Coop is a member-owned retail cooperative operating food stores, pharmacies, funeral services and other community businesses across Jersey and Guernsey,

Sure International serves the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and several international markets, and was formed from the merger between Sure International and Airtel.

There are four rolling monthly plans starting at £13.50 for 5GB of data with unlimited calls and texts across the Channel Islands, UK and Ireland. Higher tiers include 10GB for £16.50, 15GB for £19.95 and an unlimited data plan at £24.95. Customers who sign up before 30 April 2026 will receive a 25% discount for up to 12 months.

Members who link their Coop account to the service will also receive a 10 per cent discount voucher off a siingle grocery shop each month, redeemable in Coop stores.

The launch follows the retailer’s introduction of travel eSIM products in 2025 and reflects a broader move into digital services.

David McGrath, chief marketing and membership officer at Coop Channel Islands, said the operator was developed following customer research that indicated demand for simplified pricing and greater flexibility.

Plans are offered on a one-month basis and can be changed or cancelled without penalty via an app or online account. Data boosters are available in 2GB, 5GB and 10GB increments, while roaming is sold separately rather than bundled into monthly tariffs.

Coop Mobile also will sell new and refurbished handsets supplied by Grade Mobile swhich supplies refurbished graded smartphones and consumer electronics to retailers, operators and distributors.Devices will be available online and through in-store touchpoints, with trade-in options also offered.

The Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority, calculates average weekly grocery spending in Jersey is £112. Coop estimates that using the monthly voucher could save shoppers around £11 per visit.

Coop Mobile is now available to customers in Jersey, with Guernsey pricing adjusted to reflect local tax.

Rewild says environmental impact is embedded directly into its business model. According to the company, all profits will be directed into rewilding nature, rather than a fixed percentage of revenue or discretionary donations.

The London-based operator is offering an unlimited data SIM with unlimited UK calls and texts, priced from £18.50 per month on a 24-month contract. A 12-month plan is priced at £20 per month, with a 30-day rolling option available at £25.

Rewild operates on the Three and Vodafone networks. The company said the decision to use two host networks was to maximise performance, coverage, resilience and long-term wholesale flexibility.

The brand’s consumer-facing message centres on environmental impact, Rewild says its focus is on having a simple, high-performance network with clear pricing.

Rewild director Anne Johnson said transparency is critical to avoiding accusations of greenwashing. Rewild is B Corp pending, a member of 1% for the Planet, and plans to publish an annual impact report detailing profit allocation and project outcomes. It is also engaging with independent accountability initiatives including the Anti Greenwash Charter.

“We understand the scepticism around purpose-led brands,” said a spokesperson “Our approach is simple: publish everything. Profits, partners and impact will all be publicly reported. This isn’t about claims, it’s about building impact into the structure of the business.”

The operator said its pricing has been enabled through competitive wholesale agreements with its network partners, with longer-term contracts allowing greater pricing flexibility.

 Rewild is B Corp pending, a member of 1% for the Planet, and plans to publish an annual impact report detailing profit allocation and environmental outcomes. Donation totals and partner reporting will also be made publicly available.

Travel SIM 

Rewild is preparing to introduce a travel SIM that will connect in more than 180 countries. The company stated that the travel SIM is designed to address roaming pain points while generating an additional revenue stream.

The certifications include ISO 9001:2015 for quality management, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for information security management, and ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management. They apply across eRoaming’s core operations, including service delivery, customer support, data handling, supplier management, and internal governance.

Founder and director Ravi Navaratnam said, “ As eRoaming scales its international footprint, managing governance, security, and operational discipline has become increasingly important. Achieving triple ISO certification ensures growth is built on strong foundations focused on reliability, security, and sustainability.

“The move also signals to partners and regulators that quality, data protection, and environmental responsibility are being addressed early in the company’s growth cycle.”

