Mobile networks bear blast strain

Mobile phone networks are recovering after struggling in the hours immediately after the London blasts.Networks in London were running at near capacity as those caught up in the chaos tried to call family and friends.The surge in the number of calls being made meant that many people had trouble getting through first time.To limit congestion, network operators urged those using their mobiles to keep calls as short as possible following the explosions across London.

Domino effectThere were three explosions over 30 minutes during the rush hour on trains on the Underground network. Another blast ripped the roof off a bus in the centre of the city.More than 30 people were killed in the explosions on the Underground.We're asking that people only make essential calls to limit the congestionBT spokesman

Blogs respond to blasts
People in the capital, anxious to know the fate of friends, relatives and employees, found themselves unable to make or receive calls or send text messages.Network operators said they had boosted capacity to handle the surge in calls, but asked that people refrain from making unnecessary and lengthy phone calls.O2 said it had doubled its network capacity, while Vodafone said it had also increased capacity and had freed channels for use by emergency services.

Shortly after the explosions, a spokeswoman for Virgin Mobile, which piggybacks on the T-Mobile network, said: "There are so many people making calls at the moment it is taking a while for people to get through. The volume of calls has really surged."Many of those caught up in the chaos who found that the mobile networks were down reportedly went into shops to beg the use of a phone.Essential callsTerrorism expert Professor Michael Clarke from the International Policy Institute at King's College London, speculated that the problems might be a security measure.


Source :http://news.bbc.co.uk

French Apple/Orange deal to be announced this week?

Didier Lombard has confirmed to the French newspaper, Le Républicain Lorrain, that Orange. France Telecom's subsidiary, has won the deal and suggested the phone will arrive in France by the end of November.

Lombard had previously stated to journalists (during the week the iPhone launched in the UK and Germany) that an agreement had been reached with Apple, but did not provide pricing or date information.

Since then rumours and reports have suggested that the two companies were struggling to reach an agreement. No further statements from either side, and lack of iPhone presence at the Paris Mac Expo, seemed to highlight problems.

Two theories have been put forward as to why the apparent delay; the first that France Telecom were not happy to agree to Apple's revenue sharing demands; and second that a legality in France meaning the iPhone would be forced to be "opened" to other operators after a certain time period had displeased Apple.

Source : http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk

PC World offers free laptop with Orange broadband

PC World is offering a free laptop to anyone who signs up for a two-year contract with Orange broadband.

From this Thursday each new Orange subscriber who signs up for two years at a PC World store will be given a Celeron laptop worth over £300. Tens of thousands of laptops are being made available to support the promotion.

Niall O'Keeffe, marketing director of PC World said that the offer shows:
"Internet access and access to home IT is increasingly important for British families," he said. "There are educational benefits for children and numerous practical and social benefits for adults. We are pleased to be offering this groundbreaking deal as part of our commitment to Britain's digital future."

The laptops will have a minimum specification of a 15.4in widescreen display and are wireless enabled with 256MB memory, a 40GB hard drive and a DVD rewriter.

Users will also be able to trade up to a higher specification portable or receive a discount of up to £350 off any laptop in the store range.

Source : http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/120158/

Orange sees bumper iPhone sales

Mobile phone firm Orange has sold nearly 30,000 iPhones in France, just five days after it was launched.

Mobile companies mostly sell iPhones to customers who take out network contracts with them, a point of contention for some consumers.

About 80% of the phones were sold for 399 euros on a special Orange mobile tariff plan, with 15% sold for 549 euros on a regular Orange tariff plan.

The rest were sold for 649 euros. For 100 euros extra, these can be unlocked.

Some may have been unlocked for use on other networks, but it is not clear how many, Orange says.Orange says that 48% of people buying the phones were new customers for the network.

Court ruling

1.On Tuesday, a German court overturned an injunction that had forced T-Mobile to sell unlocked phones.

2.In the two weeks that the injunction was in place, T-Mobile sold unlocked iPhones for 999 euros, compared with 399 euros for a phone with a two-year contract.

3.The company has not revealed how many unlocked phones it sold at that price but says it did sell some.

4.The exclusive agreements between Apple and mobile operators have caused controversy outside France, with software circulating online that claims to unlock the iPhone.

5.Apple has warned that hacking into the phone's software could render the phones "permanently inoperable" if software updates are downloaded.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk