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Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

UK service providers must notify customers when they connect to a different network

New rules from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom will protect customers when they use their mobile phone on a foreign network. In addition, customers will be alerted if they are inadvertently roaming, perhaps because they're near an international border.
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Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
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Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
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UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
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Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
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Opinion Articles

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

4G doesn't come to Three

Mark Bridge writes:

Earlier today, Three.co.uk published a blog post headlined “4G comes to Three”. But it hasn’t.

I spent most of this morning here at Mobile World Congress muttering about the blog before returning to it this afternoon. And suddenly it’s changed.

The blog post remains. The headline is completely different. Now we’re told “Three to launch leading edge 3G service”.

Just as well, really, because the news wasn’t about 4G coming to the Three UK network. It was about HSPA+ service being rolled out to Three’s UK customers. And that’s not 4G. It’s more like fast 3G. In simple terms, the technology is different.

Now, admittedly the original blog did go on to say “this isn’t 4G as in Long Term Evolution… instead it’s the leading-edge version of 3G technology”. But that doesn’t forgive the original misleading headline... and the moderator’s comment of “it’s not 4G, we weren’t trying to claim that” falls a little flat.

Particularly when the company told us last year that “we currently operate on an HSPA network, and have already started moving towards HSPA+. We don’t have any immediate plans to start referring to this technology as 4G as some others have done.”

How quickly things change.

In recent months, Three has been using its ‘unlimited’ tariffs to build a reputation as a network to trust when it comes to mobile data.

Today, I think that hard-won reputation has been somewhat dented.

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Categories: Networks and operators, OpinionNumber of views: 13170

Tags: uk opinion 4g three data 3g

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Recent Podcasts

Trends, tablets and training with Faisal Sheikh from Fone Doctors

Podcast - 22nd June 2012

Iain Graham visits Faisal Sheikh of London-based Fone Doctors in today's audio feature.

They talk about the recent Fone Doctors relocation to new offices near London Bridge and Faisal's plans for a franchise outlet at Liverpool Street station before moving on to discuss training, customer service, the rise of the tablet and the demise of customer service.

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Microsoft makes tablets while Nokia makes cuts

Podcast - 20th June 2012

This week's mobile industry news podcast starts with two very different stories from Nokia and Microsoft: one is announcing closures, the other is expanding its manufacturing.

We also find time to talk about roaming tariffs, mobile money, intelligent vending machines and a handful of recent mobile-related acquisitions.

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Apple previews iOS6, Vodafone goes roaming and Xbox gets mobile

Podcast - 13th June 2012

In this week's mobile industry news podcast we're looking at Apple's new mobile operating system, Vodafone's money-saving European tariff and Microsoft's plans to expand the reach of its Xbox gaming console.

There's also talk about network sharing, legal battles, mobile apps, mobile payments and mobile retailing.

Author: The Fonecast
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Over The Air 2012

Podcast - 9th June 2012

James Rosewell reports from Over The Air 2012 in today's podcast.

The event, which took place on 1st and 2nd June 2012 at Bletchley Park, attracted around 600 mobile developers and designers to celebrate all things mobile.

Author: The Fonecast
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Podcast - 6th June 2012

We're taking a break from the current mobile industry news headlines this Diamond Jubilee week. In fact, we're celebrating our own anniversary because it's six years since we first started recording The Fonecast.

Listen to this week's podcast and we'll take you back to 2006, a year in which 'mobile music' meant ringtones, the Nokia N95 redefined 'smart' and we reported rumours of a new Apple 'iPod phone' being prepared by Foxconn.

Author: The Fonecast
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