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1st June 2006 - Orange is launching Europe's first "quadruple
play" mobile phone service.
The move means consumers will get just one bill from the company
for mobile, landline, internet and TV services.
Orange also said it would be launching a trial for customers
to use one handset to cover mobile, fixed-line and voice over
internet (Voip) services.
Under the plans, Orange's parent France Telecom will rebrand
all its services across Europe under the Orange name over
the next 18 months.
Reports suggest the rebranding exercise will cost 160m euros
($205m; £109.5m).
The company also announced it would give free high speed
internet access to UK customers spending at least £30
a month on a mobile phone contract, the customer also has
to sign up to the deal for at least 18 months.
Changing market
The move comes as the telecoms industry is going through
major changes, with companies looking to expand across the
various communication platforms.
What we are about is a communications business, not just
mobile communications but all our customers' communication
needs
Sanjiv Ahuja, Orange
"This is the first time customers can walk in a single
store... get on the web simply through one order process,
order their mobile, their broadband or fixed line," chief
executive Sanjiv Ahuja said.
"What we are offering is something that is easy to use,
simple to use and hassle free."
Most companies now recognise that "converged" services
across mobile, internet, fixed line and TV are what customers
want.
Orange's rivals have been looking to mergers and acquisitions
as a means to expand their offerings.
Last month, NTL agreed to buy Virgin Mobile for almost £1bn,
aiming to use the brand for all its operations and thus become
the first UK firm to provide a four-way offer of cable TV,
internet access, fixed line telephony and mobile phone services.
New strategy
But France Telecom said it decided to explore such a strategy
two years ago.
It has opted to launch the "quadruple play" offering
under the Orange brand, as the name was identified as the
most powerful of France Telecom's brands across the 23 countries
it operates in.
"What we are about is a communications business, not
just mobile communications but all our customers' communication
needs whether its voice, information or entertainment,"
Mr Ahuja added.
To that end the firm will be launching its single handset
trial over the next few weeks, he said.
Under the plans, customers will have one handset that can
be used for calls over the internet, on a fixed line and as
a mobile service.
BT operates a service called BT Fusion which allows people
to switch between mobile networks and fixed-lines using a
single handset
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