T-Mobile and 3 merge 3G networks

 

Gallery

By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 18 Dec 2007 at 11:49

T-Mobile and 3 UK are to merge and extend their 3G networks to provide blanket coverage of the UK for their customers.

It is expected that around 5,000 duplicate masts will be removed in the next two years, saving the companies £2 billion in maintenance, rental and transmission costs over the next 10 years.

The newly merged network will be managed by a joint-venture company called Mobile Broadband Network Limited, on an agreement that will run until the end of 2031.

"3G is a transforming technology, but this will be the first time that a 3G access network in this country is able to achieve both the reach and the capacity to meet the needs of the future," says Jim Hyde, chief executive of T-Mobile UK.

Although the companies will be sharing their 3G networks, T-Mobile's existing 2G network will not be made available to 3 and each company will continue to operate separate "core" networks.

"This market-leading initiative will accelerate the adoption of new services in a timescale each of us could not have achieved on our own," says Kevin Russell, chief executive officer of 3 UK.

"It also enables us to cost effectively meet customer demand for faster speeds, wider coverage and greater capacity that is starting to arise as mobile devices become the most cost-effective and convenient route to access the internet."

Mobile phone news, reviews, themes and downloads at Know Your Mobile