Информация по оператору Orange (Великобритания) (Orange (United Kingdom))

Сайт:	www.orange.co.uk
Стандарты:	GSM 900,GSM 1800,3G 2100
Абонентов:	16,1 млн.
Выручка:	6240 млн.$ на 3Q 2008
Прибыль:	не указано
ARPU:	не указано
MoU:	не указано

In 1994, the UK mobile phone market was confusing, complex, inflexible and expensive. Digital networks had just been introduced but few people understood the benefits. Complex tariffs and high prices made cellular phones only attractive to business customers.

Orange had an ambitious aim when it launched in April 1994 – to become the first choice in mobile communications. As the fourth company to enter an already crowded marketplace, it needed to establish itself as radically different if it was to succeed.

It did so by speaking to its customers in a language they understood and by offering innovative products and services that redefined the mobile market. From per second billing to Smartphones, Orange put its customers first and left the competition playing catch-up.

In April 1996 Orange plc shares were listed on the London and NASDAQ markets, its initial public offering being ten times oversubscribed. In June 1996 Orange plc became the youngest company to enter the FTSE-100, and was valued at ?2.4 billion.

By July 1997 Orange had gained 1 million customers. It also had the lowest churn rate, better margins than its competitors, and top ratings for customer satisfaction.

Having established a strong presence in the UK as the country’s fastest growing mobile communications company, Orange began its international expansion. In 1998, Orange Communications SA was awarded a GSM 1800 license in Switzerland, and launched its service in June 1999. Twelve months later, Orange took the number two spot in Switzerland.

In 1999, having launched Orange in Belgium as well as licensing its brand in countries as diverse as Hong Kong and Israel, the company was sold by Hutchinson Telecom to Mannesmann AG before being acquired in August 2000 by France Telecom.

France Telecom has embraced the Orange brand, not only rebranding its mobile assets as Orange but also, on June 1st 2006, its Internet arms and Business arms.

Today, this makes Orange is one of the world’s leading communications companies. The Group serves more than 170 million customers in five continents, of which two thirds are Orange mobile customers (109.6 million). It is Europe's largest broadband provider with 11.6 million broadband internet (ADSL) customers, and is Britain’s No1 VOIP provider with more than 150,000 users.