A1c
29-10-2004, 05:13 PM
From the Birmingham Post (29/10/2004):
Orange, the UK's largest mobile phone group, has said it was confident it would complete a partial launch of next-generation mobile services in the UK and France before Christmas.
Its ability to launch the new service, also known as 3G, is widely seen as a test of the company's ability to retain its technological edge amid fierce competition from rivals such as Vodafone.
"We are confident we will do a soft launch before Christmas," said Didier Quillot, head of Orange France.
He added a soft launch meant the service would cover only 40 per cent of France's territory and 60 per cent of Britain. It would also not be distributed through all of Orange's outlets.
"We have a pragmatic approach," he said about introducing the new service.
His comments came after Orange's chief executive Sanjiv Ahuja said earlier this month the operator would consider delaying the full commercial launch of 3G services until after Christmas if last-minute technical glitches were not be solved by then.
But Mr Quillot said Orange would have three handsets ready this year, made by South Korea's LG Electronics, Sam-sung and Sony Ericsson; and two new 3G handsets available next year, manufactured by Nokia and Japan's Sanyo.
Orange UK hopes to have 270 stores in the country by the end of the year, compared with the current 252 outlets.
Meanwhile parent company, France Telecom, beat most forecasts for third-quarter core profits and revenues, powered by robust growth at Orange and its Wanadoo Internet unit.
France's largest telecoms operator said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 5.2 per cent to 4 . 86 billion euros (£3.38 billion) on a comparable basis, topping expectations.
Orange, Europe's third-largest cell phone company and France Telecom's key growth engine, contributed 5.2 billion euros (£3.6 billion) to revenues - a rise of 9.1 percent, after clinching 1.3 million new customers.
Wanadoo added almost 400,000 broadband clients.
Orange pushed up customers by 207,000 in France and a greater-than-expected 140,000 in Britain, helping to take its subscriber base to 52.2 million.
Annual average revenues per customer rose by £4 to £274 in Britain.
Meanwhile, rival Vodafone Group, the world's biggest mobile phone operator, said it will unveil its long-awaited third-generation (3G) wireless offering on November 10.
Last month, Vodafone said it would launch commercial 3G mobile services across Europe and in Japan, with ten different handsets available for the Christmas period.
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=14810590%26method=full%26siteid=50002% 26headline=orange%2dtargeting%2dlaunch%2dof%2d3g%2 dmobiles-name_page.html
Orange, the UK's largest mobile phone group, has said it was confident it would complete a partial launch of next-generation mobile services in the UK and France before Christmas.
Its ability to launch the new service, also known as 3G, is widely seen as a test of the company's ability to retain its technological edge amid fierce competition from rivals such as Vodafone.
"We are confident we will do a soft launch before Christmas," said Didier Quillot, head of Orange France.
He added a soft launch meant the service would cover only 40 per cent of France's territory and 60 per cent of Britain. It would also not be distributed through all of Orange's outlets.
"We have a pragmatic approach," he said about introducing the new service.
His comments came after Orange's chief executive Sanjiv Ahuja said earlier this month the operator would consider delaying the full commercial launch of 3G services until after Christmas if last-minute technical glitches were not be solved by then.
But Mr Quillot said Orange would have three handsets ready this year, made by South Korea's LG Electronics, Sam-sung and Sony Ericsson; and two new 3G handsets available next year, manufactured by Nokia and Japan's Sanyo.
Orange UK hopes to have 270 stores in the country by the end of the year, compared with the current 252 outlets.
Meanwhile parent company, France Telecom, beat most forecasts for third-quarter core profits and revenues, powered by robust growth at Orange and its Wanadoo Internet unit.
France's largest telecoms operator said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 5.2 per cent to 4 . 86 billion euros (£3.38 billion) on a comparable basis, topping expectations.
Orange, Europe's third-largest cell phone company and France Telecom's key growth engine, contributed 5.2 billion euros (£3.6 billion) to revenues - a rise of 9.1 percent, after clinching 1.3 million new customers.
Wanadoo added almost 400,000 broadband clients.
Orange pushed up customers by 207,000 in France and a greater-than-expected 140,000 in Britain, helping to take its subscriber base to 52.2 million.
Annual average revenues per customer rose by £4 to £274 in Britain.
Meanwhile, rival Vodafone Group, the world's biggest mobile phone operator, said it will unveil its long-awaited third-generation (3G) wireless offering on November 10.
Last month, Vodafone said it would launch commercial 3G mobile services across Europe and in Japan, with ten different handsets available for the Christmas period.
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=14810590%26method=full%26siteid=50002% 26headline=orange%2dtargeting%2dlaunch%2dof%2d3g%2 dmobiles-name_page.html