O2 plc
Encyclopedia
Telefónica Europe plc is a European broadband
and telecommunication
s company that trades as
O2 (typeset as O2). The company originated as a collection of worldwide telecommunications companies, known in the later half of the 1990s as BT Wireless, and a global mobile data business known then as Genie Internet, both subsidiaries of British Telecommunications
.
Telefónica Europe provides both fixed and mobile telephony
operations in the United Kingdom
, Ireland
, Germany
, the Czech Republic
, and Slovakia
. O2 has additionally established a joint venture with Tesco Mobile
in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the Tchibo Mobilfunk network in Germany.
and Securicor respectively.
In , BT purchased Securicor's shares in Cellnet for £3.15 billion, Securicor originally invested £4 million in Cellnet in , the company was later rebranded as BT Cellnet, and it became a part of BT Wireless, a group of subsidiary companies owned by BT. BT invested £2 billion in BT Cellnet, and in , BT Cellnet had over 6 million customers.
In , at a general meeting held in Birmingham
, 4.297 billion BT shares voted in favour of BT Cellnet's demerger from BT, with 0.67 million shares voting against. In , BT Cellnet demerged from BT and was relaunched on as O2.
share in Esat Digifone was also acquired by BT. Subsequently the fixed operations, Esat Telecom later became BT Ireland and the demerged mobile operations, rebranded without the Esat name as Digifone, became a part of the newly formed separate company, mmO2 plc.
After demerger from BT in 2001, Digifone became O2 Ireland, a subsidiary of mmO2 plc. www.O2.ie/forum
(then called British Telecommunications) (45%) and Norwegian Telenor
(10%) in order to compete for official licence to provide services in the rapidly liberalising German (fixed and mobile) telecommunications market at that time. In 2001 BT acquired VIAG's share (owned by German energy company, E.ON) for EU€
11.4 billion following the German UMTS licence auction the previous year. Viag Interkom's mobile operations were transferred into the BT Wireless family and the fixed business became BT (Germany) GmbH & CO.
After demerger from BT in 2001, Viag Interkom became O2 Germany, a subsidiary of mmO2 plc.
was awarded a licence by the government of Netherlands to provide fixed telecommunications services in November of that year, and a mobile licence was awarded the following year. In 2000, the mobile operations of Telfort became a part of the BT Wireless family.
After demerger from BT in 2001, Telfort became O2 Netherlands, a subsidiary of mmO2 plc.
In 2003, O2 group sold the company to Greenfield Capital Partners which reverted the company back to the Telfort name. Telfort eventually became a wholly owned subsidiary of KPN
.
In parallel to the evolution of Český Telecom, the Eurotel mobile phone business was established in 1990 in a joint venture between what was then known as the Czechoslovakian telecom ministry, Bell Atlantic and US West. In 1996, GSM services were introduced, and in 2003 Český Telecom acquired full control of Eurotel.
The Czech Republic government sold its remaining stake in Český Telecom (along with its Eurotel subsidiary) to Telefónica in 2005 which renamed it to Telefónica O2 Czech Republic.
won a tender for the 3rd mobile phone operator in Slovakia
. On 2 February 2007, Telefónica O2 Slovakia started providing services in Slovakia for first customers "O2 Jednotky". On 28 February O2 launched classic services and opened first shop in Slovakia (in Bratislava
on Obchodná street).
was demerged from BT as part of the mmO2 flotation in 2001. Unlike some of the company's counterparts, the fixed and mobile arms of Manx Telecom were not split prior to the demerger, which meant that Manx Telecom was the mmO2 group's only fixed operation at the time.
After the demerger from BT in 2001, Manx Telecom continued to trade under its brand as a subsidiary of mmO2 plc.
