be the launch date for any commercial service -- which could be unfortunate. The UK's comms regulator goes into the specifics after the break. Update: Vodafone UK has issued a statement regarding the decision (hint: it's not happy), which can be read in full after the break.
Nokia's 808 PureView will not be sold by major UK carriers, time to save up some pounds
If you Brits were looking forward to utilizing the 808 PureView's 41-megapixel sensor while sipping Pimm's this summer, well, be prepared to pay a hefty price. We've heard from O2, Three and Everything Everywhere (the parent company of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK) that they will not be selling said Nokia device in the UK, and Virgin Media told us it isn't in the pipeline "just yet." Our friends over at Wired UK have also heard the same bad news from Vodafone and O2, with a source close to the latter laying the blame on Nokia's "outdated" Symbian Belle system. Ouch. So yes, this means all the major carriers in Her Majesty's backyard are out of the game; but until we hear back from Carphone Warehouse, there may still be a small chance for keen British mobile photogs to dodge the full £500 ($780) price tag on Amazon (in comparison to $699 on the US site), so stay tuned.
UK pins the slow move to LTE on carriers, Australia targets auctions for April 2013
Aussies and Brits have been waiting awhile for either a truly broad LTE launch or to get any LTE at all. That wait is coming to an end, but not without some grousing. UK Minister for Culture Ed Vaizey has alleged that any slow movement stemmed from carriers that have "threatened to sue" regulator Ofcom if it's too hasty and does something they frown upon. Needless to say, that remark has ruffled a few feathers: one of the earliest expected British LTE providers, Everything Everywhere, tells Pocket-lint it has "no appetite" to take Ofcom to court and drag 4G deployments through the mud. Things are going a little more smoothly in Australia, if on a later timetable. The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, now expects Australia to auction off 700MHz and 2.5GHz wireless frequencies in April 2013. That could lead to a very long wait for wider 4G service in the country, but at least the 700MHz support will be good news for device makers that don't want to be mired in disputes over LTE devices they've brought over from the US.
Ofcom delays decision on Everything Everywhere's 4G proposal
UKers hoping for a hasty rollout of Everything Everywhere's 4G LTE network are apt to be sorely disappointed, as regulation entity Ofcom has shoved back the final decision on its proposal. We're told that the ruling will be moved from April 17th to May 8th, with the decision made to give stakeholders more time to respond. With the additional weeks, folks like O2 and Vodafone are expected to voice their own thoughts (read: objections) on the matter, likely pointing out that its proposal would give Everything Everywhere the lion's share of spectrum in the 1,800MHz range. For now, we'll have to wait and see what kind of rebuttals are cooked up, and if history is any guide, we're guessing one or two more delays will be making themselves known before we get a definite answer one way or the other.
Everything Everywhere promises 'small-scale LTE launch' in UK by the end of 2012
Everything Everywhere's spilled more details on its 4G hopes and dreams. That £1.5 billion investment is aiming to get a small scale LTE launch by the end of the year -- subject to Ofcom's say-so. The lucky epicenter of the future of mobile communications in the UK? That'll be Bristol, which will begin its trial on 1800MHz spectrum from April, ahead of a wider launch at the end of 2012. Everything Everywhere has already tested out 800MHz in Cornwall, which is apparently better suited to rural coverage. However, before we hit those dizzying fourth generation speeds, customers on the not-so-unholy union of T-Mobile and Orange will also benefit from more HSPA+ upgrades across the network. Coverage across the network-sharing carriers currently stands at around 60 percent, but Everything Everywhere aims to reach full coverage before the close of 2012. How's that London trial going, O2?
Mobile Miscellany: week of January 23, 2012
This week may not have been incredibly packed with news in the mobile world, but it was still easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of January 23, 2012:
Everything Everywhere's £1.5 billion investment to bring 4G to Orange and T-Mobile in the UK
So far there have been some limited LTE trials, but the truth remains: UK 4G isn't happening any time soon. A fact not lost on Everything Everywhere CEO Olaf Swantee, who's raiding the coffers to a tune of £1.5 billion to bring the Orange and T-Mo UK up to speed. Top of the shopping list, naturally, is the network equipment needed, in time for when the spectrum eventually gets auctioned off -- currently expected to be late 2012. The cash injection is part of a three-year investment, so don't expect that minty fresh network any time soon, but UK users can at least take refuge in knowing that Swantee, and his brace of providers, are pushing to bring old Blighty decent data rates sooner rather than later. That's if they've been given back in time.
