The agreement builds on the existing collaboration between Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2, including the Shared Rural Network initiative, to deliver quality mobile coverage in hard-to-reach areas across the UK.

“With this agreement and our merger with Three, we will transform the mobile experience for over 50 million customers in the UK, providing significant network improvements including more choice, better quality and greater coverage across the country. These benefits extend to both retail and wholesale MVNO customers,” said Ahmed Essam, CEO of European Markets at Vodafone.

 “The proposed merger, together with this agreement, will boost competition by establishing a strong third player in the UK mobile market and will improve the balance of spectrum holdings, levelling the playing field between the UK’s mobile operators.”

 Combined investments include  £11 billion for the merged network and Virgin Media O2’s £2 billion annual investment in networks and services

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO, Digital Poverty Alliance, commented: “One organisation can’t solve UK connectivity.The partnership between Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 is a welcome step to improve network reach. Connectivity in rural areas is a pressing issue for millions in the countryside and remote towns. There have been several impressive connectivity rollout schemes over the past few years. With this partnership, we’d hope to see that continue through further investment in VMO2’s Shared Rural Network programme.”

The agreement will be an irresistible carrot for the Competition and Markets Authority to approve the merger,

The Agreement includes plans for Virgin Media O2 to purchase spectrum at market value from MergeCo, increasing their current holding. The Agreement reduces the current imbalances in spectrum holdings between the UK’s mobile network operators, which will enhance competition in the mobile market, allowing MergeCo and Virgin Media O2 to provide increased capacity, speeds, and greater coverage for their customers.

Vodafone says the new sharing agreement will benefit Virgin Media O2 and MVNO customers who will enjoy improved coverage from Vodafone and Three’s planned £11 billion network investment. As long as the merger goes ahead, the operators have agreed that Virgin Media O2 will get spectrum from the merged network, establishing three scaled mobile network operators, each with better alignment of spectrum holdings.

A joint statement noted:

“Through a combination of MergeCo’s commitment to invest £11 billion in its network over the next decade (subject to CMA approval) and Virgin Media O2’s £2 billion annual investment in its networks and services, the Agreement will ensure quality mobile connectivity, choice, and competition is enhanced.

“This will not only benefit the companies’ respective customers but also businesses, including MVNOs who use networks via wholesale partnerships to deliver their own mobile services to millions of people across the country. The Agreement will ensure these virtual operators have access to a choice of three high-quality, scaled wholesale competitors, further supporting an already thriving MVNO segment in the UK.”

These benefits extend to both retail and wholesale MVNO customers.

Ahmed Essam, CEO, European Markets, Vodafone, said: “With this agreement and our merger with Three, we will transform the mobile experience for over 50 million customers in the UK for the long-term, providing significant network improvements including more choice, better quality, and greater coverage across the country. These benefits extend to both retail and wholesale MVNO customers. The proposed merger, together with this agreement, will boost competition by establishing a strong third player in the UK mobile market and will improve the balance of spectrum holdings, leveling the playing field between the UK’s mobile operators.”

Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, said: “This new agreement with Vodafone ensures that quality mobile network choice, performance, coverage, and competition are enhanced to the benefit of millions of consumers, businesses, and our mobile operator partners across the country. We are extending and bolstering elements of our existing network sharing arrangement, while also ensuring there is a robust, balanced, and functional structure in place for the long-term should Vodafone and Three’s proposed merger gain consent. We believe that this new agreement addresses the issues we have voiced and the CMA outlined in its initial decision, and we will now continue our engagement with the regulator in this spirit.”

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As chief commercial officer he was responsible for the commercial performance of the Consumer division including sales and marketing, digital, brand, customer experience and commercial operations.

