Orange and T Mobile Merger

I am so intrigued by all that is happening in the world of mobile telecoms in the UK at the moment. It's been a long time since there's been a shake up like this.

The industry has been known to hype its own hype and in reality it had made little difference to the average consumer. So will this be any different?

3G was supposed to be whirlwind revolution to the way we engaged with content and instead it was more of a slow burn that is really only now coming into its own.

Then there was the arrival of 3, which was going to threaten the big players coming in as the underdog with revolutionary technology and category defying price plans. And now it's struggling for even 10% of the market.

Then of course there was the hotly anticipated arrival of the iphone. It ruffled more than a few feathers in its demand for exclusivity and the somewhat arrogant discussions it made with UK networks. I lost alot of respect for them at that time. Something about the way they approached negotiations, or as it was, the lack of negotiation, left a nasty taste in my mouth. But you gotta hand it to them - it is a neat bit of kit. I hold my hands up to say that I left Vodafone so that I could have one, and many others did too.

But somehow what's happening now does feel like the biggest news. If the planned superbrand emerges with a new identity in the next year or so, what will it look like? Can it keep the slightly quirky feel of Orange or the youthful edge of T Mobile? Will its size and scale make it less agile or innovative?

And what could this mean for the likes of Vodafone, O2 and 3. Will 3 even make it through? Will O2 survive this now, especially without exclusivity of the iphone?

I wait with baited breath to see how it plays out. It certainly feels like things are hotting up out there