Eircom Mobile Reentry

wiggum

How do you guys think Eircom are going to re-enter the mobile market this year?

They can reenter from March this year. The Irish Times thinks that they will piggyback on the 3 Network. The Tribune thinks they will piggyback on the Metwork network.

What do you think will happen in 2004 with Eircoms reentry?

JTMan

Try and buy the spare 3G Licence

Not going to happen. This would cost in the region of €400 million including network roleout.

MVNO on the Hutchison (3) Network

Not going to happen despite what Jamie (clueless) Smyth has been saying in the Irish Times. Why would they piggyback on a network that will not have national coverage at launch and join an unproven technology? 3 in the UK have been dogged with problems.

MVNO on the Vodafone Network

Not going to happen either. Vodafone have not shown themselves to be keen to virtual operators. They like to keep the network to themselves. They will not want to encourage competition or create a Danish like Mobile price war.

MVNO on the 02 network

Maybe. This is the best option for Eircom. O2 have shown their interest in allowing a virtual network with 3. However I still think o2 (for similar reasons to Vodafone) will not allow Eircom to piggyback on their network.

MVNO on the Meteor network

Maybe. They will be joining a poor network with no national coverage. Howver Meteor are likely to warm to piggybacking more than the other operators.

Buy Meteor

I think this is the most likely option. I think Eircom will put in a bid for Meteor in the first half of this year. Eircom can rebrand tarnished Metoer and provide the capital needed to improve the network.

The only other option is that they continue to milk the residential market and don't re-enter at all.

jesus_thats_gre

Buy Meteor

I honestly cant see anything other than this happening. Seemingly Eircom are approaching corporate customers already about moving over to Meteor and so on...

One thing, they are not gonna buy the third 3G license and build the network from the ground up. They will probably buy this license eventually if they take over Meteor though.

I dont think they will be piggy backing on the back of the Three network. Three are the only operator that have to allow Virtual Operators to work of their network, Vodafone and O2 do not. I dont know what the chance are of Eircom working of the Vodafone or O2 networks.

JTMan

When they talk about "moving over to Meteor" they still could be talking about a virtual agreement with Meteor.

Interesting that most people think the Eircom will acquire Meteor this year despite the fact that the
media are saying this will not happen . It will be an interesting year for the Irish mobile sector.

Citizen7

Considering Esat BT are deploying 3's network in Ireland I can't see Eircom haven't a involvement.

I'll go for Buying Meteor