Orange UK was a mobile network operator and internet service provider in the United Kingdom, launched in 1994.

The inception of the Orange brand occurred in 1990 in the United Kingdom with the formation of Microtel Communications,[1] a consortium initially formed by Pactel Corporation (American), British Aerospace, Millicom and Matra (French);[2] and later wholly owned by BAe.

[3] In July 1991, the Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, through a stock swap deal with BAe, acquired a controlling stake of 65% in Microtel, who by then had won a license to develop a personal communications network in the United Kingdom.

The Orange brand, at the time an unusual name for a telecommunications firm, was created by a team at Microtel led by Chris Moss (marketing director) and supported by Martin Keogh, Rob Furness and Ian Pond.

In April 1996, Orange went public and floated on the London Stock Exchange and NASDAQ,[4] majority owned by Hutchison (48.22%),[5][6] followed by BAe (21.1%).

[citation needed] The stint as a public company came to an end in October 1999, when it was acquired for US$33 billion by the German conglomerate Mannesmann AG.

Shortly thereafter, in February 2000, Vodafone acquired Mannesmann for US$183bn and divested Orange, as EU regulations would not allow it to hold two mobile licences.

[9] In May 2000, France Télécom announced the acquisition of the global operations of Orange from Vodafone for US$37bn, and the transaction was completed in August 2000.

[15] The British Office of Fair Trading joined this call by asking the EU to allow it to investigate the proposed deal in February 2010, saying that it believed the merger could have a 'significant' effect on competition.

[16] On 1 March 2010, the European Commission approved the merger, on condition that the combined company sell 25% of the spectrum it owned on the 1,800 MHz radio band, and amend a network sharing agreement with smaller rival 3.

[18] On 11 May 2010, it was announced that both the Orange and T-Mobile brands would remain on British high streets, although their new merged parent company would be called EE.

Starting in July 2015, Orange pay-as-you-go customers also had the ability to dial premium rate and directory enquiries numbers withdrawn.

When Orange launched its DSL broadband service it offered it for 'free', joining TalkTalk in the foray for market share.

Orange on its most expensive broadband service used to offer a Livebox which integrates VoIP technology as well as WiFi, but in more recent times, this has been replaced by a Netgear router.

For a one-off payment of £15, users received a SIM with five free texts every day for life without ever having to top up again, and an Orange-branded 'Out Here' drawstring bag.

In April 2008, Orange extended its animals to pay-as-you-go customers, introducing Dolphin, Raccoon, Canary, Camel, and Monkey.

Orange, like other mobile networks, offered an "Internet Everywhere" tariff on pay-as-you-go, pay monthly and business plans.

The adverts featured various celebrities including; Rob Lowe, Dennis Hopper, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Swayze, Carrie Fisher, John Cleese, Ewan McGregor, and The A-Team.

Throughout the sketch, a pair of fictional Orange executives, played by Brennan Brown and Steve Furst, manipulate an idea into film which promotes Orange through product placement, despite the product being completely 'out-of-place' (a mobile phone in a Western Film is one example); the catch line is "Don't let a mobile phone ruin your movie.

The first advert featured the cast of The A-Team, followed by a spot starring Jack Black in Gulliver's Travels, Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway in Rio, Potiche, The Muppets, The Expendables 2 and The Sweeney.

[32] In December 2011, Orange sent a text to its customer base to notify them that they were increasing monthly contract fees by just below RPI rates.

[34][35] Orange maintain that their inaccurate wording in previous contracts was legally binding but chose to settle all known court cases brought against them on this issue.

[36] Two years later, following its merger with T-Mobile, the combined companies again signalled their intention to increase the agreed tariffs of existing pay monthly customers.