On 4 June 2010 Manx Telecom was sold to UK private equity investor HG Capital (who were buying the majority stake), alongside telecoms management company CPS Partners. HG Capital indicated that the enterprise value
of the deal was 158.8 million pounds ($232.5 million). http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSMDT00908220100604
Genie Internet Ltd and Genie Asia were created as an autonomous but wholly owned subsidiaries of BT in 2000. By the time it became a part of the BT Wireless family of companies in 2001, Genie had mobile portal operations in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Japan and an Internet MVNO operation in UK called Genie Mobile. Prior to the demerger of O2 from BT, Genie scaled back its global operations in order to align with the mobile businesses demerging with it; namely UK, Germany, Ireland and Netherlands. The Genie Asia business continued portal operations in Asia.
After demerging from BT in 2001, the European Genie business became the basis of a central products and services division called Products O2 and the Genie Mobile business was re-branded to O2 Online which continues in the UK as a mobile communications service provider tied to the O2 UK network. The Genie portal properties were re-branded O2 Active in UK, Germany, Ireland and Netherlands, and the Genie Asia became O2 Asia. For governance purposes following divesture in 2001, O2 Asia was parented on O2 UK. In 2008, it is believed that O2 Asia was sold to a private consortium as part of a management buy out transaction.
O2 Asia, headquartered in Singapore
, operating in Far East
, South Asia
, Middle East, and Australasian countries, used to develop and market a range of wirelessly connected PDA
and smartphone
products branded Xda
for both the Asian and European markets. This subsidiary has been taken over by its CEO in a buyout
per 2007. It continues to develop and market such products under the "MWg" brand, short for Mobile & Wireless Group.
, a Spanish telecommunications company, with a cash offer of £17.7 billion, or £2 per share. According to the merger announcement, O2 retained its name and continued to be based in the United Kingdom, keeping both the brand and the management team. The merger became unconditional on . O2 is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Telefónica.
Following the completion of the acquisition of O2 by Telefónica in , Telefónica undertook a corporate organisational change that saw the merging of its fixed and mobile businesses in Spain
, and the transfer of Telefónica's non-Spanish European telecommunications properties into the O2 brand. Thus, the Český Telecom and Eurotel operations in the Czech Republic as well as the Telefónica Deutschland business in Germany were brought into the governance of O2, which retained its U.K. registered public company status with its own board of directors and corporate governance structures and processes.
Telefónica chose to keep their existing mobile phone operations in the rest of the world under the brand Movistar
. This name is used in Spain and in most of Latin America
countries, operated by a separate management team.
, which has been used as an environment for developing and testing new services such as 3G
.
The following table shows the current scope of operations for the companies in the O2 group:
Telefónica Europe's turnover for the year ended 31 March 2005 was GB£6.683 billion. They have strong strategic partnerships with companies such as Apple, manufacturer of the iPhone, Research In Motion
, manufacturers of the BlackBerry
email product, and HTC, manufacturers of the O2 Xda
, Xda II, and Xda Exec Pocket PC
devices.
In September 2009, a new MVNO called Giffgaff
was launched. The operator is wholly owned by O2.
O2 have now launched a fixed line service in the UK in conjunction with BT (British Telecom).
in London from Anschutz Entertainment Group
. The Dome is therefore now officially known as 'The O2
'. The company extended their relationship with music venues in 2008 when all Academy Music venues became known as 'O2 Academies', replacing Carling
as venue sponsors.
, similarly to the Millennium Dome
was in the UK. This has been completed and is now open.
also apply in Germany with large sport and concert venues known as O2 World in Berlin
and Hamburg.
was renamed O2 - the chemical symbol for unbound oxygen
- as were all the group's other businesses (other than Manx Telecom
). The re-branding was engineered by the Lambie-Nairn
design agency, which developed the idea of the company supplying services that were essential, much the same as oxygen is essential for life. With this, the company logo and associated graphics were designed, using air bubbles to present this. The O2 bubbles were photographed by London based photographer Jonathan Knowles.
