EE is set to open over 10 of its Experience concept stores across the UK this year.

The move continues from the telecom giant’s £6 million investment in its store estate as it looks to strengthen its high street presence.

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The Experience stores format was first introduced last June at its Westfield White City location, when the mobile service provider unveiled dedicated experience zones in-store to highlight connectivity.

The store also consisted of a digital spa and gaming zone, which saw double the amount of footfall compared to its previous site in the shopping centre.

Meanwhile, the announcement comes as EE opened its latest concept store in the Metrocentre today.

EE Retail Director, Asif Aziz, said: “We are excited to launch our latest Experience store in the brilliant tech hub of Newcastle, giving our customers and the local community a chance to experience the newest innovations across smart home and gaming.

“We are committed to elevating the retail experience for shoppers across the UK through a multi-million-pound investment that will transform our stores over the next year.”

Aziz added: “Our ambition is to be the most personal, customer-focused brand in the UK, and our new Gateshead Experience store plays a key part in bringing this to life.”

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Virgin Media O2 and Tesco Mobile have signed a 10-year renewal of their 50/50 joint venture.

According to the company, the renewal of the venture reconfirms Virgin Media O2’s position as the network of choice among the larger mobile providers.

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The move comes 20 years after Tesco Mobile was launched and has since grown to be the UK’s largest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), with more than 5.5 million customers.

Virgin Media O2 CEO, Lutz Schüler said: “We have enjoyed great success with Tesco Mobile over the past 20 years, as a partner and a network provider, and I have no doubt that will continue over the next decade.

“With demand for mobile data greater than ever, we’re continuing to invest heavily in our network to give our customers, and those of other providers who use our connectivity, an even better experience with the fast and reliable mobile services they expect and rely on.”

Tesco Mobile CEO, Jonathan Taylor continued: “With the combined power of Virgin Media O2 and Tesco we’re an MVNO which packs an almighty punch. We’re incredibly proud of the success we’ve achieved over the last 20 years, we’ve gone from strength to strength and now serve over 5.5 million customers across the UK.

“We’re looking forward to unlocking further opportunities with our partners to drive future growth and continue to offer our customers the best value, helpful propositions and award-winning service.”

According to Jason Tarry, Tesco UK CEO, this renewal will ensure its customers can “continue to benefit from excellent connectivity across the UK, while enjoying all the benefits of supermarket mobile, including exclusive deals with Clubcard Prices.”

The news comes as Tesco Mobile recently appointed ex-Boyzone singer, Ronan Keating, as its first-ever Roaming Ambassador.

As part of the campaign, the singer, who has been renamed as ‘Roaming Keating’ on social media, will ‘roam’ around stores across the country this week with surprise performances and holiday gift cards.

The post VMO2 and Tesco Mobile extends joint venture for 10 years appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched its Phase 1 investigation looking into Vodafone UK’s merger with Three UK.

If successful, the deal will combine the telecom giant’s operations under one single network provider.

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Now, the CMA has up to 40 working days to assess the deal as part of a Phase 1 investigation, as it has received the required pre-notification evidence and information from both Vodafone UK and Three UK.

The authority has also gathered early views from stakeholders, kicking off its investigation, which is designed to identify whether the deal may lead to a “substantial lessening of competition” and – if so – whether a more in-depth Phase 2 investigation is required.

CMA CEO, Sarah Cardell said: “This deal would bring together two of the major players in the UK telecommunications market, which is critical to millions of everyday customers, businesses and the wider economy. The CMA will assess how this tie-up between rival networks could impact competition before deciding the next steps.

“We now have 40 working days to complete this formal Phase 1 investigation, before publishing our findings and any next steps.”

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The UK government has ordered Vodafone to take steps to manage risks as it has concluded that UAE-based telecoms company e&’s stake in mobile giant poses national security risks amid government contracts and cyber security.

The move makes e& Vodafone’s largest shareholder, holding a 14.6% stake in the company.

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However, according to the UK Cabinet Office, Vodafone should form a national security committee to oversee work that could have an impact on security.

E& currently operates in 16 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Vodafone since an initial investment in May 2022, however, in May last year, the pair agreed to announce their strategic relationship that “brings the two operators closer together in certain aspects of their businesses”.

As a result, the UK telecoms giant announced e&’s CEO Hatem Dowidar would join its board as a Non-Executive Director.

