Monday, September 22, 2008

Orange announces Lycamobile as new MVNO

Orange today announced the introduction of Lycamobile, the sixth Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) to run over the Orange UK network.

Lycamobile designed to target UK based ethnic markets, follows five other Wholesale successes from Orange: GlobalCell, Blyk, IDT, H3G national roaming and most recently Cable&Wireless' new FMC service. This brings the total Wholesale customer base on the Orange UK network to nearly 2.8 million.

It follows the launch of Orange's new strategy and the creation of the new business, wholesale and strategy team, led by Marc Overton, which has been set up to explore additional MVNO opportunities and other new business streams that could compliment the Orange brand.

Marc Overton, Vice President of New Business, Wholesale and Strategy at Orange UK, said: "We are delighted to confirm that Lycamobile will become an Orange MVNO partner for the launch of their new service. Orange has very ambitious plans to grow and evolve into new and exciting areas and the deal with Lycamobile, the sixth MVNO to sign up with Orange and the third this year alone, represents just that.

"In an economically challenging time, companies have realised that offering telecoms services to their customers creates additional profitable growth and increased loyalty. Partnering with MVNOs such as Lycamobile not only demonstrates our desire to become the network partner of choice for new and existing MVNOs but also extends the Orange reach to much broader segments of the marketplace."

"With the largest integrated mobile data network of all the operators, our network is certainly one of our greatest assets and will receive continued investment to maintain it as the best network in the UK."

Orange UK Mobile Network facts:

  • Orange currently reaches: over 94% 3G population coverage and over 50% 3G+ population coverage.

  • Orange is working towards its 3G/HSDPA network speed targets of up to 7.2Mbps in the top 30 UK cities; 2Mbps for 80% of entire UK population and will start rolling out a 14.4Mbps by the end of 2009

  • Orange invests over £1million every working day to develop the network

  • Orange will be installing over 450 new 2G and 3G sites over the next 12 months to ensure customers can make calls, send texts and access mobile broadband

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