Orange and T-Mobile users get cross-network boost

Orange mobile phone customers will soon be able to take advantage of the T-Mobile network and vice versa, meaning greater areas of coverage, the merged companies' parent Everything Everywhere has confirmed.

Given the combined customer base, this means around 30 million people will be able to connect, text and call in more places than just one network can allow.

There are also plans to expand the network-sharing efforts next year so that the handset will automatically switch to whichever is the strongest signal mid call - a great boon for business and customer users alike. Enhanced data and internet coverage plans are also on the cards.

"Orange and T-Mobile business customers will be able to benefit from access to both networks. At present we are not inviting corporate business customers who use intelligent network services such as secure VPNs to sign-up but the network improvements will soon be rolled out to all customers," an Everything Everywhere spokesperson told IT PRO.

To benefit from both networks from 5 October, users just need to sign up. There is also no cost to users associated with the extended coverage reach.

"This is the beginning of an ambitious plan to give our customers instant access to whatever they want, wherever they are instant access to everything everywhere," said the company's chief executive Tom Alexander.

"...Until now, the industry has been working in a single network environment. We have a vision of a multinet' world where the consumer will be able to access what they want, when they want, at the touch of a button. It will all be possible due to a complex system of interweaving multiple networks, bringing mobile, wifi and fixed technologies together to act as a super network."