E-Plus
Encyclopedia
E-Plus is a mobile telecommunications operator in Germany
. With 19.0 million subscribers, E-Plus is the third largest mobile operator in Germany, after T-Mobile
(38 million subscribers) and Vodafone
(37 million subscribers).
The company was awarded Germany's first DCS-1800 (later renamed GSM-1800) license in 1993. One term of the licence was that no further Mobile network operator
could be started within 3 years of the start of the network.
The network started operation as a "metropolitan" network, with coverage only in the biggest cities, in 1994. The coverage area was expanded rapidly, but for years the network's image was hampered by the view that its coverage was lacking. As a countermeasure, voicemail
retrieval was free of charge for the first of years of operation, and calls were billed in six-second increments (in contrast to the one-minute increments of the other networks); after text messaging
was introduced, it too was free for some time.
E-Plus was the second network in Germany to offer prepaid tariffs to its customers (after T-Mobile's XtraCard) and later introduced HSCSD
, which boosts data rates on GSM
networks to analogue modem speed levels. Shortly after that, E-Plus upgraded its network to support GPRS
. They now also operate a 3G
UMTS
network.
In February 2006, after the EGSM900-band, which was in military use before, had become available in late 2005, the German regulation authority Bundesnetzagentur assigned two 2 x 5 MHz ranges to each, E-Plus and O2 Germany, who previously both operated in GSM1800 only. In return to this step, which facilitates coverage in rural areas and provides additional capacity for urban areas, E-Plus and O2 Germany had to assign some GSM1800 frequencies to the two bigger operators, T-Mobile
and Vodafone
. The first EGSM900-base station
s (cell site
s) began running only in April 2006. In March 2007 E-Plus sourced the deployment, management and maintenance of its network out to Alcatel-Lucent
and thereby transferred 750 employees to the French-American company.
E-Plus was the first company to introduce i-mode
in Germany, when the other operators did not yet offer MMS
.
Recently, E-Plus has begun to market its network using different brand names, e.g. BASE
, blau.de, ALDI Talk
, Simyo
, VIVA, JambaSIM
...
E-Plus has been owned by Dutch
telecommunications operator KPN
since 2002.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. With 19.0 million subscribers, E-Plus is the third largest mobile operator in Germany, after T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
(38 million subscribers) and Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
(37 million subscribers).
The company was awarded Germany's first DCS-1800 (later renamed GSM-1800) license in 1993. One term of the licence was that no further Mobile network operator
Mobile network operator
A mobile network operator , also known as mobile phone operator , carrier service provider , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, or cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a telephone company that provides services for mobile phone subscribers.One essential...
could be started within 3 years of the start of the network.
The network started operation as a "metropolitan" network, with coverage only in the biggest cities, in 1994. The coverage area was expanded rapidly, but for years the network's image was hampered by the view that its coverage was lacking. As a countermeasure, voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
retrieval was free of charge for the first of years of operation, and calls were billed in six-second increments (in contrast to the one-minute increments of the other networks); after text messaging
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
was introduced, it too was free for some time.
E-Plus was the second network in Germany to offer prepaid tariffs to its customers (after T-Mobile's XtraCard) and later introduced HSCSD
High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data
High-speed circuit-switched data , is an enhancement to Circuit Switched Data , the original data transmission mechanism of the GSM mobile phone system, four times faster than GSM, with data rates up to 38.4 kbit/s....
, which boosts data rates on GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications
GSM , is a standard set developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute to describe technologies for second generation digital cellular networks...
networks to analogue modem speed levels. Shortly after that, E-Plus upgraded its network to support GPRS
General Packet Radio Service
General packet radio service is a packet oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system's global system for mobile communications . GPRS was originally standardized by European Telecommunications Standards Institute in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode...
. They now also operate a 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a third generation mobile cellular technology for networks based on the GSM standard. Developed by the 3GPP , UMTS is a component of the International Telecommunications Union IMT-2000 standard set and compares with the CDMA2000 standard set for...
network.
In February 2006, after the EGSM900-band, which was in military use before, had become available in late 2005, the German regulation authority Bundesnetzagentur assigned two 2 x 5 MHz ranges to each, E-Plus and O2 Germany, who previously both operated in GSM1800 only. In return to this step, which facilitates coverage in rural areas and provides additional capacity for urban areas, E-Plus and O2 Germany had to assign some GSM1800 frequencies to the two bigger operators, T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
and Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
. The first EGSM900-base station
Base station
The term base station can be used in the context of land surveying and wireless communications.- Land surveying :In the context of external land surveying, a base station is a GPS receiver at an accurately-known fixed location which is used to derive correction information for nearby portable GPS...
s (cell site
Cell site
A cell site is a term used to describe a site where antennas and electronic communications equipment are placed, usually on a radio mast, tower or other high place, to create a cell in a cellular network...
s) began running only in April 2006. In March 2007 E-Plus sourced the deployment, management and maintenance of its network out to Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...
and thereby transferred 750 employees to the French-American company.
E-Plus was the first company to introduce i-mode
I-mode
NTT DoCoMo's i-mode is a mobile internet service popular in Japan. Unlike Wireless Application Protocol, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail and the packet-switched network that delivers the data...
in Germany, when the other operators did not yet offer MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.The most popular use is to send photographs from...
.
Recently, E-Plus has begun to market its network using different brand names, e.g. BASE
BASE (mobile)
BASE is a telephony services and broadband internet brand operated by KPN Group Belgium/KPN in Belgium and Germany.-Belgium:BASE is a brand of KPN Group Belgium....
, blau.de, ALDI Talk
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, Simyo
Simyo
simyo is a no frills brand of a mobile virtual network operator operated by KPN in Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain.The company was founded in May 2005. Its headquarters are in Düsseldorf from a four-member team led by Rolf Hansen, the current CEO. Participation was initially...
, VIVA, JambaSIM
Jamba!
Jamba! is a premium-rate monthly SMS mobile phone content provider, based in Berlin, Germany. In China and the company's English-speaking markets—currently Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States—the company operates under the name...
...
E-Plus has been owned by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
telecommunications operator KPN
KPN
KPN is a Dutch landline and mobile telecommunications company, including both 2G and 3G mobile operations...
since 2002.
Competitors
- T-Mobile Germany (D1)T-MobileT-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
- Vodafone Germany (D2)VodafoneVodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
- O2 Germany ("E2")