Orange is aiming to eliminate one of the major pain points experienced by mobile customers: roaming inconsistencies. As European Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, pointed out at Mobile World Congress, telecom is the only market in the EU that is still fractured into 20+ fiefdoms. This makes billing confusing and can sometimes result in gargantuan charges that are terrible for the customer experience. 

As a solution, Orange is in the process of launching EU roaming across its multi-country 4G network. Since 17 February, Orange 4G customers have already been able to use their 4G smartphones when travelling in Spain, Portugal, the UK, South Korea, and the Netherlands. At the beginning of April, Orange 4G customers will be able to enjoy 4G roaming in 6 new countries: Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

There is a catch, though. Customers must first sign up for a 4G offer in France and use compatible devices if they want to access the 4G network while abroad. What about those who don't travel much? Infrequent travelers can enjoy a special rate for calls, texts and Internet access via the Go Europe pass and the Go USA/Canada pass, which start at €5.

AT&T expands digital life footprint

On Friday, March 21, AT&T extended its Digital Life home automation and security platform to five additional markets. The platform, which competes in some markets with similar solutions from Comcast and Time Warner Cable, is already live in 63 markets. The following new markets have access to AT&T Digital Life: Greensboro, North Carolina; Bakersfield, California; Columbia, South Carolina; Fresno, California; and Knoxville, Tennessee. 

"This announcement illustrates why I have worked hard at the General Assembly to ensure that our laws and regulations encourage continued improvement of wireless services here in the Triad and across North Carolina," said North Carolina state Rep. Edward Hanes (D-Forsyth). "The availability of a strong wireless network is essential to all our citizens having access to new opportunities and new services which could not only be life-changing, but life-saving."

AT&T's Digital Life solution is connectivity agnostic--that is, customers can use the service over any wireless provider and any broadband provider. The platform enables customers to control locks, security cameras, thermostats, lighting, and appliances via a web browser or mobile app. Digital Life is flexible, and offers several pricing and service tiers to accomodate users' lifestyles and preferences.

"With Digital Life, AT&T is committed to offering our customers an easy and convenient way to secure their homes, protect their families and simplify their lives from virtually anywhere," said Cristy Swink, AT&T's Vice President and General Manager of the Mid-Atlantic market. "With the launch of these new markets, we're looking forward to making Digital Life available to more customers throughout the country."

AT&T is also busy finalizing its purchase of Leap Wireless, better known in the consumer space as Cricket. AT&T says it will move Cricket's customers from Leap's CDMA network over to AT&T's 4G LTE GSM network. This will eventually necessitate new devices. Also, AT&T's pre-paid brand AIO Wireless will be rolled into the new Cricket, as Pipeline originally reported. According to the website established to explain the merger, AIO customers won't have to switch phones; "the only change they will see is the name change to the new Cricket brand."