O2 is now officially the UK’s biggest telco

BT span O2 out of BT in 2001. O2, now owned by Telefonica after an all cash £17.7 billion acquisition in 2006 now has 21 million mobile customers compared to BT’s 19.4 million land line customers. It continues to grow and has added 1,000,000 subscribers in 2009  thanks largely to its exclusive contract to sell the iPhone in the UK. During this time, Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile and 3 added a combined total of 400,00o subscribers. Will this growth continue? It seems unlikely given Orange started selling the iPhone this Tuesday and sold 30,000 contracts on the first day.