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Last modified: | Four UK networks in iPhone runningFour of the UK's mobile phone networks have been variously tipped to take on European distribution for Apple's forthcoming iPhone. The fifth network, 3, is ruled out because the iPhone ain't 3G and 3 doesn't do 2.5G. According to reports which appear to be coming from Credit Suisse, Vodafone is in front of Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile) because Vodafone has the best spread of networks in Europe. Surely if Apple was going to favour T-Mobile, then it would have gone with T-Mobile in the States as well instead of AT&T? So T-Mobile doesn't look too likely. Over at fellow UK online network, VNUnet there's been a report that O2 is the most likely candidate to acquire the rights to distribute the Apple handset. There the argument appears to be that O2 denied that it was them the least of all. Of course, O2 is part of Telefonica which is reputedly Europe's third largest mobile operator. So it is quite a good bet that O2 might just win. Then there's Orange. As one observer pointed out, Orange is the only operator in Europe that has actually installed any EDGE capacity. So the iPhone's current restriction to EDGE rather than 3G speeds wouldn't be such a disaster. Furthermore, Orange is part of France Telecom and out of all the big European countries, France has always been the most sympathetic to purchasing Apple's hardware. So taking on the Apple phone would be logical. Interestingly, Credit Suisse has calculated that the eventual winner is likely to sell more than six million handsets within three years. Which is good news given that a significant number of these would represent subscribers 'churning' from rival operators. The bank also told its clients that, "Apple is keen to protect the value of the iPod by ensuring iPhones are not sold with a subsidy." Whoops. Out of all the four networks, it's not Vodafone which is keenest to see subsidies disappear – it's T-Mobile. There's also the chance that everybody could be right and that Apple could decide to go with Telefonica in Spain but Vodafone in the UK and Orange in France, etc, etc. The rumour is that everybody will be put out of their misery next month (July) with an announcement shortly after the mobile phone actually goes on sale in the States.The full Inquirer story ...
Four networks tipped for Euro iPhone |
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