View Full Version : Orange 3G-peasy dream seems shattered
I called Orange the other day to see if they have any Video calling bundles on Pay Monthly, and they simply said no! So I asked why and they said, it was simply because Video calling and 3G phones are not catching on.
So that means video calling someone on Orange will cost 30p per minute, Video calling someone on another network costs 50p per minute.
I also asked if the 3G reception would be expanded as its not very good in my area, they said no!
And they also told me that no more new content will be added to Mobile TV for now.
So is this the begining of the end of Orange 3G?
Its disappointing as i'm on a really good service plan for calling and texting,as it will mean transfering to Hutchison 3G, no other 3G network works as well,in fact Hutchison 3G's reception seems better than Orange's in my house.
Whats everyone elses thoughts on this???
AndyCambs
10-03-2009, 13:27
I think the phone companies were foolish to spend all that money on 3G licences quite frankly.
Video calling never did take off in this country..but will more web intergrated handsets coming out (like i-phone, G1..etc) 3G will have a place in the UK...
AndyCambs
10-03-2009, 14:37
Video calling never did take off in this country..but will more web intergrated handsets coming out (like i-phone, G1..etc) 3G will have a place in the UK...
But I don't think there will ever be a sufficient return on investment for all the money spent on the licences.
I thought the UK and European goverments made it compulsary for them to get 3G licences as I thought thats why Hutchison sold off Orange and then used that money to buy 3G licences and build an actual network.
I think 3G activity such as Video calling ect... is much more popular on the 3 network than any of the others, 3's network coverage is better than the others (3G wise).
I think thats why Cable and Wireless and United Artists(US West) sold off One2One back in 1999. One2One was a national and not an international network, the network coverage needed a lot of investment and a 3G licence needed to be purchased plus roll out of 3G masts. And both companies were under financial pressure with rolling out digital Cable TV and paying the debt off which they accumalated in building Cable TV networks.
AntiSilence
13-03-2009, 20:38
I'm on Orange pay monthly with a 3G Nokia video phone but I don't use video calling. It's never really interested me to be honest.
Thats why I dont see the point in getting phones with all these features if your not gonna use them!
AntiSilence
13-03-2009, 21:03
I do use the 3G for browsing etc, and Google Maps is too slow on a 2G connection.
I'm on the o2 Simplicity deal, I get 600mins/1000texts but o2 allow you to exchange your minutes for video calling - good thing is, 1 mobile minute = 1 video calling minute which is brilliant.
Edit: By exchange, you can use unlimited (upto 600 in my case) of mixture, e.g. 245 video mins, and 355 normal mins.
I'm on the o2 Simplicity deal, I get 600mins/1000texts but o2 allow you to exchange your minutes for video calling - good thing is, 1 mobile minute = 1 video calling minute which is brilliant.
Edit: By exchange, you can use unlimited (upto 600 in my case) of mixture, e.g. 245 video mins, and 355 normal mins.
Only problem is O2's 3G coverage is small it only covers just over 50% of the UK population.
Heres the current 3G coverage of all networks:
O2: 55%
Vodafone: 60%
T-Mobile: 70%
Orange: 80%
Hutchison 3G(3): 92%
Heres the current 2G coverage:
O2: 99%
Vodafone: 99%
T-Mobile: 97%
Orange: 98%
Hutchison 3G: 0% (3 use the Orange 2G network for 2G coverage)
So the best 3G networks for coverage are Hutchison 3G and Orange. And the best 2G networks for coverage are O2,Vodafone and Orange.
And the best paging coverage which covers 99% of the UK population is Page One Communications, Page One was formerly Mercury Paging and was a part of Cable and Wireless. Page One and Vodafone are the only paging services remaining.
I think the phone companies were foolish to spend all that money on 3G licences quite frankly.
I work for a mobile phone company and we all said it's going to one great big white elephant but we went ahead regardless. Nobody uses it, but the were frightened of being left out.
