In response to Lord Carter’s Digital Britain report, Orange has said that it is quite interested in expanding its mobile broadband to rural areas, if it gets sufficient benefits in return. T-Mobile had recently refused to take up the endeavour citing economic reasons, which had dampened the government’s hopes of using mobile broadband to fill the connectivity gaps left by fixed line broadband
Orange has said that in return it wants a piece of spectrum that is the focus of current hostilities between Ofcom on one side, and O2 and Vodafone on the other. The spectrum is ideal for mobile broadband and the government needs it badly to be able to go ahead with its ‘broadband for all‘ plan. Orange has also asked for a share of the airwaves that are expected to be made available by the change over to digital TV. Moreover, the company is hoping that the government will agree to an indefinite extension on its 3G license.
Orange has a long list of demands but it is unlikely that it will be able to push the government too much. O2 and Vodafone are all set to make a network sharing deal that will allow them to make their operations more efficient and increase their countrywide reach. T-mobile and 3 UK have already been in such a deal for a long time now. These deals give the companies more power as far as spectrum reallocation goes, and with Orange the last UK provider to enter a network sharing deal, it could find itself in a weaker position. It sounds a bit like an ongoing saga in a soap opera…. If this saga of mobile broadband interests you, or you simply wish to compare the latest in mobile broadband, click here.