NEWSFLASH: O2 to deliver Google's mobile network

A fairly senior source at O2 confirmed to me this morning that O2 is indeed working with Google to deliver a Google-branded mobile network in the UK, as speculated by Mike Arrington of TechCrunch yesterday. I can't vouch for the reliability of that information, but it sounded pretty definite the way my source told it.

Hot air

I went into the O2 outlet by Tottenham Court Road tube station a couple of days ago to upgrade my handset. It was a cold day, and I noticed that it was pretty chilly in the shop too—unsurprisingly, as the doors were wedged wide open. The shop assistant told me ruefully that he had asked his managers many times if he could close the door, but had been told that it was "policy" to keep them open.

Then, browsing through the handset brochure, I noticed a page on handset recycling. The text pointed out how important it was that we all did what we could to limit our impact on the environment.

The assistant and I agreed that it was most curious that on one hand O2 were pinning their caring, green colours on their sleeve, but on the other hand they were pumping heat out into the street and letting their staff freeze in the hope of pulling in a few extra casual shoppers.

This splitting of corporate identity reminds me of how O2 bend over backwards to make your life, as a customer, as easy as possible in every way except when it comes to finding out how many minutes you have left. Sorry to pick on you about the doors and the minutes, O2—I know your competitors fail on both these counts too—but you happen to be my network provider, so I care about you more. Ah, sweet.

On a related note, why on earth is our government talking about rationing meat and milk to reduce globe-warming cow farts when surely a teeny bit of regulation could ensure that shops around the country kept their doors shut when their heating was on?!