MSE News: Orange and T-Mobile owner to launch 4G first amid rebrand rumours

jayme1

lil.smartie wrote: »

AT&T use gsm technology like most of the world, Verizon use cdma...

Kate

For their old 2G networks yes, GSM and CDMA are different technologies (like VHS and Betamax), but they are both using LTE for their '4G' networks, it's only the slight difference in bands that make them incompatible.

Same for the rest of the world LTE is going to be used everywhere but different bands will mean phones can only work in countries with a band the phone has, much like why you need a quadband phone to use your mobile in parts of the world.

fredsnail

I'd just settle for decent 2G coverage please - can't get more than 1 reception bar by the window in my office and 2 reception bars at home.

Curr946

jayme1 wrote: »

With there being 3 bands for LTE, 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz, I am hoping as much as I can that there won't be a case of some phones working on some bands and not others.

ie I want to be able to buy one phone and it will work on every network, not you have to buy a phone for the network.

I may be thinking way out of the box but why can't all the networks band together and build a 100% land coverage network which they can all share, it would keep maintenance costs down and they can coordinate coverage in cities where they need more towers. If it was going to be anticompetitive the networks could all make a joint separate company to solely maintain and build the network.

this is basically the case in US, sigh

cootuk

For those of us with poor fixed line broadband, this could really open up the use of MiFi for home internet as opposed to FTTC, depending on the data tariffs.

thor

I don't give a toss about 4G and can bet this is going to be an excuse to put up prices even more. Bad news as far as I am concerned.

RadioGaGa_2

Another questionable decision from Ofcom, hot on the heels of allowing Global Media to wipe out many truly local radio stations with it's London-fed diet of bland mediocrity that is Heart FM, we now see a decision that offers a corporation a monopoly on the cutting edge technology network 4G.

There has to be a legal challenge from the competing network operators on this decision. It appears grossly unfair and creates yet another monopoly albeit for a limited period when others will be allowed to catch-up.

BTW I have been with Orange since 1996