Taylor has 25 years experience in telecms, He joined Vodafone in 2019 from EE where he had spent nine years, culminating as managing director of commercial and marketing for three years

A Vodafone statement said:

A Vodafone statement said: “Max brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Under his leadership as Chief Commercial Officer, Vodafone UK has continued to grow its customer base, revenue, and margins, surpassing our competitors across various commercial metrics, with a strong focus on customer experience”. h

CCS Insght analyst Kester Mann commented

“Max Taylor will take on one of the biggest roles in UK telecoms at a time of huge significance as Vodafone seeks regulatory clearance for its blockbuster merger with Three. Should the deal be approved, Mr Taylor will head up the UK’s largest mobile provider with a combined 28 million customers – a position of huge influence. The appointment is recognition of Mr Taylor’s strong commercial and marketing expertise. If he is to eventually lead a combined Vodafone and Three, he will need to lean on all his experience to bring the two brands together, develop new commercial propositions and bring fresh competition to BT.”

Essam will take on responsibility for Vodafone markets across Europe, including the UK, Albania, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Turkey as well  as being  Executive Chairman Vodafone Germany. He joined Vodafone in 1999 and has held a number of roles including CEO Other Europe, Chief Commercial Operations and Strategy Officer.

Eligible customers can join without a set-up fee, leave for free at any time and won’t receive in-contract price rises.

Vodafone is promoting its social tariffs to anyone on Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit, as well as those on Employment and Support Allowance, Reduced Earnings Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, or Pension Credit.

After 12 months Vodafone will validate if customers still qualify for Vodafone Essentials Broadband . If not, they can choose a standard broadband plans or leave without charge.

Ahmed Essam, Vodafone’s UK CEO, said: “We have now heard the call for telecoms providers to do more to support people in the cost-of-living crisis and offer social tariffs that meet the needs of different households, so we are continuing to lead the way by promoting a new social broadband tariff with faster speeds to our existing portfolio. We are doing all we can to make sure everyone can stay connected.”

The Vodafone Essentials Broadband range was been launched to help those most in need dVodafone wants Openreach to provide a wholesale cost for vulnerable customers.

Ernest Doku, telecoms specialist at Uswitch.com, comments: “Traditionally, if you sign up to a social tariff for your broadband, you often have to take what you’re given . Vodafone’s new Fibre 2 Essentials tariff is a step in the right direction, offering higher speeds of 73Mbps at a monthly cost that is 20 per cent lower than the market rate”

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/new-vodafone-social-tariff-offers-unemployed-people-fibre-broadband-20-month/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/billing/article/vodafone-three-pledge-11-billion-investment-next-decade/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/billing/article/vodafone-three-pledge-11-billion-investment-next-decade/#respond Wed, 14 Jun 2023 16:29:21 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/vodafone-three-pledge-11-billion-investment-next-decade/ The combined Vodafone and Three network will invest €11 billion over 10 years to create the UK’s biggest network and boosting economic growth and employment. Three UK CEO, Robert Finnegan, and Vodafone UK CEO, Ahmed Essam (main pic) have put more flesh on the bone of the historic merger. Both confirmed there will be no

The combined Vodafone and Three network will invest €11 billion over 10 years to create the UK’s biggest network and boosting economic growth and employment.

Three UK CEO, Robert Finnegan, and Vodafone UK CEO, Ahmed Essam (main pic) have put more flesh on the bone of the historic merger.

Both confirmed there will be no change to each operator’s pricing strategy and that a multi-brand strategy will continue with Vodafone and Three continuing under their own names .

No change to each operator’s pricing strategy and a multi-brand strategy will continue

Economies of scale will enable the UK’s new third network to bring 5G coverage to more than 99 per cent of the population by 2034 and similar geographic coverage by 2027.

They claim that the UK businesses’ digital transformation will get a boost with improvements to production efficiency from full 5G access while energy consumption will be reduced by enabling business to install more energy efficient 5Ge smart technology to reduce their emissions?

“The merger creates a third network operator with scale and creates more effective competition to the market leaders to become an even more effective challenger on home broadband, accelerating the availability of fixed wireless access to complement the UK’s fibre footprint” said Essam.

Both of the businesses will compete as usual on a stand-alone basis until the merger is complete. So customers should not expect any changes to their plans and prices, They have pledged continuation of support on social tariffs to ensure there are o price rises on these tariffs. In the contract-free market there will be no price rises.

Finnegan said he was confident the regulatory bodies would not stop the merger.

