Mobile operator Orange has dashed UK hopes that increased
competition will push down tariffs for the Apple iPhone, which was
previously available exclusively on the O2 network.
Orange, which will
begin selling the iPhone next week, has revealed that its
tariffs will be similar to those of O2.
Instead of competing on price, Orange plans to attract customers
with a higher quality 3G network to better support mobile internet
access, according to the
Financial Times.
Orange claims its 3G network covers 93% of the UK, compared with
O2's 84%. O2 last month admitted its network had been stretched to
the limit by the bandwidth-hungry iPhone.
Orange is also planning to double the talk time and number of
free texts O2 offers customers on an 18-month contract.