He says the certifications are already strengthened conversations with enterprise customers, roaming suppliers, and distribution partners, positioning the business as a provider across B2B, travel, and more regulated markets. ISO/IEC 27001 has helped streamline due diligence processes and accelerate trust-based decision-making.

ISO/IEC 27001 is increasingly viewed as a baseline requirement for digital MVNOs and eSIM providers operating at scale. eSIM platforms are handling more personal, payment, and cross-border data, which means robust information security frameworks are becoming a standard expectation for providers working with enterprise, travel, and financial partners.

The certification process formalised processes that were already in place. This included clearer access controls, incident response procedures, data governance policies, supplier risk assessments, and accountability frameworks.

ISO 14001 reflects eRoaming’s digital-first operating model. The standard focuses on reducing paper-based processes, minimising physical SIM waste, optimising cloud and infrastructure usage, and embedding sustainability considerations into supplier and operational decision-making. The certification reinforces eSIM’s claim of being a more responsible alternative to traditional plastic SIM distribution.

The milestone also reflects a broader shift across the eSIM sector. As the market matures, governance and compliance are becoming as important as innovation, with regulators, partners, and customers placing increasing emphasis on transparency, security, and accountability.

eRoaming eSIM provides connectivity across more than 200 countries, with data services available in over 165 countries, alongside voice, SMS, and a persistent global mobile number designed to remain with customers as they travel across borders. The company is investing in automation, AI-driven customer support, and retention-focused product development as it expands its global footprint.

Owned by GK Telecom, the platform provides eSIM connectivity in around 200 countries, with full MVNO services, including data, voice, SMS and a global number, available in over 165 markets.

eROAMING says the milestone is less about user volume and more about the evolution of its business model.

Acquisition strategy

“It validates our acquisition strategy across both B2B and B2C and reflects growing market confidence in a UK-based travel MVNO with full global MVNO capability,” said Ravi Navaratnam, Founder and Director of eROAMING eSIM and Managing Director of GK Telecom. “More importantly, it signals a shift from acquisition towards retention, lifetime value and platform depth.”

Growth has been driven by a combination of consumer and business demand. B2C continues to deliver scale through retail partners, travel agents, kiosks and direct digital channels, while B2B growth is supported by travel partners and enterprise customers.

“B2C drives momentum and reach, while B2B brings stability,” Navaratnam said. “Together they diversify risk as the market becomes more competitive.”

Retention

Retention remains a key challenge across the travel eSIM sector, where usage is still closely tied to individual journeys. eROAMING says this has shaped its strategy over the past year.

“Historically, usage has been linked to single trips,” Navaratnam said. “Our focus now is on continuity, loyalty and account-based engagement to extend the relationship beyond one journey.”

A loyalty and rewards programme eROAMiles is designed to encourage repeat usage through purchases, top-ups and referrals.

“Early signals show customers are more likely to return when there is a clear ongoing value proposition,” Navaratnam said. “Loyalty positions eROAMING as a service rather than a one-off travel purchase.”

The company has integrated AI capabilities with Roameo. This is a digital assistant supporting onboarding, activation and customer support. eROAMING says AI has reduced support demand and improved response times, while allowing human teams to focus on more complex cases.

In an increasingly crowded market, eROAMING points to its full MVNO capability as a key differentiator.

“We offer a global number with data, minutes and text across more than 165 countries. A functionality few travel eSIM providers can match,” Navaratnam said. “Combined with retail and partner integrations, AI-driven engagement and a structured loyalty ecosystem, it creates an end-to-end connectivity proposition that digital-only brands struggle to replicate.”

The business is underpinned by GK Telecom, one of the UK’s longest-established mobile distribution businesses, while operating eROAMING eSIM as a digital-first travel MVNO.

Future growth will be measured by quality rather than quatity, with repeat usage, retention and partner depth defining success.

ZIM  was fonded five years ago supplying travel data eSIMs to consumers before moving into B2B connectivity for corporates and SMEs. It is now targeting international students, remote workers, long-term visitors and organisations needing flexible or secondary mobile lines for staff.