Telefónica O2 is the sponsor of the Cork GAA Football and Hurling teams and the Irish rugby team
. The partnership with Irish rugby went interactive in 2006, when Ireland fans were offered access to daily updates from head coach Eddie O'Sullivan
. In 2009, O2 launched their 'BeTheDifference' integrated advertising campaign
. Fans were given the chance to have their names included on the O2 Rugby posters and on the Irish Rugby players' jerseys. Their signatures were used in the posters and their names were printed on the numbers of the players' jerseys. The integrated campaign was created by O2's two award winning Irish advertising agencies - 'McConnells' ( above-the-line) and ' brando' ( below-the-line
). And the interactive campaign won an award at the 2009 Kinsale Sharks.
O2 is also a sponsor of the England rugby team
. In 2003 Telefónica O2 launched a mobile video service in that allowed customers to download or stream video content related to the 2003 Rugby World Cup
. Telefónica O2 extended their involvement with rugby union
in 2005, signing a new deal with the England rugby team and the Rugby Football Union
, as well as O2 rugbyclass and Premier Rugby Ltd for the English Premiership
. Telefónica O2 also had a long standing relationship with Arsenal F.C.
, being their shirt sponsor until the start of the 2006/07 Premiership season. In 2005, a three-year deal was signed that saw Telefónica O2 as exclusive Mobile Communications Partner. In June 2006, O2 Ireland
were represented on the jerseys of the Irish rugby team as they played the All Blacks
, replacing previous sponsors Permanent TSB. In addition, they also sponsor Amateur Rugby League club, Runcorn Vikings as well as the Cork Gaelic Athletic Association teams. Also sponsors the O2 wireless festivals in London and Leeds
each year.
Telefónica
introduced the O2 brand in the Czech Republic, to brand its mobile service (Český Telecom
and Eurotel
became Telefónica O2 Czech Republic). This has led to speculation that the O2 brand may replace Telefónica's movistar
brand. In 2005, the company acquired the naming rights of the UK's Millennium Dome
which is now a large entertainment and leisure venue specialising in music and sports operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group and is officially known as The O2
. In 2008, Telefónica expanded its sponsorship in the Czech Republic when it acquired the naming rights of the former Sazka Arena in Prague
, which became the O2 Arena.
Notably the company also sponsors the "O2 Cheerleaders" team in the company's Czech unit.
Broadband Internet access
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
and telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s company that trades as
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
O2 (typeset as O2). The company originated as a collection of worldwide telecommunications companies, known in the later half of the 1990s as BT Wireless, and a global mobile data business known then as Genie Internet, both subsidiaries of British Telecommunications
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
.
Telefónica Europe provides both fixed and mobile telephony
Mobile telephony
Mobile telephony is the provision of telephone services to phones which may move around freely rather than stay fixed in one location. Mobile phones connect to a terrestrial cellular network of base stations , whereas satellite phones connect to orbiting satellites...
operations in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. O2 has additionally established a joint venture with Tesco Mobile
Tesco Mobile
Tesco Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia. It is operated by Tesco, using the O2 network as its carrier.-United Kingdom:...
in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the Tchibo Mobilfunk network in Germany.
United Kingdom
Originally launched in , Cellnet was launched as a subsidiary of Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Limited, a 60:40 venture between British TelecommunicationsBT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
and Securicor respectively.
In , BT purchased Securicor's shares in Cellnet for £3.15 billion, Securicor originally invested £4 million in Cellnet in , the company was later rebranded as BT Cellnet, and it became a part of BT Wireless, a group of subsidiary companies owned by BT. BT invested £2 billion in BT Cellnet, and in , BT Cellnet had over 6 million customers.
In , at a general meeting held in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, 4.297 billion BT shares voted in favour of BT Cellnet's demerger from BT, with 0.67 million shares voting against. In , BT Cellnet demerged from BT and was relaunched on as O2.
