Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Slighty old news and some may know already but it seems Sky want to buy the parts of Everything Everywheres network it has to sell aspart of the T-Mobile Orange merger.

Or perhaps buy up 3uk which is a better idea I think, I really like this idea and would snap up a Sky mobile for a quad-play one bill. Thoughts? This wouldnt be a piggy back virtual network like VM but a proper Sky mobile network.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

It's not in BskyB's pipeline, after careful consideration, the UK has a very saturated market and after all the advertising and marketing plus the cost of maintaining the network as well as the amount they would spend on leased lines and dependence on other fixed line networks for data services, it would not generate much revenue further more, it is pay monthly contract customers who generate much of the revenue for mobile phone networks and since everyone has a mobile phone these days, most people locked in 18 and 24 month contracts and in Vodafone cases 36 months, after all the money spent, the network would be sitting there empty. Furthermore, what would be different about Sky's mobile network? The existing 4/5 provide everything you expect from a mobile phone, also retentional deals to stop people leaving by each of the existing network operators would squeeze Sky out as after investing in a new mobile network, Sky would have to compete with the likes of 3 who can afford to give out phones on the cheap and low cost tariffs, as a new entrant to the market, it would be beyond Sky's budget and in turn would be lucky to make a break even.

Nevertheless, Deutsche Telekom have been looking at options around T-Mobile UK operations and its 50% stake in Everything Everywhere, this would go up for sale and Sky could possibly be one of the bidders, however I have a feeling, France Telecom may acquire the remaining 50% and rebrand the whole operation as Orange, and the excess spectrum to be sold off to BT. Deutsche Telekom are more interested in developing countries as they feel that the UK has a very saturated market, and it does, everyone has a mobile or access to a telephone or payphone that can call a mobile and they feel that they cannot achieve any higher than they can.

BT seem to be working with Everything Everywhere and could be the perfect one to take over that spectrum as rather than promote a new mobile network, they can use it for existing services as well as provide 3G and 4G alternatives in rural locations, it could also be used for BT Mobile Broadband customers,BT Business Mobile and any remaining BT Personal Mobile customers as currently they lease the Vodafone network for this.

Furthermore, BT would be more successful at a mobile phone network as they would not have to pay for the use of the BT network or leased lines or for data services and would also not have to pay for Emergency services or anything like that, T-Mobile is also considering selling its Dutch operation and as most mobile networks operate internationally and since BT has a virtual network in Holland, it would make sense for BT to acquire 3,the excess spectrum from Everything Everywhere and the Dutch T-Mobile operation. The German O2 network may also go up for sale as well as some other Telefonica O2 assets as the company has a £48 Billion debt mountain, if BT acquired all these it would retain its international mobile strategy which it had sell off years ago.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Sky will have a mobile network within 2 years,

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

You do know it is just 3G spectrum for sale and not 2G or 4G, for a start a network just depending on 3G in the UK is no good, it doesn't work well, 3 is an example, 3 in other countries has not struggled as much as the UK. Sky will then have to bid for a 4G license as well. If sky do buy it, it will be for broadband on the move, which is what they are currently promoting with the cloud also owned by sky.

---------- Post added at 23:57 ---------- Previous post was at 23:41 ----------

If Sky were to purchase the spectrum, it would bring the company into line with Virgin Media’s four-pronged approached to the market, where it offers TV, phone, internet and mobile services. However, The Sunday Times claimed the cost of setting up its own mobile network could cost Sky in the region of £4bn.

They can't afford £4 Billion, there current net income is £0.810 billion less than a billion and no bank will throw in any funds for something facing heavy competition. News corp will not either, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if News corp don't sell off the majority of sky in the next 5 years

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

http://uk.breakingnews.com/item/ahZz...alks-over-an-8

Don't think so....

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

They still have to sell off part of their spectrum due to them merging,Sky were never going to buy out Everything Everywhere. They were looking into buying up some of the SPECTRUM and it IS 4G aswell. Also the network they MAY buyout is 3UK, After its owner Hutchinson telecom stated it may leave the uk.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

It may leave the UK, but it is actually doing ok, they don't want to sell up too soon as it would be seen as a wasted investment.

