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Orange has boosted it's Mobile TV packages in an effort to get more people using it. The MNO has added 3 Setanta Sports channels, and 'Channel 5' (the 5th terrestrial channel in the UK) to it's 'Max Pack' - along with dropping the price to £8.99/month.

Orange Max Pack currently features around 25 channels including content from Adult Swim, Channel 4, Disney, FHM, ITV1 and ITN. Sky News and Sports channels are available in a separate pack priced at £5 per month.

Orange hasn't released subs figures for it's Mobile TV service, but says that "it recorded 87% growth of total viewing hours on Mobile TV between November to January".

[Via: New Media Age]

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Orange and disposable pen maker Bic are joining forces to launch a 49 EUR BicPhone, that will come with the battery pre-charged, and one hour of call time. The phone will be widely available across France from 7th August. The phone is made by a Chinese ODM called TCL, and will support just voice and text.

As Bic is well-known for it's bright colour pens (and shavers and lighters), you can expect the phone in lots of garish nice colours. Latterly, the phones are also going to get store-space in Orange's shops.

I was going to say this story was nothing to write home about, but that is such a poor pun…..

[Via: Telecom Paper]

Orange has decided to wrap access to the most popular social networking sites in to one place on it's Orange World portal. This new service allows access to the various sites' popular function, from a single destination. Those services accessible are:

• MySpace
• Facebook
• Bebo
• Skyrock
• Pikeo
• Flirtomatic
• DailyMotion
• Meetic

Apparently it works by displaying the most popular functions of multiple social networks side by side these so that they can be accessed far more simply with one click.  Consumers will now be able to receive and send messages, upload photos and check status updates without having to browse individual URLs or log into separate sites. Orange plans to evolve the service from Orange World to an embedded application, accessible from the home screen of Orange Signature phones, with the ultimate aim of bringing these communities together across all three screens: mobile, PC and TV.

Aha! A convergence play - that does make a lot of sense given Orange's triple-play capabilities. The service is already up in France, and should follow in UK, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal soon.

[Via: Mobile Today]

Orange has teamed up with BIC to launch the easy-to-use, ready-to-go BIC phone. Manufactured by TCL (Alcatel), the entry-level device comes with 60 free minutes, the battery charged, and the SIM card already in place. Once you spend the free minutes, refilling is done using prepaid cards called "mobicarte."

The idea seems to reach those users that don't care about high-end features of today's smartphones, but rather prefer simple phone for texting and calling. Additionally, the France Telecom owned mobile operator may push the device towards a large number of tourists, who in most cases just need a cheap solution to stay in touch while visiting France.

That being said, the two companies will push the BIC phone through over the counter channels, major supermarkets and local convenience stores. Starting from August, 7th, BIC phone will be available in citrus orange and lime green in metropolitan France for 49 EUR with all the taxes.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

The land of crepes and home to "The City of Light," has just officially hopped on the iPhone 3G train. Well, they've been riding the iPhone 3G train since Apple's announcement at WWDC 2008, but with today's announcement, Orange has solidified their iPhone 3G pricing structure - and it looks like discounted iPhone 3G handsets are a reality for French wireless subscribers looking toward Orange for their iPhone 3G needs.

The iPhone 3G will be offered with iPhone specific rate plans and will be offered at €149 and €199, for the 8GB and 16GB versions of the iPhone 3G, respectively. iPhone 3G hopefuls in France will have to choose from one of Orange's "Orange for iPhone," Origami Star, First or Jet plans.

And, much like O2 UK is doing with for their current iPhone customers, Orange is giving any customers with first-generation iPhones a break on their iPhone 3G purchase. Orange will offer a €100 rebate to any customers looking to upgrade their iPhone to the next-generation iPhone 3G. The rebate will effectively lower the price of an 8GB iPhone 3G from €199 to just €99, but will require a new 24 month commitment from the customer.

Any Orange customer looking to make the jump from their current non-iPhone handset to the iPhone 3G can look forward to paying €199 and €249 for the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G, respectively. Customers choosing a calling plan other than those intended for the iPhone will also be looking at €199 and €249 prices for the iPhone.

[Via: Macenstein]

I thought this might be a story about feeding each of the Glastonbury revellers a can of beans and then collecting the resulting methane, but it appears not…..

Orange is apparently going to use a 7 metre wind turbine to power (recharge) mobile phones during Glastonbury this year! Users will be able to connect their device to a charger point inside a locker, for 45 mins at a time to get all buzzed up with power.

This is a great innovation - but I can't help think a much more fun use of the turbine would be as a giant rotating catapult for Mobiles of people that won't turn their phones for the performances - last thing you need at a quite lull in a song is an someone's "cool" ringtone….!

[Via: Techradar]

Orange Switzerland has launched a package of services targeting this year's European football championships Euro 2008, which will be held in Switzerland and Austria between 7 June and 29 June.

Apparently customers will be offered unlimited access to the Orange World football section for CHF 8, which includes mobile TV broadcasts, live tickers, match schedules, and news. The Orange LiveTV service will be streaming over 3-3.5G - for owners of HSDPA handsets, there will be so-say "HD quality".

It's always a dangerous move I think to re-use terms from parallel industries (in this case home AV) - quite what people will be expecting from HD Mobile Video will not tally with what is provided - having worked on this topic a great deal personally, we are still a little way off being able to provide full-rate, QVGA+ sized, high-def video on Mobile. Perhaps a more accurate term would be "HighER definition" Mobile video….

[Via: Telecom Paper]

Reuters has an interesting article about Orange and its UK strategy. The France Telecom owned mobile operator is set to open more shops, reduce its reliance on Indian-based customer service centres and invest in a new high-speed network, according to the new Chief Executive Tom Alexander. In addition, the plan is to combine its mobile and fixed-line broadband arms to develop new services and products such as laptops.

The changes will result in 500 new jobs in customer service and retail by the end of the year and a reduction of up to 450 positions in administration, management and support functions. 60 new stores will be opened across the country to add to the existing 338 outlets.

Orange also plans to improve coverage by rolling out 450 new 2G base stations, while at the same time investing further in the faster networks. Next year, the mobile operator will launch its super-fast 14Mbps mobile network.

"If you look at sales of dongles (mobile Internet) at the moment, it's a great growth area. Now, people are expecting Internet access wherever they are and that's where we think we've got a great advantage in having fixed and mobile," Alexander told reporters on a conference call.

[Via: Reuters]

In yet another rumor pointing towards some sort of subsidization or discount pricing schedule for Apple's next-generation iPhone, Orange is said to be offering upgrade deals and discounts for current iPhone customers.

According to French-language PCInpact, France-based Orange has contacted customers regarding a possible upgrade deal for the iPhone. In on possible deal, Orange would allow current iPhone customers to trade-in their iPhones for a new, 3G iPhone. The swap would subsidize the purchase of the next-gen iPhone with just a €50 difference left for the customer to pay.

Another possibility would have Orange giving current iPhone users a "generous discount" when buying the 3G iPhone.

If true, we could see the next-generation iPhone offered through at least one carrier at subsidized price-points - perhaps departing from the revenue-sharing model required by Apple for the current iPhone.

Why oh why can't June 9 come any faster?

[Via: WorldOfApple]

Mobile Entertainment reports that France Telecom is planing to spend 200mn Euros on movies and TV this year. As most of you know, the French OpCo has moved strongly in to "Triple Play" - that is to say it has Mobile, TV, and Internet subscribers. As such, there needs to be a co-ordinated approach to it's content offering.

This dovetails neatly in to a related post I made earlier regarding Orange, and it's "Orange Sports" channel - you can read about that here.
[Via: Mobile Entertainment]