ZIM has been able to enter the MVNO market with minimal upfront investment using eSIM Go’s system. This gives i  gaining immediate access to UK numbering, voice and SMS, low-cost data tariffs, month-to-month terms and full domestic coverage. Activation is instant via eSIM.

Mitch Fordham, Chief Commercial Officer at eSIM Go, said the move highlights how the company is helping new entrants enter the market quickly. “As entry barriers come down, the UK MVNO market is hotting up, creating a new wave of disruption, and that’s great news for consumers.”

ZIM Connections COO Giulia Acchioni Mena said the long-standing partnership made eSIM Go the obvious choice for its domestic UK launch.

“We’ve worked with eSIM Go for five years on international travel data eSIM solutions, so they were the natural partner for our UK Monthly eSIM Plans,. Customers come to ZIM for seamless, transparent connectivity when travelling, and this new service is the ideal way to support those on frequent or extended stays in the UK.”

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/zim-connections-becomes-an-instant-mvno-using-esim-go-platform/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/former-orb-group-ceo-kate-dohaney-selected-as-new-ceo-as-giff-gaff/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/former-orb-group-ceo-kate-dohaney-selected-as-new-ceo-as-giff-gaff/#respond Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:16:47 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179208 Virgin Media O2 has named Kate Dohaney as the new chief executive of giffgaff, with the former Orb Group boss set to take over next month. 

She succeeds long-standing CEO Ash Schofield who joined giff gaff in 2013 from Tesco Mobile.  He has been CEO since 2018.

Dohaney has had senior leadership roles at News Corp and Dow Jones before she was appointed chief executive of mechandise agency Orb Group in March 2024 where she ran a modernisation programme.

Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schüler said: “Kate is a proven leader with a wealth of experience, and I look forward to welcoming her as CEO of giffgaff. She joins at a truly exciting time for the company following its recent expansion into the broadband market and I am confident she will lead the organisation with the heart and tenacity the brand was built on.”

Dohaney said: “giffgaff is known for doing things differently and I’m excited to get started, driving the next chapter of growth for the business.”

The appointment comes as giffgaff pushes deeper into broadband, recently launching full-fibre connectivity in regions including North West England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the North East, Scotland, South West England, Wales and the West Midlands. The business also plans to leverage Virgin Media O2’s fibre infrastructure to build a nationwide fixed offering.

Launched in 2009, giffgaff built its brand around low-cost, SIM-only mobile plans and a community-driven service model.

The challenger bank, which has more than 13 million customers is understood to be targeting its younger, tech-savvy base with mobile tariffs that combine pricing bundles and loyalty rewards.

“Monzo is known for transforming products and an entire industry  to deliver a great experience for customers. So when we heard from our customers that mobile contracts can be a pain point we set out to explore how we could do this the Monzo way, and are in the early stages of developing this idea” said a Monzo spokesperson.

The move mirrors strategies by Revolut,  which is using telecoms both as an additional revenue stream and a way to boost customer engagement.

Monzo is expected to leverage its app-based model to integrate mobile services with financial management tools, potentially creating a differentiator in an increasingly crowded market.

The bank has not released details about launch timings or network partners but confirmed it is exploring new services to “make money work for everyone.”

Monzo’s potential entry into the MVNO market is unlikely to create opportunities for the mobile channel. Fintechs generally prefer digital-first, direct-to-consumer models, often with SIM distribution handled online. This approach bypasses traditional distribution partners, keeping costs low and maintaining tight control over customer experience.

MVNOs added 1.6 million customers in 2024, while the four legacy networks shed around 180,000 subscribers over the same period.

He remains group chairman and majority owner,

Subaskaran’s decision to step down from his directorship appears to be part of this restructuring process, aimed at restoring governance credibility and satisfying external stakeholders, including regulators and tax authorities.