“Ofcom identified that investment is very important in the industry. We’re both investing more than we are generating and that is not sustainable. I think Ofcom and the CMA recognise that and that this is an opportunity to correct what is a dysfunctional market. This is a way of creating a really strong third player that has scale and is wiling to invest £11 billion which is way more than any of the other operators. And that’s got to be good for consumers, The devil is in the detail, We will be engaging with the CMA in due course and listen to what their concerns are and move forward.”

this is an opportunity to correct what is a dysfunctional market.

Added Essam added: “If you reflect on where the market was five years ago and where we are today clearly it is a very different market. What materially changed is the MVNO market which is competitive. MVNO’s enjoy a market share of more than 16.5 per ent. It is very different from the position five years back. This changes the competitive landscape and makes our case very strong and which will bring our transaction over the claiming weeks to the CMA”.

The Three China connection is not seen as an obstacle for security concerns as it did with Huawei.

“We work with the security bodies and they have no concerns about our operations. This will be Hutchison taking a 49 per cent stake. So we don’t see an issue here”, said Finnegan.

Essam emphasised that both networks are already heavily regulated in the UK and adhere to strict compliance on customer data.

“We both abide by customer privacy regulations, Clearly the deal will be subject to national security approvals. We are on a good position to take this case to the security agencies and bodies”

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Vodafone has partnered with world renowned photographer Rankin to commission images that show the faces of those affected by the digital divide in the UK.

Over 1.7 million households are digitally disconnected and a million more or at risk due to the cost of living crisis. 

The ‘Faces of Disconnection’ series is based on real life stories of those who are digitally excluded including: a Ukrainian refugee, a man who has become homeless, an older man lacking digital skills, and a family forced to choose between utilities during an economic crisis.

The images are free and available to the public, media outlets and organisations through Pexels, as well as being showcased at a free digital gallery exhibition at 45 Kings Mall, London, W6 9HW on December 4 from 10am to 4pm.

Ahmed Essam, CEO, Vodafone UK, said: “We have put tackling the digital divide at the heart of our business and I am pleased to say that we have now donated connectivity to a million people in need. I am also proud to say we are now extending our commitment to help a total of four million people cross the digital divide by 2025 through the provision of connectivity and technology, affordable and accessible products and digital skills.

“Connectivity is a key part of everyday life, and those who aren’t part of the digital world are sadly too often invisible. We hope these images help drive understanding of the breadth and implications of the issue, and encourage people to search Vodafone everyone.connected to find out more if they know someone who might need our help.”

Vodafone has launched what it’s claiming to be the most affordable social broadband tariff on the market- for just £12 a month. 

Research with Vodafone and YouGov reveal that a million working families could be on the wrong side of the digital divide due to cost of living and that families could lose £286 per month without access to the best prices and deals online. 

In response, Vodafone has launched its £12 a month social broadband plan along with one-year free broadband for UK small businesses.

Vodafone Essentials Broadband is available to those on Job Seekers Allowance, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Allowance or Personal Independence Payment. 

These customers won’t have to pay a set up fee and can leave at any time. They will have access to Vodafone’s Fibre 1 or Full Fibre 1 Essentials Broadband plan for 12 months with average download speeds of 38Mbps. 

Small business owners can also access free business-grade broadband for 12 months on a 24-month plan.

Ahmed Essam, Vodafone’s UK CEO, said: “The rising cost of living is putting a million families at risk of falling on the wrong side of the digital divide. We must not allow this to happen.

“So as part of our everyone.connected programme, today we are launching Vodafone Essentials Broadband at just £12 a month, the cheapest on the market, and 12 months free broadband for small businesses. 

“Vodafone is the only network provider to offer social tariffs across fixed and mobile, meaning eligible customers can access mobile and broadband connectivity for 72p a day.

“These new tariffs complement VOXI for Now and the 750,000 free SIMS we’ve donated so far as part of our everyone.connected programme. We’re on track to meet our commitment to donate a million connections by the end of this year and will continue to put the cause at the heart of our business until the problem no longer exists.”

The UK economy could miss out on £7bn each year if the country misses out on the full benefits of 5G.

That is the warning given from Vodafone, which conducted research that found that the UK needs to do more to fully benefit from 5G.