Ireland
Digifone was created in 2000, as the demerged mobile business of the prior Esat Digifone which had just been purchased by BT. Esat Digifone was originally a joint venture between Esat Telecom and Telenor. After the acquisition of Esat Telecom by BT the TelenorTelenor
Telenor Group is the incumbent telecommunications company in Norway, with headquarters located at Fornebu, close to Oslo. Today, Telenor Group is mostly an international wireless carrier with operations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Asia, working predominantly under the Telenor brand...
share in Esat Digifone was also acquired by BT. Subsequently the fixed operations, Esat Telecom later became BT Ireland and the demerged mobile operations, rebranded without the Esat name as Digifone, became a part of the newly formed separate company, mmO2 plc.
After demerger from BT in 2001, Digifone became O2 Ireland, a subsidiary of mmO2 plc. www.O2.ie/forum
Germany
Viag Interkom was created in 1995 as a joint venture of the German power supply firm VIAG (45%), British BT GroupBT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
(then called British Telecommunications) (45%) and Norwegian Telenor
Telenor
Telenor Group is the incumbent telecommunications company in Norway, with headquarters located at Fornebu, close to Oslo. Today, Telenor Group is mostly an international wireless carrier with operations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Asia, working predominantly under the Telenor brand...
(10%) in order to compete for official licence to provide services in the rapidly liberalising German (fixed and mobile) telecommunications market at that time. In 2001 BT acquired VIAG's share (owned by German energy company, E.ON) for EU€
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
11.4 billion following the German UMTS licence auction the previous year. Viag Interkom's mobile operations were transferred into the BT Wireless family and the fixed business became BT (Germany) GmbH & CO.
After demerger from BT in 2001, Viag Interkom became O2 Germany, a subsidiary of mmO2 plc.
Netherlands
Telfort was created in March 1997 as a 50:50 joint venture between British Telecommunications (BT) and Nederlandse Spoorwegen (the Dutch national railways operator) and headquartered in Amsterdam, TelfortTelfort
Telfort B.V. is a Dutch mobile telecommunication company, and a subsidiary of KPN.It operates GSM mobile telecommunications service in the Netherlands...
was awarded a licence by the government of Netherlands to provide fixed telecommunications services in November of that year, and a mobile licence was awarded the following year. In 2000, the mobile operations of Telfort became a part of the BT Wireless family.
After demerger from BT in 2001, Telfort became O2 Netherlands, a subsidiary of mmO2 plc.
In 2003, O2 group sold the company to Greenfield Capital Partners which reverted the company back to the Telfort name. Telfort eventually became a wholly owned subsidiary of KPN
KPN
KPN is a Dutch landline and mobile telecommunications company, including both 2G and 3G mobile operations...
.
Czech Republic
Český Telecom was the new name given to a company previously known as SPT Telecom which was formed from the splitting off of the Czech Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications into postal and telecom sides in 1993. The company was renamed to Český Telecom in 2000 and remained a government-controlled company until its complete privatisation in 2004. Along the way, rapid modernisation of the network occurred with the help of funding and expertise of the Dutch and Swiss consortium called TelSource.In parallel to the evolution of Český Telecom, the Eurotel mobile phone business was established in 1990 in a joint venture between what was then known as the Czechoslovakian telecom ministry, Bell Atlantic and US West. In 1996, GSM services were introduced, and in 2003 Český Telecom acquired full control of Eurotel.
The Czech Republic government sold its remaining stake in Český Telecom (along with its Eurotel subsidiary) to Telefónica in 2005 which renamed it to Telefónica O2 Czech Republic.
Slovakia
In 2006, Telefónica O2 SlovakiaTelefónica O2 Slovakia
Telefónica Slovakia is a provider of mobile service O2 in Slovakia. Telefónica started in Slovakia with commercial services on 2 February 2007 with about 600.000 preregistered users, and ~400,000 Slovaks actively using the O2 service. The operator has 781,000 active SIM cards to date 30...
won a tender for the 3rd mobile phone operator in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. On 2 February 2007, Telefónica O2 Slovakia started providing services in Slovakia for first customers "O2 Jednotky". On 28 February O2 launched classic services and opened first shop in Slovakia (in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
on Obchodná street).
