EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ANNOUNCES BRAND STRATEGY AND 4G LAUNCH PLAN

Everything Everywhere today outlined its brand strategy and 4G LTE network rollout plans.

EE will become the new name of the Everything Everywhere business and its integrated network infrastructure.  The company also plans, in the coming weeks, to launch EE as a superfast customer brand offering 4G mobile services and fixed fibre broadband, and it will open revamped EE-branded stores.  The new EE customer brand will stand alongside the Orange and T-Mobile brands, both of which the company will continue to operate for new and existing customers.

The company’s family-of-brands strategy will enable it to maximise its market share in the UK, providing consumers and businesses with a variety of compelling propositions, products and services. EE price plans and propositions will be announced in due course.  The Orange and T-Mobile brands will maintain their full selection of prepaid and postpaid price plans and propositions for new and existing customers.

Following the integration of the Orange and T-Mobile mobile networks, customers on the Orange and T-Mobile brands will from today begin to switch over to the seamless EE network, the largest in the UK.  The company plans to introduce 4G across 16 UK cities by the end of 2012, with 98% population coverage planned by the end of 2014. The previously announced three year £1.5bn network investment programme includes the UK-wide rollout of 4G network infrastructure.

EE, Orange and T-Mobile customers will also benefit from access to sales and service in a single revamped retail footprint of 700+ stores, formerly Orange, T-Mobile and Everything Everywhere shops.

With today’s announcement, the business is advancing its vision to provide the best network and best service so that customers trust it with their digital lives.  The company remains committed to its 2014 financial targets, including: leading service revenue market share; achieving 25% adjusted EBITDA margin; generating £3.5bn+ NPV in cost synergies, and delivering double digit FCF growth.

The company’s shareholders, France Telecom-Orange and Deutsche Telekom, fully endorse the new brand strategy and are committed to the business and its current ownership structure moving forward.

Gervais Pellissier, CEO Delegate & CFO of France Telecom-Orange, and Chairman of the EE Board of Directors, said: “This announcement is another important step in maximising the value of the joint venture in the UK.  As EE announces the availability of 4G in 16 cities by Christmas, we believe the time is right for EE to launch a new brand – dedicated to superfast offers – alongside Orange and T-Mobile to enrich our family of brands. The forthcoming launch of EE’s 4G services reflects the solid and steady progress of our joint venture, to which we remain fully committed.”

Timotheus Hoettges, CFO Deutsche Telekom, said: “We believe there is a great opportunity for an exciting new brand and welcome the introduction of 4G services in the UK. This is an important step forward to expand EE’s leading market position in the UK.”

Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE, said: “This is an exciting step forward for our company, for our customers and for the UK. We committed to invest £1.5 billion to build a 21st century digital infrastructure for Britain, and now are announcing the first communities that will benefit from 4G this year. These new superfast mobile services will be offered through an exciting new brand that will redefine how our customers think of and relate to mobile connectivity.”