A Vodafone spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have received clearance in our home market for our strategic relationship agreement with e&, and for e& to take a seat on our board.”

READ MORE: Interview: Vodafone UK Brand & Marketing Director on ‘strategic’ brand positioning, sustainability and social responsibility

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O2 and BT Mobile have been named the most complained-about mobile operators, according to Ofcom.

Complaints about O2 were primarily driven by how customers’ complaints were being handled (31%), however, BT customers’ complaints were driven by their experiences of changing providers (45%).

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Some 36% of complaints by BT customers were driven by how complaints were handled by the telecoms giant, whereas 9% complained about faults, service and positioning, compared to 29% of O2 customers.

Ofcom also revealed that 18% of O2 customers complained about the mobile giants’ billing, pricing and charges.

The data also revealed Sky Mobile, EE and Vodafone all received the fewest complaints in the mobile sector.

Commenting on the overall complaints data for this quarter, Ofcom Consumer Protection Director, Fergal Farragher, said: “The slight increase in complaints on the previous quarter shows that providers must continue to focus on improving customer service.

“As the communications regulator, we compile this complaints data so we can better understand the reasons for dissatisfaction among telecoms customers.”

He added: “While we cannot deal with individual customer complaints, publishing this data gives consumers an insight into providers’ performance, which helps them to choose the right provider for their needs.

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Nokia and Oppo have settled their longstanding legal disputes solving all pending litigation in all jurisdictions.

As a result, the mobile giants have signed a global patent cross-license agreement, covering standard-essential patents in 5G and other cellular communication technologies.

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However, the specific terms of the agreement are confidential as per mutual agreement.

In 2021, Nokia filed lawsuits against Oppo in several European countries, with the company urging Nokia to end its dispute following a ruling by a Chinese court on 5G royalty rates.

Nokia Technologies President, Jenni Lukander, said: “We are delighted to have reached a cross-license agreement with Oppo that reflects the mutual respect for each other’s intellectual property and Nokia’s investments in R&D and contributions to open standards.

“Oppo is one of the leading companies in the global smartphone market and we look forward to working together to bring further innovation to their users around the world.

“The new agreement – along with the other major smartphone agreements we have concluded over the past year – will provide long-term financial stability to our licensing business.”

Oppo Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Feng Ying added: “We are pleased to have reached this global patent cross-license agreement with Nokia, which includes cross-licensing for 5G standard-essential patents. This agreement reflects the mutual recognition and respect for each other’s intellectual property and lays the foundation for future collaboration between Oppo and Nokia.

“Oppo continues to advocate for reasonable royalty fees and a long-term approach to intellectual property that supports the resolution of disputes through amicable negotiations and mutual respect for the value of all intellectual property.”

The news comes as recently Nokia signed a new patent cross-license agreement with Honor for an undisclosed sum.

The post Nokia and Oppo settles 5G patents battle with new deal appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Lyca Mobile has bolstered its senior team with two new hires including Lawrence Corbett as its Group Chief Operating Officer and James McQuillan as its new UK and Ireland (IRE) Country Manager.

In his new position, Corbett will be responsible for all group operations and P&L management for the mobile service provider’s overseas operations.

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Corbett brings his experience from the MVNO sector, having spent over 25 years in the telecoms giant, firstly working within several Virgin Mobile businesses.

Commenting on his appointment, he said: ” My priorities at Lyca Mobile are to deliver great value, as well as a great experience, to our customers and our partners all over the world.

“In my role as Group COO, I’ll oversee the performance of all our MVNO businesses, as well as taking responsibility for driving our Customer Care to the next level.”

Whereas, McQuillan joins the company as the new UK and IRE Country Manager, bringing over 20 years of domestic and international experience working in telecoms and ecommerce businesses, including AOL, TalkTalk, Tesco Mobile and Rohlik Group.

He added: “I can’t wait to bring my experience across telco and ecommerce as we roll out the new strategic vision at Lyca Mobile.

“In my role I’ll be doubling down on Lyca’s offer to customers, focussing on how the business can expand its retail footprint, drive improvements in customer experience, and further develop Lyca’s sustainability credentials by championing e-sims.”

Lyca Mobile Group Chief Executive Officer, Richard Schafer, concluded: “I’m delighted to have Lawrence and James join our senior leadership team here at Lyca, bringing with them decades of experience and know-how across telco and ecommerce – not just in the UK, but from key global markets.”

