T-Mobile and Orange plan UK merger

“T-Mobile and Orange plan to merge their UK businesses, creating a mobile phone giant with 28.4 million customers,” BBC News reports. “If completed, a deal between Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile and Orange owner France Telecom would see a firm with sales of 9.4bn euros (£8.2bn; $13.5bn).”

“Holding about 37% of the mobile market it would be the UK’s largest provider, overtaking Telefonica’s O2,” The Beeb reports. “Orange and T-Mobile said their deal – due to be signed by November – would “bring substantial benefits to UK customers”, and promised expanded network coverage, better network quality and improved customer services. However it is likely that competition authorities in the UK and EU will probe the deal.”

MacDailyNews Note: O2 carries Apple’s iPhone in the UK.

The Beeb reports, “Orange employs 12,500 people in the UK, while T-Mobile has UK workforce of 6,500. A spokeswoman confirmed there would be ‘efficiencies’ that could be made across both businesses – but said it was too early to give details of any impact on staff.”

The Beeb reports, “T-Mobile is currently the fourth-largest mobile operator in the UK, with a 15% share of the market. O2 has a 27% share, followed by Vodafone (25%) and Orange (22%).”

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “James W.” for the heads up.]