Allirajah Subaskaran – Mobile News

Lyca founder steps down as director amid financial turmoil

Staff Reporter — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 09:48:11 +0000

Allirajah Subaskaran, founder and majority owner of Lyca Group, has stepped down as a director following months of escalating financial, legal and governance challenges that culminated in board-level changes.

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.

Resignation recorded at Companies House on June 13

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.

Sivesasamy: executive control

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.

Lyca Mobile chief’s company develops UK’s first eSIM-only network ‘Slice Mobile’

Staff Reporter — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:39:08 +0000

A new eSIM only MVNO called Slice Mobile owned by Lyca boss Allirajah Subaskaran’s company Paraspara has launched offering talk, text and data plans on the EE network.

Slice Mobile was conceived by gffgaff founder and ex-CEO Gav Thompson Like giffgaff, Slice Mobile is using the “community-powered” approach where customers, or “members,” are encouraged to engage in various aspects of the business, such as customer support, marketing, and development of new ideas.

Thompson worked with Subaskaran on the project but resigned on August 21 as a director of Paraspara after a difference of opinion on the direction and funding of Slice Mobile, according to Campaign magazine. He has been replaced as a director by Lyca deputy chairman Prem Sivasamy

Slice Mobile is currently in its early release – and will be opening doors to its founding customers gradually. Founding customers qualify for up to 20 per cent of cashback on their annual spend. Activation and plan management is done entirely through the Slice Mobile app or website.

Thompson: Slice Mobile founder

Subscribers who convert from the 7 day Free Trial to a paid plan by November 19 2024 will be entered into a prize draw to win a £30k house deposit.

Customers are being offered four core contract-free monthly rolling plans that include unlimited talk and text, as well as data packages and EU roaming. Plans will start at £10 per month and come with a free 7-day trial.

Plans will start at £10 per month and come with a free 7-day trial.

Rob Brock, Product Director at Slice, said, “We are very excited to start letting founding customers through the doors and getting the Slice app into their hands. Our vision has been to develop a network that evolves effortlessly with the dynamic needs of mobile users.

“A key decision early on was to make Slice an eSIM only mobile network. With the eSIM market rapidly expanding and our audience’s growing demand for sustainable and instant connectivity options, the move to eSIM was a clear and natural choice for us.

Brock: “We view our customers as co-owners”

“At Slice, our mission goes beyond delivering exceptional connectivity and a seamless app experience—we’re committed to breaking down barriers for customers who want to engage with us as their mobile network. We view our customers as co-owners, empowering them to actively co-create and shape the network and its features, ensuring it becomes the network they’ve always envisioned. In return, we’ll reward them with things they actually want to own. Our ultimate goal is to establish a community where there is no distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ but rather a single community of ‘us’.”

Lyca Mobile launches UK eSIM service

Staff Reporter — Wed, 17 May 2023 10:22:15 +0000

Lyca Mobile, which claims to be the world’s largest MVNO, has launched an eSIM service in the UK.

Lyca Mobile chairman, Allirajah Subaskaran, said:

“The convenience of seamless connectivity is more important than ever. Lyca Mobile’s eSIM service provides a more convenient way to stay connected without the need for a physical SIM card. eSIMs will quickly become the norm.

Subaskaran: convenience of seamless connectivity is more important than ever

“They provide many benefits including making it easier to switch between business, personal, and international networks on the same device, and to change SIM without the need for a SIM card.”

The GSMA, predicts that by 2025, 35 per cent of all smartphone network connections will be made via eSIM as the telecommunications industry looks to the future.

Lyca Mobile operates in 22 countries across five continents – including the UK, USA, large parts of Europe and Africa with more than 16 million customers worldwide. It says a new customer joins every two seconds.

The cost of living bite: UK mobile providers risk a fall in customers as EU roaming costs rise

Staff Reporter — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 14:33:20 +0000

By Lyca Mobile Chairman, Allirajah Subaskaran

As 2022 draws to a close, it marks two and a half years of financial struggle for many. A result of the pandemic, staff layoffs and the recent conflict in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis has well and truly bitten.

Value for money has once again been thrown into the forefront, as cost conscious consumers are forced to spend more money on everyday expenses. Figures from the Office for National Statistics reported inflation of 10.1% for the 12 months ending September 2022, as prices across the board continue to rise. Alongside rising prices, Brits have witnessed another unwelcome blow from some network providers with the return of roaming fees as they travel within the EU.