Isle of Man
Manx TelecomManx Telecom
Manx Telecom is the primary provider of broadband and telecommunications on the Isle of Man. It was acquired by Telefónica in , but was sold to two private equity groups in 2010.- History :...
was demerged from BT as part of the mmO2 flotation in 2001. Unlike some of the company's counterparts, the fixed and mobile arms of Manx Telecom were not split prior to the demerger, which meant that Manx Telecom was the mmO2 group's only fixed operation at the time.
After the demerger from BT in 2001, Manx Telecom continued to trade under its brand as a subsidiary of mmO2 plc.
On 4 June 2010 Manx Telecom was sold to UK private equity investor HG Capital (who were buying the majority stake), alongside telecoms management company CPS Partners. HG Capital indicated that the enterprise value
Enterprise value
Enterprise value , Total enterprise value , or Firm value is an economic measure reflecting the market value of a whole business. It is a sum of claims of all the security-holders: debtholders, preferred shareholders, minority shareholders, common equity holders, and others...
of the deal was 158.8 million pounds ($232.5 million). http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSMDT00908220100604
Genie Internet and Genie Asia
After demerging from BT in 2001, the European Genie business became the basis of a central products and services division called Products O2 and the Genie Mobile business was re-branded to O2 Online which continues in the UK as a mobile communications service provider tied to the O2 UK network. The Genie portal properties were re-branded O2 Active in UK, Germany, Ireland and Netherlands, and the Genie Asia became O2 Asia. For governance purposes following divesture in 2001, O2 Asia was parented on O2 UK. In 2008, it is believed that O2 Asia was sold to a private consortium as part of a management buy out transaction.
O2 Asia, headquartered in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, operating in Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, Middle East, and Australasian countries, used to develop and market a range of wirelessly connected PDA
PDA
A PDA is most commonly a Personal digital assistant, also known as a Personal data assistant, a mobile electronic device.PDA may also refer to:In science, medicine and technology:...
and smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
products branded Xda
O2 XDA
The O2 Xda brand is a range of O2-branded Windows Mobile PDA phones, produced by multiple manufacturers . The first model was released in June 2002....
for both the Asian and European markets. This subsidiary has been taken over by its CEO in a buyout
Buyout
A buyout, in finance, is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" control of the target company....
per 2007. It continues to develop and market such products under the "MWg" brand, short for Mobile & Wireless Group.
2006–present: Telefónica era
On , O2 agreed to be taken over by TelefónicaTelefónica
Telefónica, S.A. is a Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider in Europe and Latin America. Operating globally, it is the third largest provider in the world...
, a Spanish telecommunications company, with a cash offer of £17.7 billion, or £2 per share. According to the merger announcement, O2 retained its name and continued to be based in the United Kingdom, keeping both the brand and the management team. The merger became unconditional on . O2 is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Telefónica.
Following the completion of the acquisition of O2 by Telefónica in , Telefónica undertook a corporate organisational change that saw the merging of its fixed and mobile businesses in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and the transfer of Telefónica's non-Spanish European telecommunications properties into the O2 brand. Thus, the Český Telecom and Eurotel operations in the Czech Republic as well as the Telefónica Deutschland business in Germany were brought into the governance of O2, which retained its U.K. registered public company status with its own board of directors and corporate governance structures and processes.
Telefónica chose to keep their existing mobile phone operations in the rest of the world under the brand Movistar
Movistar
Movistar is a major Spanish mobile phone operator owned by Telefónica Móviles. It operates in Spain and in many Latin American countries. It is the largest carrier in Spain with 22 million customers and 41.58% of market share. Its principal competitor in Latin America is America Movil...
. This name is used in Spain and in most of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
countries, operated by a separate management team.
Current operations
Telefónica Europe (excludes Spain which is part of Telefónica España) is a telecommunications company with subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Slovakia. It also operates telecommunications services in the Czech Republic, and on the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, which has been used as an environment for developing and testing new services such as 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
.
