Three could buy O2 ireland?

wexfordman2

cookie1977 wrote: »

That's true. Look how some mobile networks have linked up with BT due to it's fibre network, to support 4g back end systems

BT, eircom, enet have all been used, don't thi k any have been used exclusively

jimmynokia

cookie1977 wrote: »

I thought vodafone bought the bulk of the old analogue signal? There's no breach of contract due to the take over unless 3 change the T&C's of existing plans.

Well as I said it's said that they did, but then again the MOSIAC deal was kept Quite too.

wexfordman2

jimmynokia wrote: »

Meteor/eircom apparently bought most of the old spectrum from RTE so this is interesting,it will be also interesting to see the prices for 4g this will be another factor for consumers to think about.
Some prices in the uk are madness.

Another thing now ive been asked too is the option to jump ship from O2, ie breach of contract.

The recent spectrum auction showed all the operators getting different chunks of spectrum, , except for three, which ended up with no 800 spectrum, one 5mhz block in the 900 band (the others all have
Double that) and Voda and three the most 1800 spectrum post 2015

wexfordman2

jimmynokia wrote: »

Well as I said it's said that they did, but then again the MOSIAC deal was kept Quite too.

How do you mean kept quiet? Neither the spectrum outcome nor the netshare deals were kept quiet?

CyberGhost

So what are the pros and cons of Three acquiring O2 Ireland?

SpaceTime

wexfordman2 wrote: »

How do you mean kept quiet? Neither the spectrum outcome nor the netshare deals were kept quiet?

They put out press releases about it but as we have almost no technology press nobody noticed.

kristok 2

CyberGhost wrote: »

So what are the pros and cons of Three acquiring O2 Ireland?

Pros should mean threes network will become better outside of the main urban areas when they eventually combine the two networks. The cons are one less competitor in the market meaning they have less reason to keep their prices so low although O2 where always fairly expensive so might not make any difference. In the long term could force Vodafone to cut prices.

Kensington

CyberGhost wrote: »

So what are the pros and cons of Three acquiring O2 Ireland?

Pros:
Excellent 2G network (O2) backed with a modern 3G network (Three).
Huge amount of spectrum capacity for future 4G use.
Potential for lots of investment as Hutch is very capable of pumping massive amounts of money into improving the network whereas Telefonica is struggling with debt piles.

Cons:
Potential for mass job losses on the O2 side - everything is run from India with only skeleton staff in local markets. Three outsource practically everything bar sales and marketing.
Potential for massive drop in customer support standards - Three customer service is truly abysmal. Horrendously bad.
Less competition - Three simply will not maintain their current price plans across the board, moreso they'll tend towards the current O2 offerings when setting the new combined standard.

SpaceTime

The biggest pro for Three customers will be having a 2G network with EDGE as a fallback.


That could be made available very quickly as i don't think theyll be too interested in continuing to pay Vodafone


Combined, they've a lot of radio spectrum too so it could mean much better 3G and it makes Three's LTE platform far more viable.

kn

SpaceTime wrote: »

Combined, they've a lot of radio spectrum too so it could mean much better 3G and it makes Three's LTE platform far more viable.

Yeah. The combined spectrum is the big issue to the benefit of 3 mobile broadband customers who have suffering from a congested and oversold network by 3. 3 did not buy a lot of the 4G licences with only limited amounts of 800 and 1800mhz spectrum. Whereas o2 bought loads across 800, 900 and 1800 mhz. Combined the network will have far greater capacity than Vodafone meaning that mobile broadband should be zooming for 3 broadband people.

RangeR

Kensington wrote: »

Cons:
Potential for mass job losses on the O2 side

Mid to long term O2 staff will be falling over themselves for redundancy. There are a lot of long timers in there. It's only a con for the new recruits [< a few years]. Most others [5+ years] will get a windfall, even if it's just statutory minimum.

drunkmonkey

SpaceTime wrote: »

The biggest pro for Three customers will be having a 2G network with EDGE as a fallback.

Anyone where Vodafone have Edge you already get it, no change there..

AlmightyCushion

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Anyone where Vodafone have Edge you already get it, no change there..

Not for data. They only use vodafone for voice and text.

krudler

RangeR wrote: »

Mid to long term O2 staff will be falling over themselves for redundancy. There are a lot of long timers in there. It's only a con for the new recruits [< a few years]. Most others [5+ years] will get a windfall, even if it's just statutory minimum.

This, know loads who are. People have been hanging on for it for ages. but there's a lot of ifs involved. If 3 offer it once the takeover happens, if it's in relatively short time and not a year or more away, and if they decide to keep a portion of the call centre here and not move it all to India.

wexfordman2

SpaceTime wrote: »

They put out press releases about it but as we have almost no technology press nobody noticed.

Putting out press releases can hardly be called keeping it quiet!!

drunkmonkey

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Not for data. They only use vodafone for voice and text.

I use Vodafone Edge and GPRS the whole time when i've no 3 3G coverage.

RangeR

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I use Vodafone Edge and GPRS the whole time when i've no 3 3G coverage.

I believe BillPay customers get slow Edge Data. PAYG can go jump.

wexfordman2

RangeR wrote: »

Mid to long term O2 staff will be falling over themselves for redundancy. There are a lot of long timers in there. It's only a con for the new recruits [< a few years]. Most others [5+ years] will get a windfall, even if it's just statutory minimum.

I do t think the numbers jumping would be huge, not so many long timers any more. O2 have had numerous redundancy programmes and outsourcing arrangements over the last 6 years or so. Their engineering dept was at peak close to 500 people, and now down to about 80 or so.

Customer care and retail always had high churn as well. I would say the numbers of long timers would be just a handful. And statutory for someone with 5 years (which you refer to as long term windfall) would equate to just under 7k, so hardly a windfall.

