The website of Alex Kinch, live from London
Posts tagged Orange
iPhones arrive on Orange next Tuesday
Nov 2nd
Apple’s iPhone 3Gs and iPhone 3G will be available to Orange UK customers from next Tuesday, 10th November 2009.
According to the companies site, you’ll need to shell out at least £29.36 on a 24 month contract or £44.04 over 18 months to get the 3G ‘free’, whilst the 3GS 16GB is only available for no extra cost by subscribing at a minimum to the £44.04 over 24 months or £73.40 on an 18 month contract packages. The iPhone 3GS 32GB is ‘free’ on an eye-watering 24-month £73.40/month contract.
All contract packages come with ‘unlimited’ mobile internet and Wi-Fi access – which, if you’re Orange, means 750meg/month. Yes, the same cap for WiFi or 3G/GPRS data. Brilliant.
All in all there’s a total of 27 combinations of package, handset, contract length and minutes/texts available. Meanwhile, over on the pay as you go side, there’s a similar bedazzling – and possibly confusing – array of 15 different options, with handset prices ranging from £343 for the iPhone 3G through to £539 for the 3Gs 32GB version.
The Orange/T-Mobile merger – what we know so far
Sep 9th
It may have only been unveiled a matter of hours ago, but the PR teams at both T-Mobile and Orange have been busy assembling a veritable ream of information about the proposed merger of their two businesses. And some video too (at the end of this post).
First, some headline figures. As mentioned in the post earlier, the joint venture will create the UK’s biggest mobile operator – with an approximate 37% market share based on figures from the end of 2008. Orange have also revealed if you combined the 2008 figures from both operators you’d get revenue of approximately £7.7 billion, and EBITDA (profitability to you and me) of £1.7 billion.
People-wise, Richard Moat – T-Mobile UK’s current CEO, will take up the COO position, with the CEO hotseat being taken over by Tom Alexander, current CEO of Orange UK. Whilst it’s far too early to predict redundancies, there are already plans in place to reduce the number of retail outlets, and combine customer service, network and general/adminstration functions. These activities – along with the decommissioning of duplicate cell sites – is estimated to cost between £600m and £800m between 2010 and 2014.
Talking about cellsites and networks – most of that £600m-£800m cost will be taken up by decommissioning redundant duplicate radio network infrastructure. T-Mobile will contribute the 50% share of their joint radio network with Hutchinson 3G (3 to its friends and customers) to the pot, who incidentally already use Orange’s 2G network for fill-in coverage. Assuming T-Mobile and 3 put both their radio networks into the joint venture, you’ll end up with the interesting situation of 3 using a joint 3G network shared with Orange and T-Mobile, and a GSM network operated by Orange and T-Mobile.
Back to the subject of money, but still on the point of the shared 3G network currently (pre-merger) owned 50/50 by T-Mobile and 3, that’s clocked up gross tax losses so far of at least £1.5 billion. Looking at the bigger picture, France Telecom will be contributing, along with Orange UK, £1.25 billion of intra-group debt to the pot. Deutsche Telekom will then loan £625 million to the joint venture, which will be immediately paid back to France Telecom. After all is said and done, that leaves a joint debt of £1.25 billion, split 50/50 down the middle with £625 million of loans owed each to Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom.
So will the T-Mobile and Orange brands be disappearing from our High Street just yet? Not for a while, it seems. Both companies have committed to maintain separate brands for 18 months after the completion of the merger – so it could be at least a couple of years until we see a new (and as yet unnamed) ‘super brand’ hitting the mobile world.
(This article was first published on Mobile Industry Review)
Orange ‘watch phone’ to hit the UK in August
Jul 6th
Orange have today announced plans to launch the world’s first touchscreen ‘watch phone’ in the UK this August. Made by LG, it’s a phone (obviously), a watch (again, I shouldn’t have to mention that), and touchscreen. But what else can it do?
It’ll be available on pay as you go, and comes with a bluetooth headset, built-in speaker, 3G and video calling. And that’s all we appear to know right now.
“Pay as you go only”, you may gasp, “why?”
Well here’s my thinking. What perfect way to sell you a gizmo you’ll probably get bored of using within a few weeks, and notch up another SIM ‘subscriber’. Imagine being tied in to a 36 month contract on a watch? I couldn’t either really. It’ll also go down well with the kids – who, unless they have crazy parents with deep pockets, are usually on pay as you go these days.
