Vodafone reaches Silver Jubilee

Jeremy Warner, writing in The Independent, reminds us that it's 25 years since Vodafone (then part of Racal) was awarded its UK licence to run a mobile phone network.

O2 hits Ofcom's 3G coverage target

Ofcom says O2 has now met its obligation to provide 3G coverage to at least 80% of the UK population. The regulator had told O2 in February that it would impose a penalty if the network didn't comply with its obligation to offer 80% coverage by the end of June. O2 should have hit its target by the 31st December 2007 but was only offering 75.69% coverage. [Press release]

Ofcom says O2 failed to hit 3G coverage target

Ofcom has told O2 that it's failed to meet its requirements for providing 3G coverage in the UK. All five networks running 3G services were required to offer 3G coverage to at least 80% of the UK population at the end of last year. Ofcom says 3, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone complied but O2 only covered 75.69% of the population, resulting in a shortfall equivalent to approximately 2.5 million people. Ofcom has told O2 that it must reach its obligation by the end of June 2008 or have its 3G licence term shortened by four months (ending in August 2021, not December 2021).