Sky does not have £4 Billion to build a proper network out of that spectrum plus a couple more billion to takeover 3. Why would they risk all that money when there is already too much competition. It would take them many years to make the money back.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Just like BT just spent £700million of football rights, sometimes if you can't buy the milk at the right price you have to go buy the farm. 2-3years from now mobile internet will be massively fast and reliable.

If Sky are going to create debt then this is the best place, they have recently bought the cloud wifi network aswell dont forget. They understand the need to able to offer your customers data on the move.

Sky has to launch a mobile network of its own, and it will. When they asked on the official Sky forums last year they got an over whelming YES from customers that they want Sky mobile. Sky already have 10million customers and more tripple pay customer than Virgin, itmakes sense to think a lot of these customers would move mobile provider to Sky. I would,

I really don't think Sky have a choice, they NEED a mobile network, they don't need the cash if they fund it with debt, god knows cable companies financed cabling 50% of the UK with debt.

Virginmedia have a virtual network and that was financed with debt even though they were already £5.6 billion in debt.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

They don't need a network of there own, they can lease an existing one, by the way the new owners of Everything Everywhere may not have to sell the excess spectrum as it was based on Europe, Everything Everywhere is currently part of a Europe wide company, if it seperates from its existing owners, it will be just operating in the UK and a europe wide monopoly threat will no longer be a threat. They also have 2 million less customers than they did when the 2 companies merged, O2 and Vodafone are also merging there infrastructure meaning as situations have changed and a monopoly is no longer a worry. That is why it hasn't happened yet.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I still think Sky will be in the mobile market come 2014, some analysts even think Sky have a secret plan to bid on the 800mhz and 2.6Ghz auctions and just buy one of the new licences. That would be extremely expensive but give them massive coverage and their own platform.

Even if it happened using Murdochs money, lets face it he will want a mobile network eventually.An as everyone here says Murdoch basically owns Sky the money is not an issue is it. Sky are getting a lot of unwanted attention due to TV rights ect. Letting that settle and moving into new areas maybe a good idea.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Do you know how much a network makes a year per customer who have an iphone? Around £50 to £60 which is very little, and these are the most popular phones. Plus all the advertising and Ofcom's regulating on pricing makes it a dead loss. There is no money to be made, even termination rates have been cut which means a lot less revenue from incoming calls

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

What? I have an iPhone on Three the phone was free and its £34 a month that £408. I believe they wholesale iPhone from Apple for around £280-£340. I'm in a 24 month contract totaling £808 if I NEVER incure any extra charges.

What makes you think 3 will only make £100 from me over 24 months? You make things up pal. Unless you have a link to back this up?

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

They own there own foreign call centre,so they don't spend much on customer service, £100 would be a lot to them. You included wholesale costs, but what about the cost of calling other networks? 3 to 4p per minute in termination fees, ten minute call to someone on Vodafone costs 3 around 40p, if you get 2,000 minutes, work it out. Then there is VAT on top, so yeah my figures are reality. 3 are offering on the cheap to bump up customer numbers as it will increase the valuation of the company. Hutchison would want a price higher than there start up cost otherwise it would have been 11 years of wasted investment.

3 were the last to offer the iphone because of the costs, high spending customers leaving 3 during 2009 and early 2010 for an iphone on a network that offered them were given iphones imported from 3's italian operations.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I look forward to the very profitable Sky-Mobile.:D

Oh, and Sky already have customers services call centers in place, and 3 also get termination fee's when a caller from another operator calls onto their network. You're looking at this very one sided and negatively.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

3 has around 6 million customers, then times the other 4 networks the amount coming into 3 is gonna be smaller as they are the smallest compared to the amount going out on termination fees.

Sky outsources most of its call centres and one of the companies who do that for them is the Listening company

I am looking at it one sided because for a start we are in a recession and £4 to £7 Billion is too much to risk on a saturated market, thats not to say it will never happen because it could but not in the timescale you are thinking, a good way would be to start off as a virtual network using its current tv customer base and then if it does acquire or build its own network move them over onto it.

but like I said it won't be happening yet

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

The rules of typical market saturation do not apply to mobile phones. Customers tend to upgrade every 18-24 months and start new contracts.

