Broadband News
News, views and analysis
Everything Everywhere - except for 3G data!
11 Oct 2010 | 14.11 Europe/London
Recently merged Everything Everywhere has combined its two UK mobile phone networks so subscribers to Orange can be seamlessly transferred to T-Mobile if they are out of coverage but the other offers a signal, and vice versa.
However, automatic roaming does not apply to data. While the two networks are now effectively one company offering increased 2G coverage for subscribers, a spokesman for the merged company admitted to SamKnows that this was not yet the case for 3G.
“Giving customers of one brand access to both networks is a pretty big task,” the spokesman pointed out.
“To get the experience right we’re taking it one step at a time. Initially we’re sharing our 2G networks to enable our customers to keep in touch by call or text from more places, but next year we’ll also be sharing our 3G networks.”
This will be a big issue for data users because 2G networks are now so evolved that connectivity footprints are far stronger and wider than 3G networks which are far more prone to signals dropping off outside major towns and cities.
For the time being Orange and T-Mobile customers need to go to the ‘share’ pages on their operator’s portal (orange or t-mobile.co.uk/share)to register for a SIM update which will allow them to move between the two networks one their normal call plan.
Users of 3G data will need to wait another year to be offered the extra flexibility of switching between the two networks for web browsing and email on the move.
However, automatic roaming does not apply to data. While the two networks are now effectively one company offering increased 2G coverage for subscribers, a spokesman for the merged company admitted to SamKnows that this was not yet the case for 3G.
“Giving customers of one brand access to both networks is a pretty big task,” the spokesman pointed out.
“To get the experience right we’re taking it one step at a time. Initially we’re sharing our 2G networks to enable our customers to keep in touch by call or text from more places, but next year we’ll also be sharing our 3G networks.”
This will be a big issue for data users because 2G networks are now so evolved that connectivity footprints are far stronger and wider than 3G networks which are far more prone to signals dropping off outside major towns and cities.
For the time being Orange and T-Mobile customers need to go to the ‘share’ pages on their operator’s portal (orange or t-mobile.co.uk/share)to register for a SIM update which will allow them to move between the two networks one their normal call plan.
Users of 3G data will need to wait another year to be offered the extra flexibility of switching between the two networks for web browsing and email on the move.