one2one

A mobile telecommunications network in the UK, operating on the GSM 1800 standard. The network is aimed primarily at budget and occasional users and has a user base in the region of 6 million. 68% of one2one's customers use its unique prepay service, along with 1 million business customers.

The one2one network covers 98% of the UK, and roaming agreements have been made between one2one and 86 countries, allowing customers, if their phones support it, access to over 175 networks across the world.

Services

one2one offers a pay-as-you-go service, up2you, allowing users to buy 'top-up vouchers' for their phones and charge their accounts with calling credit. This is their most popular service. A less flexible, but possibly more affordable, package for the occasional user is all-in-one, in which one buys a telephone and contract from one2one and has a small allowance of free calling credit each month, with bills paid quarterly. Other contracts are available, but less popular, due to lack of variety. For business customers, precept is the preferred plan.

Within these price plans, one2one offers a number of services and extras. Standard across the network is EFR, offering enhanced digital sound. WAP is available to compatible phones, as are mobile e-mail and mobile fax and data. SMS is available on every price plan as well as information services. Fax messaging and call diversion services are available on the precept tariff.

History

On 7th September 1993, one2one, a then subsidiary of Cable and Wireless plc and MediaOne International launched its mobile phone network in London, having 100000 subscribers by June 1994. Over the next few years, the network grew both in coverage and usage due to its famous 'Who would you like to have a one-to-one with?' advertising campaign. In October 1999, Deutsche Telekom AG bought one2one for £8.4 billion, making the company a subsidiary of T-Mobile International. Recently, one2one embarked on a joint venture with Virgin Group plc to form Virgin Mobile.

Over the years, one2one has been one of the industry's trailblazers - the first to offer free voicemail message retrieval, and the first operator to offer pay-as-you-go plans. They were also the first network to be a member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, but only have a market share of 19.6%.