As businesses assessed the damage and began digging out, the picture wasn't as gloomy as they might have feared - WSJ, on the tsunami that killed thousands
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T-Mobile and Orange allow users on each others' networks
MOBILE OPERATORS T-Mobile and Orange will allow their respective customers to sign up so that they can roam on either network at no extra charge.
The registration is open to subscribers of both networks and is the first visible action since the two firms merged to create Everything Everywhere. A spokesperson for Orange told The INQUIRER that the announcement was part of a move to create a "super network" that would cater for the needs of both firms' subscribers.
Registration will mean that customers who cannot get reception on one network will automatically switch to the other. The spokesperson told us that it was in effect no different from roaming while abroad, but without charges. The collaboration between the two firms only extends over the British Isles, so beyond that you're prey for the mobile operators and their exorbitant roaming charges, even though both firms operate networks in many countries.
The companies say that next year customers will be able to seamlessly switch between the two networks in mid-call in a bid to offer the best possible reception. Orange told us that at present switch in mid-call between the networks would lead to dropped calls.
The two operators say that "significant network investment is taking place to ensure the network is enhanced for the 21st century customer," only a decade into the aforementioned century.
Before that, the most important investment comes in the form of a £4 million advertising campaign to educate users and presumably trying to get new punters. Though with statements like, "This is the first step in our vision of giving our customers instant access to whatever they want, wherever they are instant access to everything, everywhere," it is likely to raise a wary look of disbelief by mobile users who have been subjected to poor performance from mobile operators for years.
That said, for those on T-Mobile or Orange, it is definitely worth signing up as it can't be any worse than at present and it costs absolutely nothing, at least for now. µ
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Please make a correction - this can and definately IS worse than what it used to be.
If orange were a man I would punch him in the face
This is great now. I get everything bad about both networks everywhere I go. At home, where I used to get an ok orange signal until orange changed something a few weeks ago, I now get a really bad orange signal, or, when roaming onto t-mobile, a really bad t-mobile signal.
In fact everywhere I've been where orange is poor, my phone roams onto t-mobile and the signal is just as bad.
And I get more dropped calls.
Blimey Lawrence, the T-Mob and Orange roaming agreement came into effect a week ago... slow news day?