Redundancy terms would be well above statutory anyway, they are still a very profitable company.

Gummybear2013

Whats going to happen o2 customers think their number and text bundle? do think three keep some of o2 offer like text bundle? my partner not happy at all about this he loves o2 and dont want change number and text bundle on

RangeR

Gummybear2013 wrote: »

Whats going to happen o2 customers think their number and text bundle? do think three keep some of o2 offer like text bundle? my partner not happy at all about this he loves o2 and dont want change number and text bundle on

You are worrying over nothing [relatively]. Nothing will change for at least 6 to 8 months. Even then, change will be slow until about the 12 to 24 month mark.

And... nobody can answer at the moment. It's a VERY specific question.

Gummybear2013

RangeR wrote: »

You are worrying over nothing [relatively]. Nothing will change for at least 6 to 8 months. Even then, change will be slow until about the 12 to 24 month mark.

And... nobody can answer at the moment. It's a VERY specific question.

Oh that great so still more time my partner just wondering what is going happen any ideas into what offers 3 will have for people use be on o2? he really dont want change his number to a 3 one

L'prof

Gummybear2013 wrote: »

Oh that great so still more time my partner just wondering what is going happen any ideas into what offers 3 will have for people use be on o2? he really dont want change his number to a 3 one

You can change networks without changing your number, I doubt it'll be an issue.

Gummybear2013

L'prof wrote: »

You can change networks without changing your number, I doubt it'll be an issue.

Oh that great so thanks telling me that i let him know

drunkmonkey

If I was on o2 i'd be juping to 3 as quick as I could, there's no way 3 will let o2's customers onto 3 with unlimited data, no way, nada, not a hope.

RangeR

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If I was on o2 i'd be juping to 3 as quick as I could, there's no way 3 will let o2's customers onto 3 with unlimited data, no way, nada, not a hope.

But.... It's oversubscribed by a ridiculous amount. Dunno if they could take even 1% of an influx.

<Network Crumbles>

Meesared

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If I was on o2 i'd be juping to 3 as quick as I could, there's no way 3 will let o2's customers onto 3 with unlimited data, no way, nada, not a hope.

They will have extra network capacity from buying O2s network

Kensington

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If I was on o2 i'd be juping to 3 as quick as I could, there's no way 3 will let o2's customers onto 3 with unlimited data, no way, nada, not a hope.

I'd be surprised if Three maintained unlimited data even on is own network once the changeover is complete.

Remember - their current pricing model is aggressive, trying to gain market share.
When they effectively become the market leader, they no longer have any reason to maintain an aggressive pricing model so expect things like unlimited data, cheap roaming, allowing free tethering unofficially to all change.

Ultimately - they haven't made any profit, not a single cent, in this country since eatablishing themselves here 8-odd years ago. They're going to want to see return on their investments, over €1bn at this rate, and they'll want to see that soon.

krudler

Gummybear2013 wrote: »

Whats going to happen o2 customers think their number and text bundle? do think three keep some of o2 offer like text bundle? my partner not happy at all about this he loves o2 and dont want change number and text bundle on

That's still over a year or more away, the changeover isnt 100% yet even its subject to EU approval, slim chance it wont happen though so its pretty much a given, and even at that its not like 3 just change everything on O2 overnight, its going to take months or years to phase out O2 as a brand.

krudler

Kensington wrote: »

I'd be surprised if Three maintained unlimited data even on is own network once the changeover is complete.

Remember - their current pricing model is aggressive, trying to gain market share.
When they effectively become the market leader, they no longer have any reason to maintain an aggressive pricing model so expect things like unlimited data, cheap roaming, allowing free tethering unofficially to all change.

Ultimately - they haven't made any profit, not a single cent, in this country since eatablishing themselves here 8-odd years ago. They're going to want to see return on their investments, over €1bn at this rate, and they'll want to see that soon.

That, you can throw all the free iphones and unlimited data at people all you want but when even after all that your market is a drop in the ocean compared to O2 and vodafone then it's down to people realising that there's more to a good network than a free phone and data. how many people jumped to 3 then went back to another network the minute their contract ended? loads.
Their appalling customer service record speaks for itself, there's not a hope corporate and business customers currently with O2 will put up with 3's call centre in India so the likelihood is that the business aspect may stay here out of the O2 Limerick or Dublin offices.

laoisfan

Kensington wrote: »

I'd be surprised if Three maintained unlimited data even on is own network once the changeover is complete.

Remember - their current pricing model is aggressive, trying to gain market share.
When they effectively become the market leader, they no longer have any reason to maintain an aggressive pricing model so expect things like unlimited data, cheap roaming, allowing free tethering unofficially to all change.

Ultimately - they haven't made any profit, not a single cent, in this country since eatablishing themselves here 8-odd years ago. They're going to want to see return on their investments, over €1bn at this rate, and they'll want to see that soon.

If it's in your contract to have all you can eat data ( ~15Gb per month ) and you do not upgrade or move to different plan or change to sim-only then you will continue to have all you can eat data. They can't just remove it. No operator can move their customer off their contract. The contract plan will be deemed a legacy plan and until such time as the customer leaves or upgrades/changes plan or move to sim-only it will remain in place. All operators in Ireland operate this policy.

Roaming is going to be abolished in the EU from July 2014 which will be welcomed.

3 have already abolished thethering on contracts signed on or after 1st January 2012. Of unofficially people still tether

While 3 will undoubtedly look to make profit etc and change some things it may just force Vodafone's hand and possibly Meteor's. If you look at their data offerings....pure crap, especially Vodafones.

I am currently with 3 but I suspect when my one remaining year is up then I will switch either to a sim-only plan or else port back to Meteor. Not a hope in hell of going over to that shower of vultures Vodafone.