The following table shows the current scope of operations for the companies in the O2 group:
| Area | 2G licences | 3G licences | 4G licences | Fixed | DSL | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom O2 (United Kingdom) Telefónica UK Limited is a telecommunications, internet and financial services provider in the United Kingdom owned by Telefónica, forming part of its Telefónica Europe division... |
|
|
TBC | TBC |
|
|
| Ireland |
|
|
|
|||
| Germany O2 (Germany) Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG is a leading provider of broadband and telecommunications in Germany. The company trades as O2 and Alice... |
|
|
TBC |
|
|
|
| Czech Republic |
|
|
TBC |
|
||
| Slovakia |
|
|
||||
| Asia |
|
Telefónica Europe's turnover for the year ended 31 March 2005 was GB£6.683 billion. They have strong strategic partnerships with companies such as Apple, manufacturer of the iPhone, Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
, manufacturers of the BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
email product, and HTC, manufacturers of the O2 Xda
O2 XDA
The O2 Xda brand is a range of O2-branded Windows Mobile PDA phones, produced by multiple manufacturers . The first model was released in June 2002....
, Xda II, and Xda Exec Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
devices.
In September 2009, a new MVNO called Giffgaff
Giffgaff
Giffgaff is a mobile phone service based in the United Kingdom. It operates as a mobile virtual network operator using the O2 network and launched on 25 November 2009....
was launched. The operator is wholly owned by O2.
O2 have now launched a fixed line service in the UK in conjunction with BT (British Telecom).
The O2 (UK)
On 31 May 2005 Telefónica O2 acquired the name rights for the redeveloped Millennium DomeMillennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
in London from Anschutz Entertainment Group
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
. The Dome is therefore now officially known as 'The O2
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
'. The company extended their relationship with music venues in 2008 when all Academy Music venues became known as 'O2 Academies', replacing Carling
Carling
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
as venue sponsors.
The O2 (Ireland)
On 3 July 2008, it was announced that the Point Depot in Dublin, would be redeveloped as The O2The O2, Dublin
The O2 is a 14,000-seat amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland, which opened on 16 December 2008. The venue is jointly owned by Live Nation and Harry Crosbie with Live Nation in charge of programme booking and operating the venue...
, similarly to the Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
was in the UK. This has been completed and is now open.
O2 World (Germany)
The naming rights arrangements with Anschutz Entertainment GroupAnschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
also apply in Germany with large sport and concert venues known as O2 World in Berlin
O2 World
O2 World is a multi-use indoor arena, in the Friedrichshain neighborhood, of Berlin, that opened in September 2008. Developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group, it was named O2 World, when O2 Germany purchased the naming rights...
and Hamburg.
Advertising
The BT Cellnet consumer brandBrand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
was renamed O2 - the chemical symbol for unbound oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
- as were all the group's other businesses (other than Manx Telecom
Manx Telecom
Manx Telecom is the primary provider of broadband and telecommunications on the Isle of Man. It was acquired by Telefónica in , but was sold to two private equity groups in 2010.- History :...
). The re-branding was engineered by the Lambie-Nairn
Lambie-Nairn
Lambie-Nairn is an international branding agency within the WPP Group, headquartered in London with offices in Munich, Madrid, Abu Dhabi and Prague...
design agency, which developed the idea of the company supplying services that were essential, much the same as oxygen is essential for life. With this, the company logo and associated graphics were designed, using air bubbles to present this. The O2 bubbles were photographed by London based photographer Jonathan Knowles.
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. The partnership with Irish rugby went interactive in 2006, when Ireland fans were offered access to daily updates from head coach Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
. In 2009, O2 launched their 'BeTheDifference' integrated advertising campaign
Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated Marketing Communications is defined as customer centric, data driven method of communicating with the customer. IMC is the coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, functions and sources within a company into a seamless program that maximizes the impact...