I think if one of the 'big four' kept to GSM only, but drastically undercut the other operators call costs, they would have the lions share of the UK market now and the other operators would be in serious trouble if not bust.
In 4 years, I've made maybe 5 or 6 3G calls!
Tezcatlipoca
15-03-2009, 20:24
I don't know anyone who uses 3G for video calling, but I know plenty who use it for internet access... It *does* have a use, just not the one it was originally hyped for.
I don't know anyone who uses 3G for video calling, but I know plenty who use it for internet access... It *does* have a use, just not the one it was originally hyped for.
Precisely, my primary use for my mobile is internet access but both my home and work are borderline for 3g. I just wish t-mobile would expand there coverage or 3 would allow me to use my own handset on there network.
jellybaby
15-03-2009, 20:38
Precisely, my primary use for my mobile is internet access but both my home and work are borderline for 3g. I just wish t-mobile would expand there coverage or 3 would allow me to use my own handset on there network.
Agreed :)
I'd be lost without my internet on my phone, and so many apps use internet access too
cookie_365
17-03-2009, 12:59
Only problem is O2's 3G coverage is small it only covers just over 50% of the UK population.
Heres the current 3G coverage of all networks:
O2: 55%
Vodafone: 60%
T-Mobile: 70%
Orange: 80%
Hutchison 3G(3): 92%
<snip>
Those might be the official figures but I seem to get 3G coverage on O2 pretty much anywhere I go. Maybe they were smart enough to give it to the 55% of people I'd want to visit ;)
The reason for O2 being the smallest is because of the overnight transformation it recieved in 2001/2.
In December 2001,BT Cellnet,Genie and BT Mobile operations in Germany,Holland and Ireland demerged away from the BT Group and formed 'MMO2 Group', Because they were new,they didnt have that much revenue,they also had little time to compete with Hutchison 3G as Hutchison planned to launch there service in 2002. MMO2 sold off O2 Holland to cover some of the 3G costs. In 2005/6 MMO2 became O2 plc and was eventually taken over by Telefonica who are expanding the O2 brand to there original operations including its Spanish operations, there is now much more hope that O2 3G will get better now that it has better funding.
BT only got rid of it because they knew what 3G would be like, BT where also rolling out Broadband and where behind the Cable companies,so BT needed funding to roll out Broadband and catch up with NTL,Telewest and Smallworld.
And lastly, 3G technology was also orginally set up for better mobile internet not just video calling!
what's that new network thingamajiggy that's being tested right now? something or the other to do with the government? :dunce:
Not too sure but ofcom wants the 3G networks to merge.
T-Mobile 3G is to merge with Hutchison 3G
Vodafone 3G is to merge with Orange 3G
That is to increase 3G coverage rapidly,each of the above networks with the exception of Hutchison 3G will have there own 2G networks,but a merged network would offer more coverage. Each network would have its own customer base as usual.
So that means T-Mobile,3 and Virgin Mobile customers will get 100% good quality coverage whilst Orange and Vodafone users will get around 95% coverage.
Not too sure but ofcom wants the 3G networks to merge.
<snip> So that means T-Mobile,3 and Virgin Mobile customers will get 100% good quality coverage whilst Orange and Vodafone users will get around 95% coverage.
excellent idea, am so fed up of downloading video only to find it all pixelated and rubbish :tu:
I tend to only use You Tube on my mobile or any videos or downloads when i'm under 3G coverage, the 2.5G coverage is slow!!!
Using your phone to make UMTS call drains the battery significantly quicker than if you have it set to GSM, You'll also get more dropped calls.
Using your phone to make UMTS call drains the battery significantly quicker than if you have it set to GSM, You'll also get more dropped calls.
:tiptoe: *whispers* what's a UMTS? :dunce:
3G .... the frequency used is higher thus the signals don't go as far and therefore needs to suck more power transmit the same distance as the 2G and 3G cabinets are 99% of the time co-located.
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