Mobile habits set to change as EU roaming costs sting

These added charges are far from insignificant. For a family of four travelling to Europe on a two-week holiday, roaming fees could add more than £100 in costs. And the reintroduction of these charges have not gone unnoticed.

To better understand the problem, we recently surveyed more than 1,000 contract customers from four of the UK’s leading network providers. The numbers underlined that many consumers are actively looking to minimise the amount of data they use when on holiday to bring down costs.

More than two in five plan to rely solely on Wi-Fi on holiday, while 11% plan to go off-grid altogether. What’s more, we expect to see a rise in the purchase of local SIM cards, with 19% of people considering buying them abroad, even though three in four have not bought local SIM cards before.

EU roaming charges are preventing people from remaining connected when travelling, threatening the possibility of a significant mobile usage drop. However, it is not just changing behaviours that operators reintroducing roaming charges need to be concerned about.

Consumers will begin to rally against soaring costs

Our research also showed that the reintroduction of roaming fees is likely to result in consumers considering abandoning their existing provider in search of a more cost-friendly deal.

While almost two thirds (65%) of Brits blame the current cost of living crisis as the economic factor making them most likely to reconsider their phone contract, 44% also said that the return of roaming charges makes them question if they should switch providers.

Further, over a third (36%) stated that free roaming tariffs offered by alternative providers outside of the big four UK operators would prompt them to switch.

As the country looks set to enter a potential recession and the cost of living crisis continues to bite, seeking value is going to be the number one priority for customers. Being able to keep in touch with loved ones and enjoy the advantages of connectivity is vital, which is why Lyca Mobile has remained committed to not reintroducing EU roaming charges and continues to double-down on providing great value packages that make household budgets go further.

Loyalty should be rewarded

Given we were all once accustomed to free roaming, the concept of paying highly to roam in the EU is a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those who have stayed loyal to an operator for a considerable time. Operators must expect a change in customer sentiment as their costs rise, and the impact could be significant.

As it stands, customer loyalty is being taken for granted by many operators, and it’s likely that this could encourage customers to go in search of a better deal. After years of security, steady costs and minimal thought, roaming is new to the list of ‘life admin’ that Brits have to contend with. Our research has shown that consumers aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands and make a change, even if this means leaving a provider they have been with for years.

Lyca Mobile: 73pc of Brits consider switching mobile provider

Staff Reporter — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 08:30:58 +0000

48pc said they would actively search for a new provider

Over 70 per cent of Brits are considering switching mobile providers as the cost of living crisis causes people to save money, according to research by Lyca Mobile.

A further 65pc of contract customers of Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three stated the cost of living crisis has made them reconsider their phone contract.

Although 64pc said they felt loyal to their mobile provider, 41pc said they think they are overpaying for their current tariff.

Of those surveyed, 35pc say they only stay with their current mobile provider as it is too much of a nuisance to switch.

During the cost of living crisis, 58pc have said they would reassess their loyalty to the four main MNOs and switch to alternatives such as MVNOs which could help smaller providers.

Lyca Mobile chairman Allirajah Subaskaran said: “As households across the UK continue to be squeezed by rising bills and price hikes, consumers are increasingly frustrated and unafraid to ask the all important question: ‘Is this service giving me the best value of money?’

“This is shaking up the mobile services market, and beginning a move away from the big four to alternative providers that offer low value deals to suit changing consumer needs.

“Everyone should be able to stay connected, which is why Lyca Mobile is proud to deliver great value offers that give customers one less thing to worry about during these difficult times.”

Analyst comments

Uswitch.com mobiles expert Ernest Doku comments: “Millions of mobile users are guilty of falling into the trap of letting their mobile deal expire, meaning they are overpaying for being out-of-contract.

“This is especially costly if you are on a pay-monthly handset deal because it means you end up spending money on a phone that you have already paid off. During this time of unprecedented living costs, no one can afford to waste money in this way.

“If you are at the end of the contract on your current handset, consider switching to a SIM-only deal, which can cost as little as £3.95 a month.

“Before you switch, check to see how your monthly data allowance compares with your usage so that you can reassess your package and ensure any new deal suits your needs.”

Lyca Mobile: Almost half of UK consumers consider switching providers due to EU roaming charges

Staff Reporter — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 09:27:52 +0000

Lyca Mobile is one of the only operators to not have reintroduced EU roaming charges, helping to bring down costs for UK customers

Research by Lyca Mobile reveals that the return of EU roaming charges are an issue for UK mobile users.