. Fans were given the chance to have their names included on the O2 Rugby posters and on the Irish Rugby players' jerseys. Their signatures were used in the posters and their names were printed on the numbers of the players' jerseys. The integrated campaign was created by O2's two award winning Irish advertising agencies - 'McConnells' ( above-the-line) and ' brando' ( below-the-line
Below the line (advertising)
Above the line , below the line , and through the Line , in organizational business and marketing communications, are different ways companies try and sell their products....
). And the interactive campaign won an award at the 2009 Kinsale Sharks.
O2 is also a sponsor of the England rugby team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. In 2003 Telefónica O2 launched a mobile video service in that allowed customers to download or stream video content related to the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. Telefónica O2 extended their involvement with rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in 2005, signing a new deal with the England rugby team and the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
, as well as O2 rugbyclass and Premier Rugby Ltd for the English Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
. Telefónica O2 also had a long standing relationship with Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, being their shirt sponsor until the start of the 2006/07 Premiership season. In 2005, a three-year deal was signed that saw Telefónica O2 as exclusive Mobile Communications Partner. In June 2006, O2 Ireland
O2 Ireland
Telefónica Ireland is a broadband and telecommunications provider in Ireland. The company is marketed and trades as O2...
were represented on the jerseys of the Irish rugby team as they played the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, replacing previous sponsors Permanent TSB. In addition, they also sponsor Amateur Rugby League club, Runcorn Vikings as well as the Cork Gaelic Athletic Association teams. Also sponsors the O2 wireless festivals in London and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
each year.
Telefónica
Telefónica
Telefónica, S.A. is a Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider in Europe and Latin America. Operating globally, it is the third largest provider in the world...
introduced the O2 brand in the Czech Republic, to brand its mobile service (Český Telecom
Ceský Telecom
Telefónica Czech Republic is a major integrated operator in the Czech Republic. It is now operating more than six million lines, both fixed and mobile, making it one of the world’s leading providers of fully converged services. The organization offers the most comprehensive portfolio of voice and...
and Eurotel
Eurotel
Eurotel is the name of a former mobile network, acquired and transformed into a branch of T-Mobile in Slovakia and O2 in the Czech republic....
became Telefónica O2 Czech Republic). This has led to speculation that the O2 brand may replace Telefónica's movistar
Movistar
Movistar is a major Spanish mobile phone operator owned by Telefónica Móviles. It operates in Spain and in many Latin American countries. It is the largest carrier in Spain with 22 million customers and 41.58% of market share. Its principal competitor in Latin America is America Movil...
brand. In 2005, the company acquired the naming rights of the UK's Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
which is now a large entertainment and leisure venue specialising in music and sports operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group and is officially known as The O2
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
. In 2008, Telefónica expanded its sponsorship in the Czech Republic when it acquired the naming rights of the former Sazka Arena in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, which became the O2 Arena.
Notably the company also sponsors the "O2 Cheerleaders" team in the company's Czech unit.
See also
- O2 (United Kingdom)O2 (United Kingdom)Telefónica UK Limited is a telecommunications, internet and financial services provider in the United Kingdom owned by Telefónica, forming part of its Telefónica Europe division...
- O2 (Ireland)
- O2 (Germany)O2 (Germany)Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG is a leading provider of broadband and telecommunications in Germany. The company trades as O2 and Alice...
- O2 (Czech Republic)
- O2 (Slovakia)
- Manx TelecomManx TelecomManx Telecom is the primary provider of broadband and telecommunications on the Isle of Man. It was acquired by Telefónica in , but was sold to two private equity groups in 2010.- History :...
- Be UnlimitedBe UnlimitedBE Un Limited is an Internet service provider in the United Kingdom with the trading names "Be There", BE Unlimited or simply BE. It is part of Spanish group Telefónica Europe, who also own O2....
- O2 AirwaveAirwave (communications network)The Airwave network is a mobile communications network dedicated for the use by the emergency services in the United Kingdom. Designed to be both secure and resilient it allows multiple agencies integrated communications through a nationwide network. It is a secure digital, encrypted network and...