3 to exit UK

dazed

From Telecoms.com

Reports are circulating in London today that Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa has put its UK mobile phone business 3 UK up for sale. Goldman Sachs has been appointed advisor, according to the reports and an official announcement is expected to be made on Thursday.

3 is the smallest of the UK's five operators with 3.7 million customers representing 5.5 per cent of the market at the end of June. Its customer base grew sharply during 2004 and 2005 off the back of an aggressive handset subsidy policy and low priced voice and data services for heavy users. But in recent quarters the operator has suffered high churn levels. In the most recent quarter, 3 added only 143,800 customers, according to figures from Informa Telecoms & Media, compared with 162,500 in the corresponding period last year.

"It has been incredibly tough for 3 to get a foothold in the UK market," said Mark Newman, chief research officer of Informa Telecoms & Media. "We haven't seen a fifth mobile operator run a profitable business anywhere in the world. And 3 has tried to do this using a new untried technology with much higher handset and network costs than its rivals," Newman said.

My wonder is who will be buying the customer base ?

My moneys on o2

Browntoa

cheap call and texts don't make up for crappy handsets and poor network coverage

jimmyjim_uk

Browntoa wrote:

cheap call and texts don't make up for crappy handsets and poor network coverage

And poor customer service

the_tired_one

I disagree.

Fantastic network coverage / not had a problem in 3 years.

Customer services is excellent - unless you have a problem in dealing with Indians!

payless

EasyTelecom is looking at ways to re-enter the market!!

Amba_Gambla

the_tired_one wrote:

Fantastic network coverage / not had a problem in 3 years.

Customer services is excellent - unless you have a problem in dealing with Indians!

Same here.... had very few problems, great price, good CS....

billsavings

Vodafone apparently are interested in buying them.


"Any deals would have to pass Vodafone's financial criteria but Mr Sarin said the group would be interested in Hutchison Whampoa's mobile businesses in Italy and the UK if they were put up for sale."



http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=FT&Date=20061114&ID=6198385

Aiadi

I also find that their coverage and customer services to be excellent. Shame if it happens and they leave the UK for the bigger sharks to continue with their rip-off.

LOST

so is it a good idea to buy a 3 contract or not for now?

will subcribers reap any future benfits from any buyouts? or will we be able to cancel/cutshort any contracts - anything similar to easymobile?

heyho_3

dazed wrote:

From Telecoms.com

Reports are circulating in London today that Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa has put its UK mobile phone business 3 UK up for sale. Goldman Sachs has been appointed advisor, according to the reports and an official announcement is expected to be made on Thursday.

3 is the smallest of the UK's five operators with 3.7 million customers representing 5.5 per cent of the market at the end of June. Its customer base grew sharply during 2004 and 2005 off the back of an aggressive handset subsidy policy and low priced voice and data services for heavy users. But in recent quarters the operator has suffered high churn levels. In the most recent quarter, 3 added only 143,800 customers, according to figures from Informa Telecoms & Media, compared with 162,500 in the corresponding period last year.

"It has been incredibly tough for 3 to get a foothold in the UK market," said Mark Newman, chief research officer of Informa Telecoms & Media. "We haven't seen a fifth mobile operator run a profitable business anywhere in the world. And 3 has tried to do this using a new untried technology with much higher handset and network costs than its rivals," Newman said.

My wonder is who will be buying the customer base ?

My moneys on o2

Analysts have long speculated about the future of 3’s UK business. particularly since the group’s owners, the Hong Kong- based Hutchison Whampoa, failed to pull off a planned flotation of its Italian business. A successful float would have paved the way for a listing of the UK business. A spokesman for Hutchison Whampoa said that it had no plans to sell any assets. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9076-2453855,00.html

MUHAMID

the_tired_one wrote:

I disagree.

Fantastic network coverage / not had a problem in 3 years.

Customer services is excellent - unless you have a problem in dealing with Indians!

sorry to say you but you can't have a problem unless you problem in dealing with good pronunciations and with grammar not Indians!

Sorry the_tired_one to write this but i couldnt read it.:eek: