U.K. carrier O2 is once again looking to discuss sharing its high speed wireless network with rival T-Mobile, in an effort to reduce the cost of data services for their customers. The news is undoubtedly a defensive play since it comes on the heels of a similar announcement from rivals Orange and Vodafone to share their nationwide 3G networks. A few years ago Telefonica's O2 and T-Mobile discussed sharing networks, but backed off over fears that the regulators would try to block such a deal. O2 also dismissed speculation in the analyst community that it might buy U.K. carrier 3 to boost its network coverage: "We are certainly visiting network sharing but I certainly would not think it likely that we are going to buy 3, in fact I think it's definite that we're not," O2 CEO Peter Erskine said.
For more on the potential network sharing deal:
- see this article from The Guardian