Vodafone’s Digital Ambition 2030 report found that while the bigger cities previously saw the quickest 4G rollout are well-positioned to attract investment in 5G, smaller to mid-sized towns are at risk of missing out.

In the report Vodafone highlighted 58 local authority areas which would see a high benefit from strong 5G investment.

Recommendations

Vodafone outlined a number of recommendations to help support investment in full 5G across the country, including for the government to publish an updated 5G strategy that sets out specific ambitions for the rollout of 5G networks.

Other recommendations include changes to planning rules, business rates, net neutrality regulations and a change in approach to spectrum fees.

“5G technology enables both massive innovation and huge gains in productivity, especially for industrial uses such as smart factories, and public services such as hospitals which will require ultra-reliable and ultra-low-latency communications,” said Vodafone UK CEO Ahmed Essam (pictured).

“But the benefits of this will not be felt equally across the UK in the current regulatory and policy environment – we have to ensure the UK can attract investment in future technologies.

“5G rollout could be a major boost to the Levelling Up agenda. But it could also leave some places falling further behind. It all depends on getting the investment environment right.”

Vodafone has announced that it will begin retirement of its 3G network in 2023 as part of a strategy for more of the UK to access reliable connectivity.

After 17 years in operation, 3G coverage will be phased out and 4G and 5G services will be improved for customers.

Vodafone will also lead a year-long campaign with charities such as Good Things Foundation and third-party groups to reach vulnerable customers and keep connected.

Vodafone CEO Ahmed Essam said: “We’re going to be focused on giving customers a faster and more reliable mobile experience, and minimising our impact on the environment by taking away a layer of our network that uses inefficient equipment.

“During the campaign, we’ll be asking customers not just to make sure that their own phone supports 4G and 4G Calling, but also to check in on friends and family. 

“There are people who aren’t confident with technology, and we want to ensure everyone is getting the help that they need, so that no one is left behind.”

Good Things Foundation group chief executive Helen Milner OBE added: “Access to a digital connection is vital, especially for the most vulnerable people in our society. 

“With the move away from 3G, people risk being disconnected, locked out and left behind. 

“That’s why we’re so pleased to be working with Vodafone to ensure as many people as possible continue to have the essential digital access they need.”

Working towards Net Zero

Retiring Vodafone’s 3G network is integral to reach Net Zero by 2027 as 5G networks are over 10 times more energy efficient as 3G equipment.

NTT DATA UK vice president head of network and B2B business Sharad Sharma said: “Not only do 4G and 5G enable Vodafone to provide faster and more reliable services for its customers, but the greater efficiency of these technologies also supports Vodafone in its strategy to reach net zero carbon emissions across its UK operations by 2027.

“More efficient network services are crucial for a more sustainable future, but it’s vital that customers with legacy technology are not left behind. 

“Clear communication about the retirement of these services is necessary to ensure everyone can be part of the shift to 4G and 5G.”

Vodafone has called on the government and business sector to ensure that everyone in the country is digitally literate.

According to a report from Vodafone and WPI Strategy – No One Left Behind: The UK’s Digital Divide in 2021 – there is a ‘digital divide’, defined as the line between people with access to technology and the internet, and those without.

This is not confined to older people or areas with poor internet connections, but also hits financially and socially disadvantaged people.

The problem has been noticeable during the pandemic, when the internet has been essential for everyday tasks.

Lacking confidence

The report, which polled 1,004 adults, found that 23 per cent from the lowest household incomes were not confident using a search engine to access government services or apply for a new passport.

Around 63 per cent of people seeking employment said they would benefit from digital skills training, compared to 36 per cent of the general population.

Meanwhile, over a quarter of respondents described their digital skills as basic.

Many were not confident using more advanced software functions such as Excel formulas or adding graphics to documents.

Separately, almost a third of people have had to share a device during the past year. The report calls on the government to create a task force to tackle the issue, suggesting that one outcome might be a voucher scheme.

Life chances

“Digital literacy is essential to the life chances of everyone in the UK,” said Vodafone UK CEO Ahmed Essam.

“Access to technology, connectivity and the digital skills needed for many of today’s jobs is critical. At Vodafone, we have a commitment to connect one million people by the end of 2022.”