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O2 (brand)
O2 (typeset as O2) is a British brand owned by Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica, used for its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and Germany, its former subsidiaries in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and since 2018 as an online-only flanker brand in Spain. The O2 brand was created by British Telecom (BT) in 2001 ahead of the demerger of its global BT Wireless division as mmO2 plc (later O2 plc).
BT Wireless provided telecommunications services in the United Kingdom (BT Cellnet), Ireland (Digifone), Germany (VIAG Interkom), the Netherlands (Telfort), the Isle of Man (Manx Telecom), and a global mobile data business known as Genie Internet. Most of these operations were rebranded as O2 following the demerger from BT. In 2006, O2 plc was acquired by Telefónica, becoming Telefónica Europe. As part of a reorganisation of Telefónica in 2014, Telefónica Europe's holdings and operations became direct subsidiaries of its parent: Telefónica S.A.
Today, the O2 brand is used primarily in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Spain. In the United Kingdom, O2 is the largest mobile network by customer base, and since 2021 has formed part of Virgin Media O2—a 50:50 joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global. It has held the naming rights to the O2 Arena in London since 2007, a partnership with Live Nation covering branding and priority access to customers for the Academy Music Group venues since 2008, and been long-time sponsors of England Rugby (since it was BT Cellnet). In Germany, O2 functions as Telefónica's flagship brand, offering broadband, landline, and mobile services. The O2 Czech Republic and Slovakia networks were acquired by Telefónica in 2005 and branded O2. These businesses were sold by Telefónica in 2013, but continue to license the brand. In Spain, O2 is an online-only flanker brand of Telefónica subsidiary Movistar.
Cellnet was launched in January 1985 as a subsidiary of Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Limited, a 60:40 venture between British Telecommunications (British Telecom or BT) and Securicor respectively.
In 1999, BT purchased Securicor's shares in Cellnet for £3.15 billion. 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 2000, BT Cellnet had over 6 million customers.
In October 2001, 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 2001, BT Cellnet demerged from BT as mmO2 plc, and was relaunched on 1 May 2002 using the O2 brand. The company changed its name from mmO2 to O2 plc in March 2005. In 2021 it merged with Virgin Media to form Virgin Media O2.
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 Telenor 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. Digifone became O2 Ireland in 2002 as a subsidiary of mmO2 plc following the demerger from BT. O2 Ireland became a subsidiary of Telefónica in 2006, after its parent company O2 in the United Kingdom was purchased. In June 2013, Hutchison Whampoa announced it would acquire the Republic of Ireland arm of O2 for €780m. O2 was merged into Hutchison Whampoa's subsidiary Three Ireland in March 2015.
Viag Interkom was created in 1995 as a joint venture of the German power supply firm VIAG (45%), British BT Group (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 €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. Viag Interkom became O2 Germany as a subsidiary of mmO2 plc in 2001, following the demerger from BT.
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O2 (brand)
O2 (typeset as O2) is a British brand owned by Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica, used for its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and Germany, its former subsidiaries in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and since 2018 as an online-only flanker brand in Spain. The O2 brand was created by British Telecom (BT) in 2001 ahead of the demerger of its global BT Wireless division as mmO2 plc (later O2 plc).
BT Wireless provided telecommunications services in the United Kingdom (BT Cellnet), Ireland (Digifone), Germany (VIAG Interkom), the Netherlands (Telfort), the Isle of Man (Manx Telecom), and a global mobile data business known as Genie Internet. Most of these operations were rebranded as O2 following the demerger from BT. In 2006, O2 plc was acquired by Telefónica, becoming Telefónica Europe. As part of a reorganisation of Telefónica in 2014, Telefónica Europe's holdings and operations became direct subsidiaries of its parent: Telefónica S.A.
Today, the O2 brand is used primarily in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Spain. In the United Kingdom, O2 is the largest mobile network by customer base, and since 2021 has formed part of Virgin Media O2—a 50:50 joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global. It has held the naming rights to the O2 Arena in London since 2007, a partnership with Live Nation covering branding and priority access to customers for the Academy Music Group venues since 2008, and been long-time sponsors of England Rugby (since it was BT Cellnet). In Germany, O2 functions as Telefónica's flagship brand, offering broadband, landline, and mobile services. The O2 Czech Republic and Slovakia networks were acquired by Telefónica in 2005 and branded O2. These businesses were sold by Telefónica in 2013, but continue to license the brand. In Spain, O2 is an online-only flanker brand of Telefónica subsidiary Movistar.
Cellnet was launched in January 1985 as a subsidiary of Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Limited, a 60:40 venture between British Telecommunications (British Telecom or BT) and Securicor respectively.
In 1999, BT purchased Securicor's shares in Cellnet for £3.15 billion. 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 2000, BT Cellnet had over 6 million customers.
In October 2001, 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 2001, BT Cellnet demerged from BT as mmO2 plc, and was relaunched on 1 May 2002 using the O2 brand. The company changed its name from mmO2 to O2 plc in March 2005. In 2021 it merged with Virgin Media to form Virgin Media O2.
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 Telenor 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. Digifone became O2 Ireland in 2002 as a subsidiary of mmO2 plc following the demerger from BT. O2 Ireland became a subsidiary of Telefónica in 2006, after its parent company O2 in the United Kingdom was purchased. In June 2013, Hutchison Whampoa announced it would acquire the Republic of Ireland arm of O2 for €780m. O2 was merged into Hutchison Whampoa's subsidiary Three Ireland in March 2015.
Viag Interkom was created in 1995 as a joint venture of the German power supply firm VIAG (45%), British BT Group (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 €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. Viag Interkom became O2 Germany as a subsidiary of mmO2 plc in 2001, following the demerger from BT.