Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

BT's network is already handling it in the half of the country VM don't have a presence, and were the providers nationwide until VM won the contract a couple years ago, so I doubt they have a "handling it" problem.

MBNL - not too sure about either. They act as brokers and site managers in many cases as 3 and EE have gone their separate ways with 4G rollout. AUIU they're more and more in charge of just handling the "passive infrastructure" which in my mind entails masts, poles, cabling, and antennas, but some people seem to count backhaul as well.

However as I recall MBNL started off with an exclusive contract with BT for backhaul, before the networks started announcing individual arrangements with VM.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

Still not convinced how compelling an offer of quad play from BT will be , in my opinion they don't really excel in many areas.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

BT shareholders have just been informed that BT have now finalised the terms of their EE acquisition.

Going forward, steps are to be taken to "upsell to the combined customer base the full range of communication services".

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

And apparently it'll take a full year for the merger to actually happen on paper, and god knows how long after that to physically integrate networks and systems.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

Indeed, given that Virgin still hasn't finished merging NTL and Blueyonder in places, who themselves never quite merged all of the different telcos they absorbed over the years, there's a long way to go.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

Although that may be what is slowing VM down. They aren't just merging two systems. They are potentially merging dozens.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

Thank god I'm dumping EE in May.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

I don't think this deal would effect Virgin Mobile other than it will add competition for quadplay.

I'm pretty sure BT will be forced to keep all existing deals open as it would be anti-competitive if they were to renegade on the existing deal with Virgin Mobile.

---------- Post added at 16:50 ---------- Previous post was at 16:44 ----------

Their homehubs? Biggest WiFi hotspot service globally? BT Sport? Installing fibre nearly all over the UK in a short period of time?

Even though I don't have their services I can appreciate what they do and how innovative they are.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

The BT-EE deal directly contributed to the 3-O2 merger. This merger will result in future mobile operators so will likely see the prices charged to MVNOs like VM raised. In Austria where four mobile networks reduced to three, retail prices soon rose €5 to €10 per month. Normally, competition rules would stop such large mergers taking place. However, the EU is keen to see strong European telecom companies who are able to compete with global telecoms players like AT&T and NTT so the 3-O2 deal should pass through.

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

My experience of the WIFI Hotspots is pretty annoying. You always get a really weak signal and inevitably end up turning off the WIFI to get a weak mobile signal that may work?

Re: BT to buy EE - impact on VMobile?
 

I have used BT in the past for work purposes rather than personal and found the WiFi hotspots very useful. But that's just my experience.

I don't think it's fair to say BT don't excel. There are other areas like their contracts with the NHS etc where they have excelled.