So 2 million customers sign up today, you effectively get the same 2 million customers again in 24 months. New phones/New deals means customers are always swapping networks. Sky will have a mobile network, you're just going to have accept it.

We were once told they would never match VM for BB speeds, they now can. We were told they will never match VM for VOD, they have. An they WILL;) have a mobile network.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

We'll see, too little too late to be honest

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

When the Sky mobile network launches I wonder if they will offer something similar to 3Uk with all you can eat data? I hope they offer the latest phones, I know some networks don't even offer the iPhone on contract to this day.

Its going to happen an I will be one of its first customers.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

If it launches it as virtual network, it will not offer the iphone. If it ever launches there will be very little price difference and there will be very little about it that will be unique, which is why they haven't launched it before as they wouldn't be able to afford it

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Like I said when it rolls out I expect it to be a very successful network and rapidly become a serious contender maybe even the second most popular network in the UK with 3 years.

Just like Sky are now the most popular tripple pay provider in the UK,I expect them to be the most successful quad-play provider.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

As you said sky always follow what they say and they have already announced that they do not intend to offer mobile services.

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-...-cards-1082318

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Only if they use one of the existing networks, like Tesco Mobile do.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

When Sky first met with Thecloud they denied they were looking to buy as this can send share prices really high forcing companies to pay more. But look what happened there??

---------- Post added at 16:26 ---------- Previous post was at 16:26 ----------

Yeah,Virginmedia use a virtual network also piggy backing onT-mobile so perhaps. I really think some kind of 3uk=Sky tie up would really suit both companys.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

The majority of Virgin Media customers do not subcribe to Virgin Mobile nor do they have TV,Internet and phone, I know a few people who just have the phone while some just have TV and many people just have Virgin Broadband and Sky TV as they either get a substantial amount of mobile minutes or use something like Vonage.

I don't like tripple or quad play offers myself and sky knows this as well which is why they now offer phone and broadband to non-TV customers as well, so they are really not bothered by Virgin Media's quad play offering, 5 years ago in 2007 maybe but not now.

I personally found Sky Talk to be non-beneficial to me and find BT cheaper, £10.75 per month line rental(1 year line rental saver) and free anytime calls plan and free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers on a 12 month contract. Virgin and Sky charge for 0845 calls and 3 free calling features when taken with Broadband of which I chose Call Waiting,Call diversion and unlimited ring back on top of the free caller display with BT privacy.

And to be honest with you, most people have Sky because they cannot get a particular channel or exclusive content on Virgin or because they cannot get Cable TV where they live. Not because they like the Sky brand or because of tripple play offerings. I know a lot of people who have Sky and ordered Sky talk and broadband but were put on Sky connect which is very slow and more expensive than BT as it is purposely undercut by BT.

Therefore Sky mobile would attract a relatively small amount of users as it would have nothing unique about it.

It would also interfere with the networks who already sell and promote Sky Go products and as you maybe aware they have a steady amount revenue from this source.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

You do understand your opinions are just your opinions? You seem to live in a cuckoo land where what you think some how becomes fact.

I live in a VM area and have tripple play from Sky so do a lot of people round here. I xan't wait to get Sky mobile and I bet with 2 years it would be the second most popular network in the UK.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

It is you that is in cuckoo land with fantasies that are also not based on fact, there is already too much competition and you can ask others on here for there opinion as well, why do you think not many people have commented on this?

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Both of those are your opinions. They are not fact. VM has around 7,000 VOD items and sky has LESS than half that.

Also VMs top speed is 100Mb soon to be 120Mb, how can Sky match that just now??

Pot.....Kettle

Also IF Sky were ever to get into the Mobile market it would take them a lot longer than two years to become the 5th most popular network never mind the 2nd.

As you mentioned to an other poster, that is just your opinion not fact at all.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I'm not talking about Virgin Mobile.

If there was room in the market, then Virgin Mobile would be huge by now. But there isn't, so they aren't.

