Biggest 3G Network

[Zee]

So both Orange and 3 claim to have the "biggest" 3G network, but which network actually has the biggest 3G network? I've seen Orange advertising its "biggest" 3G network all over the place.

From 3's website:

You may have noticed that Orange recently stated it had the biggest 3G network in the UK, covering almost 93% of the UK population.

We take pride in having the biggest 3G network in the country, so it's clear to us that operators are using different methods to calculate the size of their network. And we think that if we used the same method as some other mobile operators to calculate our coverage, we’d arrive at a figure of 95% UK population coverage.

By the end of next year we aim to reach 98% (or more) UK population coverage.

http://www.three.co.uk/Company/3G_Network/Our_network

From Orange website:

Our 3G network covers 93% of the UK population, more than any other mobile network in the UK. Orange also has the largest integrated 2.5/3G network in the UK so if you happen to go out of our 3G range, you’ll be seamlessly transferred to our 2.5G network.

http://www2.orange.co.uk/servlet/Sat...=1096023564458

[ceedee]

An Ofcom report earlier this year reckoned 3UK had the largest network coverage.

[moroboshi]

Disappointing but based on my experience not altogether surprising to see how pathetic O2's coverage is. I'm glad they've lost the iPhone exclusivity now, but I'm still locked in for a while yet...

[Zee]

So if Ofcom has stated that 3 has the largest 3G network, how is it allowed that Orange can claim they have the largest network?

[ceedee]

Originally Posted by Zee

So if Ofcom has stated that 3 has the largest 3G network, how is it allowed that Orange can claim they have the largest network?

It's baffled me for years, Zee.
Ofcom are obviously aware of the false claims and have done nothing to stop it.
False claims on websites aren't covered by the Advertising Standards Authority, so no point asking them.
Your best bet is to contact the trading standards department of your local council (contact details available via the TSI website) and see if they'd be willing to investigate.

Good luck!

[Turkey Machine]

It's obviously just a "my dong's bigger than yours" competition between the networks. I'd believe Three, but it won't bring HSDPA to my town until the middle of next year at the earliest.

[Damien]

Bear in mind their are multiple ways to measure 'biggest 3G network'. The main two are the area covered and the amount of population covered. However I think you could also make distrinctions depending on quality. Orange have a large HSDPA network s well.

[m419]

The way Orange measure there 3G coverage is pathetic.

They measure by how many towns it actually covers, for example so places might have 1 3G mast for a whole damn town! Thats not good enough and you are likely to recieve just 1 or 2 bars of 3G coverage.

3 and T-Mobile 3G networks are merging there infrastructure creating MBNL (Mobile Broadband Network Limited) and contains much more masts than Orange 3G, although T-Mobile is merging with Orange, it will be a long time before Orange starts merging its own 3G infrastructure with MBNL and a lot of disruption is likely to.

Then Orange talks about its 2G coverage when you fall out 3G range, this claim is a waste of time since 3 also use the same 2G coverage from Orange themselves!

So I think its time for Orange to tear down its advertising campaigns and start focussing on customer services instead! Because it really isn't good.

[m419]

3 will remain the UK's largest 3G network when MBNL and Orange 3G networks merge in a few years,why? Because 3 has a larger customer base for 3G customers, Orange may have 15 to 16 Million customers, but a majority of these are using 2G only phones, when T-Mobile's 2G network is eventually merged with Orange's 2G network, the newly merged company will hold the largest 2G mobile customer base.

The problem with this, the newly merged company will have to invest heavily if it is to encourage more users to move to 3G enabled phones, this involves acquiring contracts with manufacturers such as Nokia,Apple,Sony Ericcson,Motorola and LG. INQ and ZTE are most likely to remain exclusive to 3. It also involves more advertising and more call centre staff to bother existing Pay Monthly customers who are near the end of there contracts. It also involves setting up deals with outsourced retailers such as Carphone Warehouse,Phones4U,Tesco,Morrisons,Alworths,Asda,F onehouse and the smaller independent communication retail stores.

3 like to keep things in-house, they have there own retail stores and also sell products in Savers Stores which is all part of Hutchison Whampoa, Superdrug is also part of the same group which is why you may have saw 3 products and services being sold instore. 3 do not sell Pay As You Go services in retailers such as Carphone Warehouse because it is costly and is cutting back on the use of such retailers.

By T-Mobile and Orange merging, this gives 3 a much greater chance of competing especially on the high street, when the networks finally merge including the brands, there will be fewer phone shops on the high street most particularly towns and high streets which have both an Orange shop,T-Mobile store and Fonehouse selling T-Mobile products, it would not make sense to have three stores selling the same thing on one street. It would be like having three Mcdonalds on street.

Virgin Media are also similar, they like to keep things inhouse to, by agressive advertising on there wholly owned TV channels,direct mailing to existing customers and using there new Virgin Media stores, one store has recently opened on Oxford Street.