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Vodafone and Virgin Media's parent company call off swap talks
When Vodafone confirmed it was talking to Liberty Global, owner of Virgin Media, about a "possible exchange of selected assets," it suggested that the operator was looking to bulk up ahead of BT's upcoming EE merger. It's been several months, but the mobile provider announced today that discussions have been "terminated." Neither company has given a reason, but Liberty Global chairman John Malone recently indicated that Vodafone would find it difficult to find the money to buy the company outright, even though a broadband consolidation via Virgin Media was most likely on the cards. Vodafone recently returned to the broadband market, but has seen rivals BT, TalkTalk and Sky all expand their mobile and TV services in the past year. Virgin Media would have provided the perfect base from which to build a true quad-play offering, but it appears Vodafone will now have to go its own way.
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.
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.
Vodafone launches app-free WiFi calling
Following EE, O2 and Three, Vodafone is finally ready to launch its own WiFi calling service. It's rolling out nationwide over the next few weeks and will be available to anyone with a Vodafone Red, Red Value or Red+ plan -- provided you have a compatible device, that is. So if your home is trapped in a "not-spot," or you frequently use the London Underground, people can still get a hold of you -- avoiding a string of missed call notifications when you next stumble upon some coverage. Like EE, Vodafone's service will kick in automatically and doesn't require a separate app. Once your account is activated -- presumably Vodafone will send you some sort of alert -- it's just a matter of enabling it in your phone's settings. Our main concern now is device compatibility. Vodafone says it'll be supported on "a number of leading smartphones," which hopefully means more than a select few.
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.
Vodafone's home broadband service is now live across the UK
Two months ago, Vodafone started selling home broadband in the UK again. The service was only available to a small group of customers in Manchester, however, as well as parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Well, now the company is opening the floodgates. Any Vodafone customer can sign up for the service, which is separated into three tiers: Broadband ADSL (up to 17Mbps), Superfast Fibre Broadband (up to 38Mbps) and Superfast Fibre+ Broadband (up to 76Mbps). The provider is relying on BT's Openreach infrastructure to do the heavy lifting, as well as the Cable & Wireless backbone it acquired in 2012.
Vodafone turns to QR codes for 'simpler' pay-as-you-go top-ups
QR codes look like they're really starting to catch on, and Vodafone's not one to turn down a reserved seat on the bandwagon. As part of a new trial, the UK carrier has teamed up with mobile payments renegade PowaTag so pay-as-you-go customers can top up their balances with just a quick scan of a QR code. All you need is the PowaTag app for Android and iOS, a linked payment method, and the desire to go hunt down a compatible QR code. It shouldn't be too advanced a game of hide-and-seek, though, since you'll find the codes on posters and such at Vodafone, Argos, Tesco, Co-op and BrightHouse stores, with Asda, Sainsbury's and Wilko joining the party next month. Once located, you scan the code, select a top-up amount and Bob's your uncle. As Vodafone puts it: "topping up really just got that easy." Easier than topping up online, through the Vodafone app, over the phone or at cash points? Hmmmm, OK...
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.
Vodafone's SIM-only plans now come with more data
Vodafone rejigged its subsidised handset contracts just a couple of months ago, and today it's decided to upgrade the rest of its pay-monthly plans with beefier data allowances. Well, quite a few of them anyway. The basic 12-month, SIM-only plan still only offers 250MB of data for £9.50 per month, but now includes 4G connectivity as standard. For £14 per month, however, you now get 1GB of data instead of 500MB; similarly, £17 per month entitles you to 2GB instead of 1GB, and the £22 per month tariff now offers 4GB of data, up from 3GB. There's no movement on the pricier £27, £32 and £40 per month 12-month, SIM-only tariffs, though, which still come with 6GB, 10GB and 20GB allowances, respectively.
John Lewis starts selling smartphones
Upmarket retailer John Lewis has added a new product category to its electricals section today, as it starts selling smartphones for the first time. A curated selection of top handsets from the likes of Samsung, Sony, LG, HTC, Motorola and Microsoft are available online right now, all unlocked. SIM-free iPhones will be added to the roster in early July, when they'll also begin to be stocked at John Lewis' flagship Oxford Street store. Soon, John Lewis will be in the position to offer you a mobile contract, too, under a partnership with Vodafone.
