It’s nearly thirty years since mobile phones arrived in the UK, and now we have more of them than we have people. But how well do you know Britain’s mobile operators?
Vodafone and BT’s Cellnet were the first of an ever-shifting pack of operators. After three decades of merger and acquisition, we have ended up with Vodafone, O2, Three and EE, as well as a bunch of others piggy-backing on their networks through MVNO mobile virtual network operator) deals.
During that time there have been a plethora of technology options and market tactics. Mobile masts have been put up in Britain’s remotest areas to increase coverage, and mobile signals will soon be extended into the London Underground.
Meanwhile, services have evolved, taking in 3G and now 4G, with EE the first to offer 4G services. Data has moved on from being something exotic, through the poorly realised WAP days, to now, when everything is available as an app, and mobile data consumption is increasing by leaps and bounds.
During that time, there have been some set-backs, when networks fail (sometimes through sheer overload). And operators have squabbled over new super-phone, in particulat the Apple iPhone, which changed the landscape when it arrived.
Fready to show off your mobile knowledge?
And if you like it, try some of our others!
Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson blamed “challenging mobile networks market” and “further volume contraction” for job…
Dramatic downfall. Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for masterminding $8bn fraud that…
Fallout avoidance? Tesla buyers in the US must be shown how to use the FSD…
Amazon completes its $4bn investment into AI firm Anthropic, after providing an additional $2.75bn in…
While AI promises unparalleled efficiency, productivity, and innovation, questions regarding its environmental impact loom large.…
Shares in Donald Trump’s social media company rose about 16 percent after first day of…