Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone?...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that...

The T-Mobile takeover rumour mill continues

There was an interesting article in The Observer over the weekend, featuring an interview with Matthew Key, Chief Executive of O2.

Is he worried about being left out of the bidding war for Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile UK business unit? Quite probably, but he plays it quite cool. “We are watching developments closely, but if you’re asking me whether it’s consuming my time day and night, the answer is no,” he says. I’m entirely relaxed about the situation – no one is running around here like headless chickens.”

Meanwhile the Sunday Times reports Vodafone is talking to Deutsche Telekom about swapping it’s Turkish operation (formerly Telsim) for T-Mobile UK. To put that possibility into figures, Vodafone paid £2.6bn for the Telsim operation in 2006, but has since written it down due to competition from Turkcell – the dominate player in the market. It could raise £1.5bn of the projected £3m worth of T-Mobile UK by disposing of the Turkish unit.

Finally, the Daily Mail adds its usual dose of doom, gloom and ‘they’re all out to get us’ sensationalism with a report that says ‘Telecoms regulator Ofcom is warning potential bidders for T-Mobile that any takeover deal will face the toughest scrutiny, amid fears that it would lead to a sharp increase in prices for consumers.’

Happy days indeed, with sources close to Deutsche Telekom still claiming there’s ‘no rush’ to offload T-Mobile UK. With new MD Richard Moat (formerly of Orange) less than two months in the job there still may be time to avoid being swallowed up by a rival player. Speaking of Orange, they’re still in the frame for a deal with T-Mobile. Or not, if you believe the claims a possible deal was rejected a few weeks ago.

12 COMMENTS

  1. WOW I can only hope something wonderful happends. Let me qualify wonderful 🙂 Normally 2 wrongs don't make a right? In this case if the worst customer service company (Read “3”) and the company with the worst signal coverage merged (read “T-Mobile UK”) merged the PENDING MERGER would result in possible the WORST mobile company on the planet. Now the good news of this is that normally two negatives dont normally make a positive. But if the merger resulted in these two truly awful corporations being wiped from the face of the mobile world.. (SCORE)….. I would call that a positive win 🙂

  2. I T-Mobile really only worth £3m? Surely this is loose change to Vodafone? What was Arun's salary? How many base stations do they have?

  3. WOW I can only hope something wonderful happends. Let me qualify wonderful 🙂 Normally 2 wrongs don't make a right? In this case if the worst customer service company (Read “3”) and the company with the worst signal coverage merged (read “T-Mobile UK”) merged the PENDING MERGER would result in possible the WORST mobile company on the planet. Now the good news of this is that normally two negatives dont normally make a positive. But if the merger resulted in these two truly awful corporations being wiped from the face of the mobile world.. (SCORE)….. I would call that a positive win 🙂

  4. I T-Mobile really only worth £3m? Surely this is loose change to Vodafone? What was Arun's salary? How many base stations do they have?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recently Published

Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an HP LaserJet printer (version 3, if memory serves), I have been printing with an HP. Over the...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone? I'm asking because I'm thinking about what I should be doing. When I was living in Oman, I...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that next to nothing from Mobile World Congress would break through into the mainstream media. I was right,...

How Wireless Will Pave the Path to Neobank Profitability

I'm delighted to bring you an opinion piece from Rafa Plantier at Gigs.com. I think it's particularly relevant given the recent eSIM news from...

An end of an era: Vodafone UK turns off 3G services

I thought it was worthwhile highlighting this one from the Vodafone UK team. For so long - for what feels like years, seeing the...

Mobile World Congress: Did the mainstream media notice?

I resolved this year to make sure I wrote something - anything - about Mobile World Congress, the huge mobile industry trade show taking...