France Telecom-owned Orange has launched a new subsidiary called Orange Horizons with the idea to seek out new business opportunities in countries where the company is not already present as a telecommunications provider. Such projects could include the launch of online stores selling mobile devices and accessories, airtime, “flexible travel solutions” and MVNOs. The first…
Orange, China Mobile team-up on NFC services
Orange and China Mobile have signed a memorandum of understanding with the goal to accelerate the commercialization of NFC-based services by integrating standardized technical protocols into their respective service offerings. The two companies will work together to ensure the large-scale adoption of SIM-based NFC services and the availability of compatible devices in a open and…
Orange brand launches in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Orange is bringing its brand to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), replacing the CCT brand. The move comes on the heels of France Telecom’s (owner of Orange) acquisition of CCT back in October 2011. From that point, Orange has invested some $95 million to expand and upgrade the network, even deploying the country’s first…
Orange’s Libon brings free HD calls to iOS device users, coming to Android next year
Orange is well known to offer its own branded apps and services. Their latest gig is called Libon and it’s a VoIP app/service that features HD calls. Viber and Skype (to an extent) can also do this, but the carrier thinks its brand is powerful enough to entice a critical mass of users to try…
EE LTE goes live across 11 UK markets today
As promised, UK carrier EE has turned on its 4G LTE network across 11 markets in the UK today. EE brings LTE speeds to London, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Southampton this morning, and plans to add Belfast, Derby, Hull, Nottingham, and Newcastle by the end of the year. EE is aiming for a 98% coverage level…
France Telecom to bid for Spain’s Yoigo?
France Telecom’s CFO Gervais Pellissier said that they are likely to place an offer for the Spanish mobile network, Yoigo. During France Telecom’s recent financial results conference, Pellissier noted that Yoigo would be a small acquisition… “so it is probable that we will submit an indicative offer.” Yoigo, which is the smallest mobile network in…
LTE iPhone limited to EE and Three, O2 and Vodafone customers stuck in 3G-land
While all of the major carriers in the UK have announced their intentions to carry the iPhone 5, only customers on the newly-launched EE network and Three will have access to LTE. EE is the only carrier in the UK to run an LTE network on a band supported by LTE chips found in the…
EE announces initial LTE devices, includes brief Lumia 920 exclusivity period
Speaking of EE’s new 4G LTE network, the company has announced the devices it’ll carry with LTE support in coming months. Most notably, EE has announced they have secured a brief exclusivity period for the flagship Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 device, though no terms of the exclusivity period were given. EE will also carry…
Everything Everywhere rebrands as EE, shows off LTE speeds
The name “Everything Everywhere” was quite the mouthful, and apparently T-Mobile and Orange got the message loud and clear. The joint venture between the two companies will be rebranded to a much simpler “EE” in the UK to celebrate the recently announced LTE network the companies will be releasing in Britain later this month. Companies…
Orange’s Samsung Galaxy S III is ready to sing along Barclaycard Quick Tap payment service
Barclaycard announced that Orange’s Samsung Galaxy S III is the first Android device to feature Quick Tap contactless payment technology, allowing users to pay for goods and services with nothing but their phone. New and upgrading customers taking the Orange Samsung Galaxy S III will be able to load money securely onto their handset using…