Ireland says 'Goodbye O2!'

Buzby

Telefonica have sold their network to Three (owned by Hutchison) and are cashing out after discovering they need a lot of cash to stay solvent.

O2 purchased Ireland's second GSM network (Esat Digifone) and operated from an HQ on the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin. Three have said they will merge their existing network with O2's, and the brand will eventually disappear completely.

This means - for Ireland at least - the disappearance of one physical operator, leaving just Vodafone (Eircell as was), Meteor (owned by Eircom), and Three.

ZhugeEX

But don't three and vodafone already share their network in Ireland...?

Or is that something else?

Buzby

Nope - Three Ireland built heir entire network from scratch (as they did here in be UK) - Vodafone simply purchased the existing Eircell infrastructure then added to it subsequently. There is no link between Three IRL and Vodafone IRL.

redux

ZhugeEX wrote: »

But don't three and vodafone already share their network in Ireland...?

Or is that something else?

When a Three Ireland SIM is using 2g roaming, then it is roaming on Vodafone.

That's not the same as planning to share the whole network. I imagine that as Three improves its 3g coverage it may be shutting down 2g roaming in some areas, as seems to have been happening here.

System

Three Ireland & Vodafone Ireland do actually have an infrastructure share agreement not just simple domestic roaming agreement.

I imagine it will just become a 3way until the O2 brand disappears.
I wonder if Telefonica will sell O2 UK next

redux wrote: »

When a Three Ireland SIM is using 2g roaming, then it is roaming on Vodafone.

That's not the same as planning to share the whole network. I imagine that as Three improves its 3g coverage it may be shutting down 2g roaming in some areas, as seems to have been happening here.

diamonds

O2 UK will never be sold unless its near bankruptcy, Telefonica has o2, France Telecom (soon to be rebranded Orange) and Deutche Telecom have EE as cash cows, the UK pound has always more than paid its ways for head office outside the UK.

The Ireland deal to me is just like EE, allowing monopolies just because the EU Commission is bringing down consumer costs for the WHOLE of Europe and telecoms are being treated as a right of access not affordability so the competition rules seem to be ignored in light of this new EU Telecoms Commissioner pushing revenue down, telecom regulators seem to be a very cosy mate of its licencees in UK and now Ireland....


We all know costs will just go up, non direct debit charges, roaming out the EU, paper bill charges, chargeable customer service.... On and on and still we have regulators and 'ombudsman' who are private companies PAID by the telco !


Long term the EU Commissioner has plenty to do to make it Consumer fair, its not all about termination fees and roaming.

NFH

diamonds wrote: »

We all know costs will just go up, non direct debit charges, roaming out the EU, paper bill charges, chargeable customer service

Non direct debit surcharges (unless they reflect the true cost of the payment method used) are now prohibited by Article 19 of Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights, enacted in the UK under the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012. Because the legislation has only been in force since 6th April, many businesses, even very large ones, are still not compliant.

Chargeable calls to customer services at above the 01/02/03 rate will be prohibited by Article 21 of Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights once it is enacted in the UK next year.