His ongoing involvement is expected to be more strategic than operational as the company attempts to stabilise its finances and rebuild trust with partners and regulators under the control of his long-time business partner Premananthan Sivesasamy who  already oversees strategic, commercial, and financial matters across the 23 countries in which Lyca Mobile operates.

Subaraskaran’ resignation, formally recorded at Companies House on 13 June, comes after a turbulent year for the UK-based MVNO, which operates in more than 20 countries and has long marketed itself as a low-cost international mobile provider.  He remains chairman.

Lycamobile’s problems intensified in June 2024 when its auditor, PKF Littlejohn, refused to sign off the company’s 2022 accounts. The auditor cited a lack of “sufficient appropriate audit evidence” related to related-party loans and the recoverability of significant intercompany balances.

This refusal followed a pattern of missed deadlines, late filings, and growing concerns over the company’s corporation tax liabilities, large VAT arrears, and opaque internal loan arrangements.

Tax and VAT Battles

The group also became embroiled in a series of disputes with HMRC, including a £51 million VAT ruling and an estimated total liability potentially approaching £100 million. These issues prompted winding-up petitions filed by HMRC in August 2024.

Meanwhile, in France, Lycamobile’s local operation was earlier found guilty of VAT fraud and money laundering, resulting in a €10 million fine and criminal convictions of senior executives, including the former French CEO. In January Lyca announced it was slashing London head count to 48 as it reorganises to concentrate on Africa markets

Mobile News has requested a statemet from the company.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/lycam-founder-steps-director-amid-financial-turmoil/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/gk-telecom-esim-mvno-bundle-travel-accessories-esim-activations/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/gk-telecom-esim-mvno-bundle-travel-accessories-esim-activations/#respond Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:43:56 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/gk-telecom-esim-mvno-bundle-travel-accessories-esim-activations/ GK Telecom’s eROAMING eSIM MVNO is bundling travel and tech accessories with global eSIMs that can be used in more than 200 countries. Over 100,000 units are already in rollout. GK confirms this is not a licensing or white-label deal: every accessory—from charging kits to audio gear and travel adaptors—has been developed and manufactured in-house

The regulator’s annual review of telecoms service quality revealed that companies outside the big four mobile networks—EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone—are scoring impressively on customer satisfaction metrics.

Tesco Mobile and giffgaff lead the mobile sector

Tesco Mobile and giffgaff led the mobile sector with standout overall satisfaction scores of 94%, well above the industry average. In contrast, major players O2 and Vodafone lagged behind, scoring 85% and 84% respectively.

When it came to handling complaints, Tesco Mobile again stood out with a satisfaction score of 68%, comfortably above the average, while Three fell short at 51%. Customers of Lebara, Tesco Mobile, and giffgaff were also more inclined to recommend their mobile provider to friends—another indicator of high satisfaction.

Complaints drop overall

The number of complaints made to Ofcom dropped overall in 2024, but disparities remain. O2 recorded the highest number of complaints per 100,000 customers (23), while Tesco Mobile had the lowest (4), underscoring the performance gap between the major operators and smaller challengers.

In the broadband market, Plusnet emerged as the top performer with a 91% satisfaction rating, whereas TalkTalk customers reported the lowest satisfaction at 77%. EE (66%), Plusnet (65%), and Sky (63%) all ranked above average for handling complaints, while TalkTalk (54%) and Virgin Media (53%) fell behind.

Broadband speed satisfaction remained strong, with 83% of customers content with their service—unchanged from 2022. Notably, satisfaction with value for money improved, rising from 62% in 2022 to 73% among standalone broadband users in 2024.

NOW Broadband registered the highest volume of complaints to Ofcom per 100,000 customers (65), while Sky had the lowest complaint rate in the broadband category, at 21.

The report highlights a continuing trend: smaller and challenger brands are outperforming established giants in key aspects of customer service and satisfaction.