Arthur Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Source: O2 UK, Telefónica (via The Next Web) Hutchison Whampoa, the parent company of UK mobile operator Three, has today confirmed that its purchase of rival UK network O2 will proceed, subject to final approvals. In January, the operator confirmed that it had been in talks to take over the O2 brand in the UK in a deal valued at £10.5 billion ($15.7 billion). According to the Wall Street Journal today, the value of the sale is actually £9.25 billion (around $13.8 billion). Hutchison could also have to pay up to one billion pounds more if O2 meets its targets. Exactly what impact this will have on customers of either network in the UK is currently unknown, but we’d expect both brands to continue for the foreseeable future. It also transforms the UK smaller of the big name operators into a considerably larger entity, while freeing up Telefonica to focus its efforts elsewhere beyond the UK.
bwestlake Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 If they merge I'm looking forward to O2 customers being able to use data in different country's around the world like three currently do - if they actually do that (would love them too though)
witch Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 I shall look forward to the deals O2 customers get - apart from all you can eat data I can't see that us 3 customers get anything great
GREED Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 As an O2 customer I look forward to not having to use the shocking O2 customer services any longer...
LosOjos Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 (edited) I shall look forward to the deals O2 customers get - apart from all you can eat data I can't see that us 3 customers get anything great All you can eat data is quite a perk though, don't get that for less than £40 p/m on any other network that I know of and even then there's often a 2~4GB cap in the small print. Also, the "free" (using your contracted allowance) calls/texts while in foreign countries is a big perk if you travel. Free 4G I think might be unique to Three too. Oh yeah and free calls to 0800 numbers from your mobile... Hopefully the merge with O2 will mean the ability to connect to either network's masts, meaning improved coverage Edited March 25, 2015 by LosOjos
witch Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 I don't get it though as I opted for a cheaper tariff. Don't see the 4G and don't travel as much as I would like - but this will be useful when I am abroad next week. I wasn't aware of the free 0800 calls thing. I do still get free 3 to 3 calls which is useful as two of my children are on 3 but I know this has been discontinued for new accounts
IrritableTech Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Oh yeah and free calls to 0800 numbers from your mobile... Hopefully the merge with O2 will mean the ability to connect to either network's masts, meaning improved coverage From the 1st of July all freefone numbers will be free from all mobiles - New Ofcom rule - Ofcom | Campaign to explain major changes for telephone users My wife will be glad to hop onto the O2 network at work if that comes about. She loves three, except in her office!
elsiegee40 Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 (edited) Having switched from Tesco (O2) to 3 recently, the signal isn't going to improve much for me. I am getting much better coverage than before, though I recognise that it may be the opposite for others. For me the deal clincher was the overseas use... though not all countries are included, e.g. Holland where I went recently. Edited March 25, 2015 by elsiegee40
LosOjos Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 I don't get it though as I opted for a cheaper tariff. Don't see the 4G and don't travel as much as I would like - but this will be useful when I am abroad next week. I wasn't aware of the free 0800 calls thing. I do still get free 3 to 3 calls which is useful as two of my children are on 3 but I know this has been discontinued for new accounts Make sure the country you are goin to is covered - they keep adding more but best to check first Feel At Home - Phones - Discover - Three
HarryMonkey Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Free 4G I think might be unique to Three too. No it isn't. I get free 4G and I'm with O2
LosOjos Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 No it isn't. I get free 4G and I'm with O2 You have to be on a "4G tariff" (i.e. you're paying extra for 4G)
HarryMonkey Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 (edited) My tariff costs me no more than it did before the introduction of 4G. EDIT: ... Seems I have the free 4G access Bolt-on Edited March 25, 2015 by HarryMonkey
featured_spectre Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 This can only be a good thing. I have 13GB of data with O2 right now (after additional bolt ons), and I am currently half way through the month and have used 80%...would like to get the unlimited data
crc-ict Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 My tariff costs me no more than it did before the introduction of 4G. EDIT: ... Seems I have the free 4G access Bolt-on Same here. I got an SMS message last year saying 'We're rolling out 4G in your area. Have a free 4G upgrade to your contract" or words to that effect. Down here (West Sussex) 4G is popping up all over the place. I've now got 4G at home and at work (neither in urban areas), and it really is lightning quick.