Vodafone's Smart Ultra 6 is great value at £125
Own-brand devices appear to be all the rage at the moment, or at least for two of the UK's major carriers, they are. EE's recently launched new smartphones, a tablet and a 4G action cam, while Vodafone too is yielding a steady stream of bespoke handsets and slates. And now, just as EE's dipped its toe into the mid-range with its Harrier smartphone, Vodafone wades into the same waters with the Smart Ultra 6, its "most powerful" own-brander to date. Available from today, the mouthful of a phone is fronted by a 5.5-inch, 1080p display, with a 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 humming away inside. For landscapes and selfies you've got 13- and 5-megapixel cameras, and in other key specs you're looking at 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, a 3,000mAh battery and Android 5.0 Lollipop running the show. Not too shabby, considering the £125 pay-as-you-go price.
Vodafone's letting some customers escape contracts, but it doesn't have to
Vodafone's introducing changes to out-of-plan charges this August, and it's giving customers who could be particularly affected by new pricing an opportunity to ditch their contract without penalty. The carrier's revised pricing model is pretty simple: come August 10th, every multimedia text you send and every minute you're on the phone beyond your monthly allowance will add 45p to your bill. In some use cases, like video calling a friend on a rival network, the new flat rate will be cheaper; but, in several more instances, 45p is higher than the charge currently in place. For most customers, the changes are likely to go unnoticed, but in a strangely altruistic move, Vodafone is reaching out to those at risk of being negatively affected and giving them the option to exit their contract, no questions asked.
Anywhere SIM uses different networks to dodge UK not-spots
One company is promising to end Britain's so-called "not-spot" problem with a special SIM card that automatically switches between carriers. The "Anywhere SIM" will alternate between Vodafone, O2 and EE's mobile networks for the best signal, and it'll also offer a single flat rate for roaming across Europe. The UK's major networks are opposed to such a system, but the startup seems to have side-stepped the problem by working with a company based outside the UK. According to the BBC, this firm already has roaming agreements with British carriers -- so it'll be like using a foreign SIM in the UK.
Vodafone returns to broadband with 'Connect'
More than three years after it left the market, Vodafone has made a return to broadband. After months of teasing, the carrier has unveiled 'Connect,' a new internet and home phone service that will initially only be available to existing customers. Like many of its rivals, including Sky and TalkTalk, Vodafone will piggyback on BT's Openreach infrastructure (although it is utilising the Cable & Wireless backbone it acquired in 2012), offering 17Mbps speeds as part of its basic package, or 76Mbps fibre in its top-tier plan.
Vodafone and Virgin Media may team up to take down BT and Sky
With BT currently in the process of acquiring EE and Sky expanding into mobile, the UK is set for media consolidation. Consumers are set to benefit as providers fight for their money, but it's also put a lot of pressure on other providers to expand their offerings. One provider feeling the heat is Vodafone, which has suggested it will expand beyond telecoms. The operator confirmed today that it's in the "early stages" of talks with Liberty Global, owner of Virgin Media, over the "possible exchange of selected assets between the two companies."
Vodafone expands 4G roaming to the Carribean and beyond
With its Feel at Home free roaming perk, Three is undoubtedly the most jetsetter-friendly carrier in the UK, but Vodafone's not too far behind. It's WorldTraveller add-on lets you use your usual call, text and 4G data allowances abroad for a £5 daily fee, and from June 15th, it'll cover an extra 22 foreign destinations. That's a slightly misleading figure, however, since many of the new destinations are the small island nations peppered in and around the Caribbean, with Bermuda, El Salvador, Guyana, Panama and Suriname making up the numbers. Still, it means you won't have to pay through the nose to post hotdog leg snaps from a Caribbean beach this summer holiday.
Cox is bringing VOD to select TiVo boxes in July
Cox and TiVo have been making noise about joining forces and making the cable provider's extensive Video-On-Demand catalog available on retail TiVo set-tops for nearly five years now. Following a recent post by ZatzNotFunny, however, Cox confirmed earlier today that the integration will finally be taking place in "early July." But don't get excited just yet -- the initial rollout will only be available to specific IP-connected customers in Orange County, California.
Vodafone to make its return to broadband 'in the coming weeks'
With BT snapping up EE and Three UK's owner buying O2, Vodafone must be feeling a little left out of the industry shake-up that's currently underway. But Vodafone's got more important things to focus on in the immediate future, namely its return to being a broadband provider. In its year-end earnings released today, Vodafone mentioned its new fibre broadband service is set to launch "in the coming weeks," a little over three years since its unsuccessful "Vodafone at Home" offerings were scrapped. The company announced last year it was preparing to give broadband another crack, penning a spring 2015 launch window its more or less on track to meet (the intrigued can register their interest for "Vodafone Connect" here). What's more, Vodafone's also confirmed today it'll follow broadband with the launch of a TV service later this year.
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.
