T-Mobile and Hutchison 3G network launch cooperation

The mobile operator T-Mobile and Hutchison 3G Austria ("3") have entered into a long-term partnership network. The "National Roaming Agreement" allows the use of the 2G mobile network of T-Mobile by Hutchison and the Hutchison 3G mobile network in rural areas by T-Mobile. The starting date for the network co-operation in mid-2012 is specified.

T-Mobile and "3", the conclusion of the technical preparations by the end of June 2012, it is called today, Wednesday, in a press release. Hutchison 3G Austria already use since entering the market in 2003 to a partnership with A1 Telekom Austria (formerly mobilkom austria), under which is additionally utilized on a commercial basis, the existing A1 GSM / GPRS network of Hutchison 3G. The co-operation with A1 is part of Hutchison still continue in parallel. This probably should be the media rumored acquisition of Orange by the Hong Kong Group "3" off the table.

Declining sales force to co-operate
The intense competition and price wars associated with the decline in the Austrian mobile phone market is forcing the operators to work together. Already in April 2011 have only T-Mobile and Orange to cooperate with the network expansion on flat land, now to help T-Mobile and "3" against each other in the network coverage in less populated areas through the mutual partial use of existing infrastructure.

This is surprising because, according to industry rumors, the smallest local mobile operator "3" for months for the purchase of Orange tried it already was allegedly contracts ready for signature. There was no official confirmation of takeover talks not of both companies. That the deal with the new cooperation between T-Mobile and "3" is now dead, could not be said, however, it said today in corporate circles. Just a few days, the Orange-France Telecom's Orange Switzerland Mother of the British private equity firm Apax had sold.

Both T-Mobile and "3" appeared today, Wednesday, open to APA request further network collaborations. Competition law issues not see both providers, the part of the Federal Competition Authority (BWB) for the APA said that it was too early to answer this question. Would be scope for further technical cooperation in any case it abundantly. This year is the auction of the "digital dividend", ie to the availability of analog TV frequencies for the coverage of rural areas. In addition, all operators working on the rollout of next generation mobile LTE (4G Long Term Evolution). Furthermore, all operators struggling with high costs for the supply-based mobile phones, thanks to the smartphone boom are still more expensive and often offered at 0 € a binding contract. Here are purchasing cooperatives to help them as far as the German Telekom Group through its subsidiary T-Mobile and Orange already have.

Called T-Mobile to go there in the "national roaming" with "3" is not a cost savings because of the GSM network expansion going on unabated. It was just about the GSM network (2G) to renew and complete switch to Huawei equipment. By so doing, T-Mobile's 2G network then the most modern in Austria and at the same time use the largest UMTS network (3G) in Austria, namely that of "3". The Hutchison subsidiary had won only arbitrarily the power test of the renowned German magazine "Connect" and thus displaces the market leader in second place just under A1. In areas without 3G coverage, uses "3" since the year 2003, the A1 network.