In a further sign that competition is starting to impact upon the major players in the UK broadband industry, Orange has confirmed the introduction some new mobile broadband animal plans such as the Panther, Dolphins and Raccoon. The company has also repackaged a number of existing offers in an attempt to grab the attention of mobile broadband users in the UK.
This comes at a time when Orange has yet again retained its position at the top of the UK mobile broadband league for the third consecutive quarter. However, it has also illustrated the growing competition beneath Orange with the likes of Virgin, Vodafone and other prominent UK mobile broadband providers all vying for top position. But will Orange be able to defend its place at the head of the table?
There is no doubt that some of the larger operations in the UK mobile broadband sector have literally hundreds of millions of pounds at hand to protect their positions. Aside from the fact that mobile broadband services are becoming more profitable for ISPs, it is also the ability to package and cross sell other services which is proving very attractive. The number of operators in the UK mobile broadband sector will almost certainly reduce in the short-term with mergers and takeovers likely once the economy has settled down.