network sharing

Graham Payne departs in management reshuffle at MBNL

UK network joint venture MBNL, created by T-Mobile and 3UK in 2007 and now owned by 3 with EE, is getting a change of management as the organisation shifts from the integration of the various UK networks held by its parents to an operational and cost-control model. Graham Payne, MBNL’s managing director and financial director Brian More O’Ferrall, are to leave the company, to be replaced by Pat Coxen of EE and Gervase King of 3UK.

Greek operators strike network sharing deal

With the difficult economic climate taking its toll on businesses in Greece, the nation’s number two and number three mobile operators have signed an active 2G and 3G network sharing agreement covering rural areas and some urban sites.

Rogers and Vidéotron bring LTE to Ottawa and Québec

Canadian mobile operator Rogers has signed a 20 year agreement with telecoms firm Vidéotron to bring LTE services to customers in the Québec and Ottawa regions.

Vodafone and 3 in Irish network sharing deal

Mobile operators 3 and Vodafone are set to embark on a network sharing agreement in Ireland. A source close to the deal told Telecoms.com that the two operators are in advanced discussions regarding a joint infrastructure partnership.

Everything Everywhere announces £1.5bn network investment

UK communications firm Everything Everywhere, which owns and operates the British Orange and T-Mobile brands, has announced that it is to invest £1.5bn ($2.4bn) in a three-year network evolution programme. The project will accelerate the integration of the Orange and T-Mobile networks and ready them for LTE through the “implementation of 4G-ready technology following successful trials,” the firm said.

AT&T, Verizon to be forced to share data networks with rivals

Under rules approved by America’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC), AT&T and Verizon will be required to share their data networks with smaller operators. Network sharing arrangements for voice calls are already mandatory; prior to yesterday’s ruling, network sharing for mobile data was arranged on a voluntary basis.

Eircom and O2 announce Irish network share

The second and third-placed mobile operators in the Irish market, incumbent Eircom and Telefonica’s O2, have announced that they are to share networks in a deal that Eircom described as the first of its kind in Ireland. Eircom said that the deal will “result in an unrivalled mobile experience for customers” as the two carriers seek to meet growing demand for high bandwidth services.

Merger of 3UK and T-Mobile UK networks complete

Ericsson has announced that the project to merge the UK 3G networks of T-Mobile and 3 has been completed, with more than 12,000 sites consolidated. The two carriers created a third party organisation, Mobile Broadband Network Ltd (MBNL) in 2007 to run the joint network, with Ericsson the primary service provider to MBNL.

Orange, T-Mobile begin network merger

The UK arms of Orange and T-Mobile began promoting the consumer benefits of their mammoth merger on Monday. But the service improvement promises made by the newly created company—Everything Everywhere—seemed to carry an acknowledgement that the coverage profiles of the two networks individually were previously somewhat lacking.

Reliance Communications to spin off tower business

Indian fixed and mobile operator Reliance Communications (RCOM) has announced that it is to spin out its cell tower subsidiary Reliance Infratel. The move would create the world’s largest independent telecoms infrastructure company, the firm said Monday.