Achandler Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 I personally don't get the appeal of three, Virgin mobile do unlimited everything for £20 a month for me. Calls to 0800 0808 0845 and 0870. And it is a 30 day rolling contract., on EE so network coverage is decent. On Three to get that it is £30 but 4g is included, but it is £10 a month extra, so 4g isn't really included, your paying for it. Currently coverage is worse (though with 02 I'm sure it will improve) and you get less numbers for free. I understand the travel abroad perk, i'm getting a pay as you go sim with the bolt on for just that one thing because it is nice to use data when you wanna find something but for the extra monthly cost, still isn't value for money. I remember when 3 use to be miles cheaper then everyone else, disrupting the market, now they are much the muchness. Less companies means the phone operators will become even more just "meh". Most big companies are pretty much the same across all walks of life, banks, energy providers etc but still 1 less company is surely worse.
TomHD Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 though not all countries are included, e.g. Holland where I went recently. Yeah I was gutted about Holland too! My cycling holiday starts there most years.
rich_tech Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 I am interested in going back to Three at the moment, I was with them when they first came to the UK and their handsets were massive, their PAYG then was decent and mimicked a contract and their coverage was fair to terrible, I have been with O2 and now EE for the last couple of years, but the nonsense I am getting trying to get a iPhone 6+ for a decent price on them is farcical now, they will not budge on daft points when I am dealing with them, on Three I can get the phone for £99 and on a £46 tariff, whereas they keep trying to make me pay larger amounts on both and refuse to match another networks tariff. I get the feeling when I request my PAC code it may be the push for them to get it all sorted, though at the same time I half expect them to just say "OK" we will sort it, their attitude to retention is that bad it seems.
mac_shinobi Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 Curious how long that will take to take effect , currently on 02 and as above bad customer services and a lot of other bad experiences since joining 02.
Arthur Posted March 26, 2015 Author Posted March 26, 2015 Curious how long that will take to take effect From the first link above... The deal is subject to regulatory approvals which might take up to a year.
sonofsanta Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 I am interested in going back to Three at the moment, I was with them when they first came to the UK and their handsets were massive, their PAYG then was decent and mimicked a contract and their coverage was fair to terrible, I have been with O2 and now EE for the last couple of years, but the nonsense I am getting trying to get a iPhone 6+ for a decent price on them is farcical now, they will not budge on daft points when I am dealing with them, on Three I can get the phone for £99 and on a £46 tariff, whereas they keep trying to make me pay larger amounts on both and refuse to match another networks tariff. I get the feeling when I request my PAC code it may be the push for them to get it all sorted, though at the same time I half expect them to just say "OK" we will sort it, their attitude to retention is that bad it seems. Trying to negotiate deals with the networks is a fool's errand these days, they just don't care. When my wife's contract was up I got in touch with o2 and said look, I can get the phone I want for free through Carphone Warehouse for £23 a month on your network, but it'd be a world of faff for me to arrange and you'll end up losing money when Carphone Warehouse take their slice; can't you just match it as an upgrade deal and make everyone's lives easier? No, no they could not. £28pm was the price and that was that. So I went through CW and dealt with the faff and o2 are now making less money than they otherwise would have. Ridiculous.
MkII Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 I got 4G for free on 3. In my area 3 is easily best for data. O2 is best for mobile signal, but their data is all low speed. Data roaming abroad is also covered isn't it? Roaming charges. France is a Feel At Home destination. This means you can use your device there at no extra cost. Calls and texts back to the UK and using data will come out of your existing Pay Monthly allowance, if you have one. If you've gone over your allowance, you'll pay special lower roaming rates, or you can buy an Add-on in My3.
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