China Mobile to buy Three UK on Friday
Link:
China Mobile swoops on “3″ | The Register
By end of Friday, Hutchison Whampoa will have announced the sale of its European 3G franchises - both in the UK and in Italy - to China Mobile; thus confounding the hopes of European operators like TIM and Vodafone of picking up some cheap spectrum.
The deal is being finalised today, as 3 UK sends out sample X Series products
Well butter me in jelly and call me Kevin!
Was just sat on the computer when I got a mail from Alex with the headline ‘China Mobile buys 3′ linking me to the above Register story.
Gosh.
You know, instead of China Mobile, I was secretly hoping for a Rupert Murdoch News International acquisition of Three. Then we’d have a bit of an exciting marketplace and Three could relax in it’s ‘We’re a mobile media company’ description. I was also hoping for an Apple acquisition. Heh. Dream on, dream on.
So, China Mobile move into Europe with the purchase. What’s next, I wonder? Not much in the short term reckons The Register.
So Kevin, what flavour jelly is it?
Seriously though, I nearly fell off the chair when I saw this story. No mention of it elsewhere, it just kind of crept out around teatime. Wonder what the rest of the press and media will make of it once word gets around?
Posted by Alex on December 14th, 2006 at 11:45 pm.chickens, before, hatched, don’t count, etc.
Posted by Ron Mexico on December 14th, 2006 at 11:55 pm.I tell you Ron, if it all turns out to be nonsense, that’ll be a total ARSE.
Posted by ewan on December 14th, 2006 at 11:59 pm.Yeah, especially for poor old Guy Kewney.
Posted by Ron Mexico on December 15th, 2006 at 12:23 am.No one else has picked this up yet.. so it’s either going to be the biggest journalism coup we’ve seen in a while, or the biggest pork pie this side of Melton Mowbray.
Posted by Alex on December 15th, 2006 at 11:23 am.It’s a HUGE Melton Mowbray, it seems!
Posted by ewan on December 15th, 2006 at 11:31 am.Yep, it does appear to be true, as several layers of management have just been fired at Three UK.
Posted by Neil on December 28th, 2006 at 2:29 pm.