The device will be available, according to Orange, ‘for a limited time period’ (there’s a pun in there somewhere), and is the first of at least three new ‘market leading’ devices they’re planning to announce before the end of the year.
Over to Tom Alexander, CEO of Orange UK, for the obligatory soundbite: “The Watch Phone is the must-have gadget of 2009. It’s handcrafted, exclusively limited, and will turn heads on the high street. Our ambition is to become the best loved communications brand in the UK, and the destination brand of choice for high-end mobile users in the market. To help us achieve this, we have secured some of the most original and innovative devices available.
“The Watch Phone is the first of these devices, all focused on bringing a 21st-century experience to our 21st century customers. Over time we also intend to match the power of these devices with bespoke multimedia packages, driving even more inspirational conversations and deeper connections for our customers.”
The last time we spoke on this very blog about mobile phones meeting watches was back in 2007 when Sony Ericsson and Fossil launched a Bluetooth watch. Seen many on the street? No nor have I – and to be honest you’d get some very funny looks talking into your wrist.
So how will the Orange/LG watch phone fair? Only time will tell. And on that note, I’ll leave you to watch the lovely demo video courtesy of Orange.
The T-Mobile takeover rumour mill continues
Jul 6th
There was an interesting article in The Observer over the weekend, featuring an interview with Matthew Key, Chief Executive of O2.
Is he worried about being left out of the bidding war for Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile UK business unit? Quite probably, but he plays it quite cool. “We are watching developments closely, but if you’re asking me whether it’s consuming my time day and night, the answer is no,” he says. I’m entirely relaxed about the situation – no one is running around here like headless chickens.”
Meanwhile the Sunday Times reports Vodafone is talking to Deutsche Telekom about swapping it’s Turkish operation (formerly Telsim) for T-Mobile UK. To put that possibility into figures, Vodafone paid £2.6m for the Telsim operation in 2006, but has since written it down due to competition from Turkcell – the dominate player in the market. It could raise £1.5m of the projected £3m worth of T-Mobile UK by disposing of the Turkish unit.
Finally, the Daily Mail adds its usual dose of doom, gloom and ‘they’re all out to get us’ sensationalism with a report that says ‘Telecoms regulator Ofcom is warning potential bidders for T-Mobile that any takeover deal will face the toughest scrutiny, amid fears that it would lead to a sharp increase in prices for consumers.’
Happy days indeed, with sources close to Deutsche Telekom still claiming there’s ‘no rush’ to offload T-Mobile UK. With new MD Richard Moat (formerly of Orange) less than two months in the job there still may be time to avoid being swallowed up by a rival player. Speaking of Orange, they’re still in the frame for a deal with T-Mobile. Or not, if you believe the claims a possible deal was rejected a few weeks ago.
Video: Orange visit Desmond the Glastonbury Bull
Jun 10th
Desmond the Orange Glastonbury Bull is back for another year of interactive ticket winning fun. With only three days to go until the competition closes, there’s still three pairs of tickets for the music festival up for grabs.
Ria over at Orange’s blog The Feed went to visit Desmond in his field, and captured the interview on video.
For your chance to win Glastonbury tickets, visit www.spotthebull.co.uk and choose the square you think Desmond will be in at 3pm for the next few days. You can also text MOO and your grid reference guess to 64446.
Samsung i8910 HD unboxed – video
Jun 1st
8 megapixels, a large 3.7 inch touch screen and ‘HD quality’ – is the Samsung i8910 HD the ultimate multimedia experience? Conor over at Orange has got his hands on one, and unboxes it for your viewing pleasure..
Orange introduce £5/month 36-month tariff
Jun 1st
Orange have unveiled a new range of pay monthly tariffs – including a £5/month deal – with a whopping 36-month tie-in – that it claims ‘is the ‘lowest price in the market’.
The company has also unveiled £10 and £15 monthly plans – again with a 36-month contract.
Whilst the 36 month length may seem a little harsh (and quite possibly a new record for the industry), the new plan does give you a new handset when you sign-up and another at the 18-month onwards mark – plus bundled minutes and texts. But what can you expect for such a long tie-in?
