| One of the world's largest GSM network providers in | | | | years, the carrier's merger with France Telecom's |
| 2G and 3G, the Deutsche Telekom owned T-Mobile | | | | owned Orange operations in the UK has been officially |
| has nearly 150 million subscribers worldwide and is | | | | announced last April 1St with an initial confirmation |
| considered the 7th largest in terms of subscriber base | | | | about an exclusive negotiation between their |
| excluding China Mobile. Out of that, around 12 million are | | | | respective parent companies as early as September |
| UK subscribers and is behind Orange among the UK's | | | | of 2009. |
| top five mobile phone operators with O2 at the top. | | | | The merger is expected to bring significant synergistic |
| Brief History | | | | benefits to their operations in the UK after |
| In July 1992, the largest German telecommunication | | | | consolidation their respective networks infrastructures |
| company Deutsche Telekom established the first GSM | | | | to attain better economies of scale while allowing |
| network in the country operating in the 900 MHz range. | | | | newer investments in new technologies to be more |
| A subsidiary for the growing mobile phone markets | | | | economically feasible given the size of the UK market |
| was created and was called DeTeMobil. | | | | which now stands at around 80 million subscribers |
| It had products carrying the T prefix starting in 1996. | | | | spread over 5 major operators led by BT and |
| The growing GSM was named T-D1 with an | | | | Vodafone. |
| expanding presence in many parts of Europe. The | | | | Some divestments are expected to end redundant |
| DeTeMobil Company was renamed T-Mobil and in | | | | network coverage which is expected to be maximized |
| 2002, Deutsche Telekom started consolidating its | | | | to achieve lower unit operating costs. These internal |
| growing presence in world GMS markets and | | | | benefits are expected to trickle down its combined |
| anglicized the T-Mobil name to what eventually | | | | subscriber base with lower tariffs and a more |
| became known as T-Mobile. | | | | streamline operation and better customer service. |
| In the meantime, a GSM network operating in the 1800 | | | | The 50-50 merger between T-Mobile and Orange will |
| MHz territory was established in the UK in 1993 under | | | | essentially create UK's leading mobile network |
| the name Mercury One2One which was then | | | | operator with a combined subscriber base of 28.4 |
| operated by the erstwhile Mercury Communications. | | | | million which would now represent 37% of UK's mobile |
| The mobile phone network was eventually sold to a | | | | phone market. This will supercede UK's leading O2 |
| joint venture company between Cable and Wireless | | | | which currently has about 22 million subscribers. |
| and the US-based Mediaone Group and ended up in | | | | Based on the 2008 books of both companies to be |
| the hands of Deutsch Telekom in 1999. One2One was | | | | merged, the integration of their broadband activities |
| rebranded T-Mobile UK in 2002 and grew to become | | | | points to a combined baseline revenue of about £7.7 |
| the third largest mobile network carrier in the UK. | | | | billion and an EBITDA of £1.7 billion. In addition, the |
| A Promising Merged Future | | | | new company is expected to have a net present |
| After circulating in the rumour mill for more than a | | | | value well over â,¤3.5 billion. |