[Ben]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/03/t_mobile_vodafone/

T-Mobile UK will be sold in the next few months, and the markets are salivating at the synergies possible - but it could easily be T-Mobile's network that remains in place when the dust settles.

Any doubts that Deutsche Telecom wants shot of its UK arm, T-Mobile, were firmly put to rest with Vodafone and then Telefonica in the frame to purchase the ailing operator, and analysts leaping into the fray to suggest that the buyer could save millions by shutting down T-Mobile's network. But with the named buyers running on a different frequency, and T-Mobile already sharing a network with 3, it might not provide the result that the markets are expecting.

...

[3GScottishUser]

The different frequencies are a 'red herring' as all handsets can operate on all of the operators ranges of frequencies. If another operator acquired T-Mobile its likely they would keep the spectrum as it would provide bandwidth for mobile broadband etc and it could easily be accommodated within an operators existing infrastructure.

[a_ukboy]

But if a UK operator like Vodafone buy T-Mobile then won't they have to sell it?? Didn't Vodafone buy Orange a few years back then have to sell it to the french??

[Ben]

The article mentions that LTE works best in continuous frequency blocks. T-Mobile's 1800 frequency block is next door to Vodafone's little one.

[3g-g]

LTE at 1800 would almost be as bad the current 3G at 2100, Vodafone would want every and any existing 2G customer on 1800, as they already own a little bit of that frequency anyway, so it's no great shakes to anyone. Ideally LTE and 3G would be on the 900 chunk they own/have been given... that the government wants back!