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Hutchison 3G UK Limited, trading as Three UK, is a British telecommunications and internet service provider based in Reading, England. It is a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, operating under the global Three brand. Three is the fourth-largest mobile network operator in the United Kingdom, with about 10.3 million subscribers as of May 2023[update].

On 24 March 2015, Three's parent company Hutchison Whampoa announced it intended to acquire the UK operations of rival mobile network O2 for 10.25 billion, subject to regulatory approval.[12] On 11 May 2016, EU commission blocked the deal on the grounds that it would affect competition in the UK market.[13][14]

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In November 2016, three men were arrested after a data breach at the Three mobile network allowed fraudsters to access personal data and steal phones. The company said that while names and addresses were accessed, some financial information might be compromised. Fraudsters were understood to have used authorised login information to order upgraded phones, including iPhone and Samsung handsets, to be sent to customers before intercepting them. Three, which had 9 million customers, said it believed around 400 phones had been stolen.[15]

On 14 June 2023, it was announced that subject to regulatory approval Vodafone UK and Three UK will merge to create Britain's biggest mobile network, with Vodafone owning 51% and CK Hutchison Holdings owning 49% of the new service.[20][21] The merger is expected to be finalised before the end of 2024, and would create a group with a combined 27 million mobile customers.[22]

The Three network is used by two mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). Dixons Carphone launched its iD Mobile network in May 2015.[47] In June 2018, Three UK and sister company Superdrug entered an MVNO partnership to launch Superdrug Mobile, which is exclusive to members of Superdrug's Health & Beautycard loyalty scheme.[48]

In 2015, Three UK proposed a 10.2bn merger with O2 UK, which would reduce the number of networks from four to three.[49] The deal would involve O2 owner Telefonica selling O2 UK to CK Hutchson (Three UK's owner) for 10.2bn,[50] and would have created the largest mobile network at the time. However, the plan was quickly blocked by the European Commission as it was expected to drive up prices and reduce competition.[51]

In 2023, Vodafone UK struck a deal with Three UK to merge their UK businesses, subject to approval by the competition regulator. The combined company would have 27 million customers, which would make them the largest mobile network in the UK, surpassing O2 which has 24 million customers and EE which has 20 million.[52] The deal would give Vodafone Group a 51% stake in the new business with CK Hutchison owning the remaining 49%. The companies claim that the deal would lead to 11bn of investment into 5G over the next 10 years.[52][53] Consumer group Which? raised concerns that the merger would risk lowering the quality of service and increasing prices due to less competition being present.[52]

Hutchison 3G Enterprises S.A.R.L.,[2] trading as 3 (Three) and Hutchison 3G (H3G), is the owner of several UMTS-based mobile phone networks and broadband Internet providers, which operate in Hong Kong, Macau, Austria, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.[3]

During the launch of the brand in 2002, when Hutchison Whampoa sold its 2G business to Orange, the brand name 3 (Three) represented their new 3G services.[10] In 2003, CK Hutchison Holdings stated that the name refers to their three global telecommunication services: 3G, GSM Dualband and CDMA.[11]

The logo, which is a visual representation of the number "3", was originally three-dimensional and orange in colour. Throughout the years of operation, it has had different versions. In 2009, it was unified into a flat black and white logo. The company describes the logo's design philosophy as "cool outside and hot inside".[12]

In the 2G and 3G eras, it was the second largest mobile operator in Macau. In the 2G era, its market share was approximately 31%, as of December 31, 2003.[15] In the 3G era, its market share was approximately 33% in terms of the number of customers, as of 31 December 2008.[16]

3 Denmark (officially Hi3G Denmark ApS) and 3 Sweden (officially Hi3G Access AB) have a common network covering most of the two countries. Customers are "at home" on both networks, i.e. Danish customer receive calls from Denmark without paying roaming fees when they are on 3 Sweden's network and it does not cost extra to call Danish telephone numbers. 3 Scandinavia also previously had a license to build a network in Norway, but in 2011 decided against launching a 3G network in Norway. In 2008 both operations showed a positive EBITDA. In Sweden a small part of the UMTS2100 mobile network is shared with Telenor - except for cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malm, Lund and Karlskrona where they handle their own 3G networks. In spring 2011 Three started, without Telenor, to build their own 3G Network on the UMTS 900-band which will give a bigger coverage. UMTS 900 and LTE 800 is rolled out using the same base stations. Today[when?] 3 Sweden covers about 98.5% of the Swedish population. In May 2012, 3 Sweden launched its first LTE services. The network uses the TDD2600, FDD2600, FDD2100 and FDD800 bands. The network was launched with ZTE and according to ZTE, this is the world's first LTE network to use both FDD and TDD at the same time. Later it was switched to Huawei and Ericsson and as of now in July 2022 with the roll out of 5G the whole network is changed to Ericsson and Nokia Networks, due to the ban of using Huawei to build a 5G-network. At the beginning of 2022, 3 Sweden was Sweden's fastest growing mobile operator. 3 Sweden also operates its own lower-cost flanker brand Hallon, launched in 2013.[34]

