Orange

I had lots of complaints about 'never being in' when folks wanted to ring me. After due consideration, I purchased a hand-held telephone.

Why did I choose Orange?

When it was introduced, it was cheaper for people to call, and much cheaper for me to divert from my fixed home line than the other main two operators, Cellnet, and Vodaphone. However Orange and One2One have seen it fit to DOUBLE the incoming call charges. It also offered a significant number of features, which were important and still largely unique, notably Caller Id, a cheap answerphone, fully itemised billing, and 24 hour customer service. It also had the coverage I needed then, and it's still growing. Also the audio quality is very good, we benefit from EFR at no extra charge (unlike some networks). EFR is very effective, and the call quality is almost indistinguishable from a fixed landline.

Although it's still a good system, especially due to both Cellnet and Vodaphone networks now offering similar features, and better charging structures, don't leap and get Orange, do check out the competition, especially as the cost of calling is now similar. But you do get what you pay for, choosing a prepay or some other apparent cheap method of owning a phone, and you will find in the small print that you're not entitled to the benefits package that contract owners have access to.

"Price, performance, quality. Pick any two."

Before leaping to buy a mobile phone, consider far more than the cost you pay for the phone itself, but do check out Iain's Guide to mobile phones. Not forgetting Communicator.

Orange, rather unspiritingly have asked that Rob's Orangery, originally at http://www.orangery.co.uk/ was closed down in July 1999.

My phone was a 6150e, the dual band version of the 702, and someone's running an FAQ just for this very phone at http://ww.greyarea.co.uk/. I now have the 6250e which is compatible with the car kit and WAP enabled. Kevin Holley runs a very informative site at http://www.btinternet.com/~mrbush/. Having used it in dual band mode for roaming, I found it more convenient than my colleagues who had to SIM swap. Try this to calculate the best Orange Tarrif http://www.prds-grn.demon.co.uk/or_tarif.xls.

So how do you download ringtones to the Nokia 6130, 6150e, 702, 5110 series?

Well the Nokia SMS service no longer works. The only real alternative is to get the datasuite or find someone who can SMS the tones to your phone.

A recent OFTEL survey has rated the UK's four networks for performance, and the results are located here. http://www.fclcom.demon.co.uk/news05.html, detail at http://www.fclcom.demon.co.uk/report3_modfcl310199.htm.

Another OFTEL report is published at http://www.oftel.gov.uk/feedback/mble1099.htm validating the 4 UK network call success rates. It makes interesting reading.

There's details about the Nokia Netmonitor at http://www.yaws.dk/communicator/faq/miscellanous/mbus/netmonitor-9110.html.

For the anorak's among us, here's some pictures of towers, and links to UK phone dealers. Your price may vary, but the service is always good.

Peter Parry at WPP Ltd
Chris Conwell's Mobiles
Scott Allison at Freedom Phones
Jonathan Morris's JMcomms
Dean Walker's Smalltalk
Independent dealer with web ordering http://www.OrangePCN.com/
This is supposed to be good http://www.untouchable.demon.co.uk/.

Picture of the Orange tower in BL5 area 3. This tower has in fact now been replaced.

27k GIF, 160 x 299
89k JPEG 198 x 371

Close up of the antennae array BL5 area 3.
orange mast array
19k GIF, 183 x 165
158k JPEG 405 x 338

Orange tower as used in BL3 area 5.

church with orange radiators
23k GIF, 153 x 212
303k JPEG 378 x 527

Close up of radiators of BL3 area 5.

17k GIF, 123 x 198
183k JPEG 306 x 492

Any questions? Email me at email nic

Home page