I used to use VM for my BB and landlines, and had TV with Sky. I then played them off against each other, and VM saved me a fortune. The only down side was less TV channels, but most of those that I don't get now, I didn't watch anyway. As for the Tivo, it leaves the Sky+ HD standing.

I tried 3 once for my mobile, and it was crap. So I wouldn't use any company connected with them again.

I doubt I would ever consider going back to Sky for any service, as long as there is a link to Murdoch.

---------- Post added at 18:04 ---------- Previous post was at 18:03 ----------

You really do live in fantasy land. :rolleyes:

Why don't you buy shares in Sky then?

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

BT is the one to watch, they have spent millions on football rights, they are adding live tv channels FX,Gold,Alibi and a few more, how long before they have a full range of tv channels, they have even teamed up with YouView, and there will be a monopoly in rural areas of fibre broadband by BT if they get there own way which is likely as since ofcom took over oftel, BT have mostly got there own way.

BT already have agreements with Vodafone to offer a virtual network and currently provide mobile broadband in addition to BT openzone which is much bigger than The cloud.

And finally BT euipment is in nearly home, so they call the shots on anyone using the network, undercutting any ISP who uses it.

BT is the largest internet provider in the UK followed by Cable and Wireless Worldwide and Virgin Media, even TalkTalk is bigger than Sky broadband/easynet

sky have a lot of competition on there hands and when it comes to fibre optic broadband, BT and Virgin pull the strings.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Considering BT is a telecoms business and has always done phone and Internet the same as VM previously (TW,NTL) it's hardly surprising is it , even Talk Talk came to market in 2003 some 3 years before BSKYB offered its own telephone and broadband packages.

Figures from May 2012 had Sky on 3.8 million BB subscribers approximately 200,000 behind Talk Talk and 500,000 behind VM it is also now the nations largest triple play provider not bad saying they only added their own phone and BB products to their range some 6 years ago.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

But is that residential and business together or just residential?

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I should think that includes business. As this is a market that VM has never really tapped into properly. So most businesses use BT, and then the obvious move is for those businesses to also have their BB with BT.

I actually use VM for my business, but would be happy to use either them or BT. But I would never use sky for business phones, BB, or mobiles.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I'm actually surprised at how many people seem to want a Sky mobile network. but then the fact they are now the UK's biggest "triple play" provider just shows how trusted the brand is in the UK.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I'd be surprised if anyone (except yourself) actually cares one way or the other.

I'd say that there are probably more people put off Sky than ever before, due to the Murdoch connection.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Like I said before, exclusive content and non-availability of other pay-tv or terrestrial services in some areas is the main reason for that.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I'm 100% sure when the Sky mobile network launch's it will have the current version of iPhone on probably an unlimited data plan I just can't wait.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Why, do you work for Sky?

Why on earth would anyone older than 12 get so excited about yet another mobile company, in an already saturated market??? Or are you just on a wind up?

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I'm looking forward to the extras Sky will give us with it.EG

Got Sky TV? Get Skygo anywhere via wifi or 3G for FREE
Got SkyLLU BB? Get unlimited Wifi via 1000's of hotspots via Skycloud
So ya know..It stand to reason once the Mobile network launch's Sky will shake up the market with new innovations.

The BB market was "saturated" But Sky did what no one thought possible and launched a truely unlimited service and is now the fastest growing ISP in Europe.(even though its only available in the UK)

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

I did have sky TV, and I did get skygo for free. But I never used it anyway.

I'm with vodafone, and I get free wifi through all the BT hotspots.

They are the fastest growing because they are cheap (at the moment) to get new customers.

Many people have said that their CS is terrible (so no different to VM then).

So like I said, even if they did set up a mobile network (which would be stupid in a saturated market), then it is nothing to get excited about....unless you are actually 12.

Re: Sky to launch Mobile network? Not virtual network either...
 

Looks like it's not happening.

Everything Everywhere are selling the excess spectrum to 3 and they now have the desired amount spectrum which means 3 have no intention of selling up.

Everything Everywhere are also launching a 3rd brand alongside the Orange and T-Mobile brands. This means there is no room for anyone else.

Everything Everywhere will be the first to launch 4G and they will be the only ones until mid-2013.