Three Ireland (officially Three Ireland (Hutchison) Limited) launched on 26 July 2005 as Ireland's fourth mobile network operator behind Vodafone, O2 and Meteor. Service was initially offered as post-paid only, but on 16 May 2006 the introduction of a pre-paid service, known as 3Pay, was announced.

Three UK (officially Hutchison 3G UK Limited) launched as the UK's first commercial video mobile network on 3 March 2003 (03-03-03), the day that 3G services went live across the country,[43] and handsets went on sale later that month. On 9 December 2004, Three announced that it was the first network to meet its regulatory requirement of 80% population coverage in the UK.[44]

Three's first retail stores (branded 3Store) opened at the same time as the network launched, in London's Oxford Street and Kensington High Street, and at the Birmingham Mailbox. Three's handsets and contracts are also sold by mobile telephony chains and independents throughout the UK, as well as online retailers. In 2005, an expansion of the 3Store portfolio saw stores opened in larger malls throughout the UK, such as the Bluewater shopping centre, and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway near Bristol.[50] On 24 October 2006, Three announced that it had purchased 95 high street shops from O2 and The Link.[51] Three's UK division is owned entirely by CK Hutchison Holdings.

In June 2023, it was announced that, subject to regulatory approval Vodafone UK and Three UK will merge to create Britain's biggest mobile network, with Vodafone owning 51% and CK Hutchison Holdings owning 49% of the new service.[52]

Hutchison formerly operated an Australian CDMA network under the Orange brand name, as Orange One. It allowed customers to use their 3-branded CDMA mobile phone as a Home phone when at home. Calls made from their mobile were charged at rates similar to those of a Landline. Customers also received a "Local Zone " number allowing them to be called on a Landline number whilst at home. Should the phone be out of the Local zone, Calls made to the landline number either diverted to the Mobile number at a small fee, or was directed to Voicemail on the mobile handset. These plans started at a very competitive price of $10.00 per month, and local calls from the local Zone to a local landline was charged at 20c per local call, making their service cheaper than those of Telstra or Optus. The Orange One network was not as vast as others, and so Orange made arrangements with Telstra to allow the services of Orange One devices to roam to the Telstra network. On 1 February 2006, it was rebranded as 3 CDMA, and this network was closed as of 9 August 2006. 3 CDMA customers were offered special tariffs and incentives to continue as customers on the 3G network, all customers either moved over to 3's 3G network or to other network providers.

3 Italy (officially H3G S.p.A., formerly known as Andala 3G S.p.A.[60][61]) was founded in November 1999 and controlled by Sardinian Internet company Tiscali and Franco Bernab. It was the first Italian mobile operator to offer 3G services (UMTS),[62][63] launched in March 2003.[64] As of March 2010, 3 Italy had 9 million registered customers. It had a roaming agreement with TIM which allowed its customers to get a 2G service when they moved out of 3G coverage, allowing 3 to offer coverage to up to 99.8% of the population on 2G service. On 22 February 2006, 3 announced the first launch of HSDPA technology in Italy, marketed as "ADSM" (a contraction of "ADSL Mobile"). On 14 May 2006, 3 was the first in Italy to launch digital mobile TV using DVB-H technology. From June 2008 to November 2011, 3 Italia offered free of charge the viewing of Rai 1, Rai 2, Canale 5, Italia 1, Rete 4, SKY Meteo24, Current TV and La7 television channels with DVB-H technology.

Like other mobile-provider Internet home pages, 3's portal is 'free to browse' for some content in most 3 countries including Ireland, UK and Australia in most price plans; the user pays a fixed price for each video, text or application downloaded. ff782bc1db