Just spoke with an Orange customer service representative. They sent me an email asking if I’d like to sign up for an iPhone5. Here’s the rub. Nobody has a date for availability of LTE yet. Moreover Orange and TMobile won’t be offering it. You will have to go to a brand new company known as EE to get the service.
I’m thinking this is likely to be the beginning of the end for the Orange and TMobile brands. In time all services will be 4G and according to this logic existing Orange and TMobile customers will have mostly migrated to EE. Quite clever.
The Orange person was unable to give me a date for when EE would be up and running or when one would be able to sign up for 4G though anyone buying an iphone5 from them now could be migrated in due course.
4 replies on “iPhone5 availability with 4G LTE & beginning of the end for Orange and TMobile?”
It also suggests the beginning of the end for the Orange brand on fixed line broadband, as EE looks set to be their fibre broadband branding.
Oddly our forum users got upset when I added EE and T-Mobile to the Orange description, suggesting Orange users still feel distinct from T-Mobile – for how long though.
“anyone buying an iphone5 from them now could be migrated in due course” having first signed a new (extended) contract with EE
Andrew – those who’ve had really poor service from one brand (e.g. O) and jumped to another (e.g. T) might be upset to be now linked together, and could jump to another company (e.g. V).
Given there is still a difference when I force my phone between T-Mob and Orange in terms of HSPA performance, I’m not sure “EE” are fully ready !
Is it inevitable that all networks will become 4G? Particularly at 900mhz? If so aren’t we talking way down the line – surely making for a very slow rebranding.