UK mobile companies take aim at Google Wallet, want in on the NFC action
Oh Google, you didn't think you were going to have all the mobile payment fun did you? While you're beta testing in New York and San Francisco some big names across the pond are looking to dominate the entire UK. Vodafone, Telefonica, and Everything Everywhere (a joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile) are combining forces to create a mobile payment and marketing system that will take on Google Wallet and Offers before they even get off the ground in the British isles. The platform will be open to all comers, including Google, (you know, in case it decides to make Wallet a US only affair) and the companies have pledged to keep customer data out of the hands of third parties. The project is still in the very early stages of development, but the mobile providers aren't dilly dallying -- they expect their efforts to bear NFC fruit before the end of the year.
BT and Everything Everywhere will start LTE trial in rural UK this September
Some of the UK's most remote parts still don't have access to broadband of any kind, but later this year, they might have the sort that makes us look on in envy. BT and Everything Everywhere are planning to start an LTE trial in Cornwall, England's most southerly county, which will last from the 1st of September through to the end of December. Connection speeds could scale as high as 40Mbps, though the typical rate is expected to be closer to 10Mbps. Volunteers are now being sought to participate in the trial, though they have to reside (or be willing to move, we presume) in the pretty tiny 4G coverage area near Newquay. BT and T-MOrange have been allowed a temporary slice of 800MHz spectrum to do their experimenting in, which will likely be up for grabs in the LTE spectrum auction that's set for next year. First we take Newquay, then we take the world.
T-Mobile UK cuts 'fair use' allowance to 500MB, sends you home to watch online video
In one of the most insensitive announcements in recent PR history, T-Mobile UK is telling its customers who want to download or stream online video to their mobile devices to "save that stuff for [their] home broadband." The carrier, one half of the UK's biggest operator Everything Everywhere, had up until now offered one of the better monthly allowance deals with a 3GB data consumption limit on Android phones. It still is, in fact, since its new changes aren't coming into effect until February 1st, but come that fateful Tuesday, T-Mo's understanding of "fair use" will shrink down to 500MB each month -- after which point you'll still get to browse the web and email for free, but any video content will presumably be subject to an extra charge. It's not clear how "that stuff" will be handled by T-Mobile once you cross the frugal new threshold, nor is it clear whether customers who signed up for big bodacious 3GB of data will be set free once this new lockdown on mobile video is in effect. Godspeed to you all. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: T-Mobile has responded with a clarifying statement we've added after the break. There will be no surcharges for use over 500MB per month, but once you cross that line, any downloading activity will be "restricted." By which the company seems to mean "restricted to whatever WiFi connection you can scrounge up," because its 3G airwaves will be off-limits.
Motorola's dual-core Atrix 4G announced for AT&T (Orange UK and Bell Mobility, too)
Noticing a trend here? First we had the Infuse 4G from Samsung, and now we've got the Atrix 4G from Motorola featuring a whopping 1GB of RAM -- so it would seem this is the device we'd had rumored as the Olympus. Announced at AT&T's CES-based Developer Summit today, the phone is the first to be unveiled for the carrier's lineup with a dual-core processor, but the fun doesn't stop there: it's got a 960 x 540 display that gives the iPhone 4's pixel density a run for its money, a fingerprint reader, support for 802.11n on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, a ridiculous 1,930mAh battery that dwarfs the average 1,300 to 1,500mAh cell you see in most modern smartphones, HD video capture, and a wild set of peripherals -- HD Dock and Laptop Dock, primarily -- that allow you to use the Atrix in a "webtop mode" that bears a striking resemblance to a desktop operating system. Follow the break for the full press release! Update: It's coming to Orange UK and Bell Mobility as well, with Orange's version due Q2 2011 and Bell's "in the coming months." %Gallery-112701%
Subsidized iPads starting slow in UK
Orange UK, as part of Everything Everywhere, announced their subsidy plan for new iPads back in November. According to information relayed from The Times by paidContent: UK, the company had expected to sell tens of thousands of the tablet over the holidays. However, it turns out they only sold a little over a thousand in the first week. Updates to the original story say deeper sales occurred later in the holiday season, although there hasn't been much official confirmation about what that exact number might be. It seems clear that the subsidized iPads haven't started off as strongly as might have been hoped. The slow start could be due to subscribers being unwilling to stack iPad data plans on top of cellular plans, or Orange might not have gotten word out to its buyers. [Via MacRumors]