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BT has announced it is scrapping above-inflation price rises for mobile and broadband customers.

The parent company of EE revealed it will introduce the change in the summer this year after telecom companies were criticised for hiking up prices amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

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Following calls from regulator Ofcom, telecom customers must be told upfront in pounds and pence about any price rises their provider includes in their contract.

As a result, EE has said it has “listened and taken on board” the request and will be offering “a clear and simple view of any changes in pounds and pence”.

The current model adjusts customer pricing annually by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation + 3.9%, however, this will be replaced by a new model no later than four months after Ofcom finalises the decision, BT revealed.

In a blog post, BT Group’s Consumer Division CEO, Marc Allera, said: “Our annual price change is never an easy conversation to have with customers, particularly when so many people are dealing with the increasing cost of living.

“But it is a necessary conversation to have to help us manage our own rising costs and investments we’re making into networks and customer service, while also protecting those customers in vulnerable circumstances, suffering from financial hardship or digital exclusion.”

The rise for new and re-contracting mobile customers is expected to be from £1.50, while broadband customers can anticipate a £3 increase.

Until then, the annual price increase on 31 March of CPI + 3.9% will go ahead as normal.

However, there will be no changes for customers in financially vulnerable circumstances on EE Basics or BT Home Essentials.

Allera stated: “The cost of living and a digitally inclusive society is now more relevant and important than ever.

“We are continually thinking about how we – and the wider industry – can play our part alongside policymakers to drive meaningful change, at a time when we can see so many people under pressure.”

The news comes as Allera recently revealed customers are “not sentimental” about losing the BT brand following its £12.5 billion acquisition.

The post BT abandons above-inflation price rises for mobile customers appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Lyca Mobile has announced the closure of its operations in South Africa after six years.

In a statement posted on its website, the telecoms giant said: “Sadly, it is no longer possible for Lyca Mobile to continue providing a service. Lyca Mobile services in South Africa will shut down on 9 January 2024.”

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Instead, advised its customers to move their numbers to other mobile networks to minimise any risk of losing them.

Lyca Mobile operates in over 60 international markets including Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, the UK and the US, among others.

However, the heart of Lyca Mobile’s success lies in enhancing digital tools to unlock customer engagement and foster brand loyalty.

Speaking to Mobile Marketing Magazine, CEO Richard Schäfer revealed digital segmentation based on user patterns allows the company to trigger personalised offers and cater to various customer segments, which he believes will be more beneficial for its different customers such as students and migrant communities.

He said: “We experiment and leverage offers tied to significant cultural holidays such as Diwali, Lunar New Year and Christmas.

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Vodafone customers have slammed the network provider as it stopped working this morning, leaving thousands unable to make calls or access the internet.

Despite the company revealing it is aware of the problem and is working to fix it, many have reported losing their connection today.

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A Vodafone spokesperson said: “We’re aware some customers are experiencing intermittent issues using our network. We’re sorry for the inconvenience, our team is working hard to fix the issue and we hope to have it resolved quickly.”

Tracking website Down Detector revealed thousands of complaints from users affected by a range of issues.

However, Vodafone data issues were present right across the UK.

As a result, many customers have taken to social media to complain about the issue. One user said she is “surprised” by the issue as “Vodafone UK is normally reliable and quite a good network. Anyways Vodafone UK will fix the problem”, she added.

Surprised because Vodafone Uk is normally reliable and quite a good network. Anyways Vodafone UK will fix the problem. They need to read some of their customer's comments to Improve their service though too. #Vodafone #UK #VodafoneDown

— AyySweetsThee (@AyySweetsTea9) January 10, 2024

Another user added: “Alarmed that Vodafone seems to be so down that their system can’t text me a security code to log into my account. So it seems to be a lot worse than just their signal being down.”

Alarmed that Vodafone seems to be so down that their system can't text me a security code to log into my account. So it seems to be a lot worse than just their signal being down.

— mralanjohnsmith (@mralanjohnsmith) January 10, 2024

Anyone else on Vodafone/TalkMobile having problems with their signal?

— 2⃣0⃣Elvis2⃣4⃣ (@EJPSarriesAFC) January 10, 2024

Loving Vodafone saying the network is fine but work 3G network is down and I can't do anything on my phone unless I use a Wi-Fi network. How am I supposed to work in these conditions #vodafone

— Elizabeth Patterson (@ellie_pattacake) January 10, 2024

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