The £5 tariff gives you 50 bundled minutes a month, 50 texts and a Nokia 2630 handset. On the £10 the deal goes up to 100 bundled minutes, 300 texts and a Nokia 3600 handset. Jump the giddy heights of £15 a month and you’ll get 200 minutes, ‘unlimited’ texts (for an unspecified limited time only, mind) and a shiny new Nokia 6500 slide.
Not content with announcing all that lot, Orange have also introduced new 18-month SIM Only contracts. The ‘Dolphin’ packages start at £10/month (Dolphin 10) for 100 minutes and 500 texts, and go up to £30/month (Dolphin 30) which comes with 1600 minutes, ‘unlimited’ texts and 500MB of data allowance.
Orange pump it up at Glastonbury
May 21st
Never one to miss a marketing trick (remember the mobile-enabled cow?), Orange have unveiled a prototype foot pump mobile charger to coincide with their sponsorship of the Glastonbury music festival.
Dubbed the ‘Orange Power Pump’, the device – created by renewable energy experts GotWind – harnesses kinetic energy from an air bed foot pump, a standard piece of camping equipment, which in turn drives a turbine within the Power Pump. This energy is then converted into an electrical current which can re-charge your mobile phone.
No bigger than a packet of Wet Wipes and in a rather sleek black and orange finish, the company claims the unit can generate enough energy to give you five minutes of call time in around the same time it takes to inflate a pillow.
Dave Pain, GotWind’s MD commented: “GotWind have worked with Orange for a third year to create yet another groundbreaking festival accessory that is sure to become a must have when packing your rucksack.”. Meanwhile Orange’s Head of Sponsorship Iain Smith said “As Official Communications Partner of Glastonbury we pride ourselves on creating innovative, fun and ecologically aware products which enhance the Glastonbury experience by allowing festival goers to stay in touch with their friends onsite.”
If you fancy braving the great outdoors – and quite possibly cake yourself in lashings of mud – Glastonbury takes place June 24-28 at Worthy Farm in Somerset. More details at www.orange.co.uk/glastonbury or www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
Orange mobile data usage rockets by 4,125%
May 14th
Mobile operator Orange have unveiled their fifth Digital Media Index – and revealed dongle data usage has increased by 4,125% in the past twelve months.
In addition to the rather impressive usage of its data dongle products, the company also revealed dongle subscriptions have risen by 504% over the past year. Handset mobile browsing has also shot up – by 109%. That brings the monthly total data usage to a rather giddy 386,000 Gigabytes.
So what exactly are people using all this data for? According to Orange, music and video downloads have both increased by 38%, with social networking sites showing a 129% increase in monthly page impressions and 48% increase in monthly unique users.
Paul Jevons, Director of Products, Portals and Services for Orange, said: “The Orange Digital Media Index shows that the ‘mobile data era’ has truly arrived. Customers are repeatedly enjoying the intuitive and seamless mobile internet experience to access a greater quantity and quality of content that is designed specifically for the mobile portal – whether that’s music, videos or games – helping to drive consumer traffic. An explosion in the number of mobile applications and new embedded laptops will boost mobile data demand even further in the coming months.
“We’ve seen an enormous increase in data usage across all our entertainment and communication services, including internet, email, multimedia messaging, music downloads, photo uploads, and gaming. It is clear that innovative, exciting and accessible content for the mobile platform is increasing the popularity of mobile services which are embedded on handsets or downloaded through applications stores.”
Ofcom order UK operators to cut termination rates
Apr 3rd
It’s not unusual for government departments to quietly shuffle out press releases bearing bad news when something else major is going on – but in this case Ofcom decided to tell the world some good news, but everyone was more interested in the G20.
Anyway, Ofcom have decided that from Friday mobile termination rates – i.e. the rates networks charge for connecting calls on their networks – are going to be cut by up to 21%.
The new rates, set for the next two years, are as follows: Vodafone and O2 – 4.71p/minute (down 8.4%), T-Mobile and Orange – 4.84p/minute (down 11.1%), and 3 – aka H3G – a rather large drop of 20.9% to 5.83p/minute.
Whether these cuts will be passed on to the end user – either by tweaks to minute bundles or actual per minute charge reductions – remains to be seen.
via UK watchdog orders mobile termination rate cuts | Reuters.
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