Of those surveyed, 44 per cent of people said they are considering switching providers due to roaming charges and 36 pc said free roaming tariffs offered by smaller operators would tempt them to switch.

Confusion around roaming charges are affecting customers as 51 pc are unaware if their provider has reintroduced roaming charges and only 39 pc feel confident in how much roaming in the EU costs.

EU roaming could add £100 to a family of fours mobile bill, so 43 pc are planning to solely use WiFi abroad and 11 pc will avoid using their devices altogether.

Lyca Mobile offers different SIM-only mobile plans and its most affordable plan is the ‘National Plus’ plan which costs new customers £10 over 30 days for 15GB data, unlimited UK minutes and texts, 100 international minutes and EU roaming.

Lyca Mobile chairman Allirajah Subaskaran said: “As holidaymakers try to avoid unwanted charges this summer, it’s clear that the reintroduction of roaming fees by operators is having an impact.

“With travel resuming at the same time as the cost of living crisis starts to bite, roaming charges are a major issue for consumers.

“But they can, and will, take action, as consumers seek better value from their mobile provider.”

Lycamobile announces extension on NHS offer

Staff Reporter — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 12:13:53 +0000

NHS workers have until the end of January 2021 to claim for their free month

Lycamobile has extended its NHS discount period to support NHS workers through the second national lockdown.

It means that NHS workers will receive a free month of Lycamobile’s international unlimited plan, plus an ongoing 20 per cent discount on the plan after this is up.

Those eligible have until January 31 2021 to claim for their free month offer.

The 20 per cent discount will then be added, so long as ‘auto renewal’ is enabled.

Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, the MVNO claims to have helped a half a million key workers across the UK stay connected.

Lycamobile chairman and founder Allirajah Subaskaran commented: “NHS staff spent countless hours assisting our country through this pandemic and have been instrumental in protecting us and our loved ones during these difficult times.

“Extending our offer is our way of saying thank you and showing gratitude for their heroic work.”

Lycamobile bags top award at MVNOs World Congress

Staff Reporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 10:57:13 +0000

UK companies take home five of seven awards on offer

Lycamobile has won the Most Successful MVNO award at this year’s MVNOs World Congress.

The MVNO, which claims to be the largest in the world with more than 16 million customers, was recognised for several initiatives it undertook in the past year.

These include providing free unlimited data bundles to NHS workers during lockdown, and beginning to roll out 5G connectivity in Poland.

Additionally, it set up its own MNO in Uganda, and aims to roll out 5G across all of its markets by the end of 2021.

It has also redesigned its Lyca Rewards program to allow its customers and employees better access to bundles and gift vouchers from participating brands.

Lyca also set up an insurance program, Lycainsure, in partnership with Quote Me Today.

“This award means a great deal to us and we thank everyone at MVNOs Mobile World Congress for selecting us,” said Lycamobile founder and chairman Dr. Allirajah Subaskaran.

“This year in particular, against the difficult backdrop of COVID-19, I have been humbled by the role that our business has played in living by our mission and bringing people together.

“Throughout the pandemic, Lycamobile has seen a remarkable rise in demand driven by an increasing reliance on data and mobile services to facilitate connectivity, for work and recreation.

“Providing over sixteen million people with the best possible service and value – whether that’s in London, D.C., Kampala, or Stockholm – is something that we will always strive to do.”

Overall, UK companies took home five of the seven awards on offer at the MVNOs World Congress.

Warrington-based MDS Global won Best Solution Provider, while BT Wholesale won Most Innovative Wholesaler.

Three Wholesale and Mobius Networks received the Best IoT Enabler prize, and Honest Mobile won Best MVNO Start-up.

KPMG resigns as Lycamobile auditor

Staff Reporter — Wed, 31 May 2017 15:52:21 +0000

The auditor registered its resignation with Companies House on May 24

KPMG has announced it will resign as auditor of Lycamobile after it was “unable to determine whether adequate accounting records have been kept by the company”.

The auditor registered its resignation with Companies House on May 24, after a tenure of three years. It claims to have informally advise Lycamobile of its intention to resign on November 30, 2016, re-confirming in May 2017.

According to Lyca Group chief financial officer Michael Landau in a statement the group “gave formal notification to KPMG on April 24 2017” to terminate its position as auditor of Lycamobile UK.

“This decision was taken on the basis that we wished to rotate auditors to new auditors as is common place after several years,” added Landau.

Lycamobile is owned by Sri Lankan millionaire Allirajah Subaskaran (pictured). The MVNO piggybacks off the O2 network in the UK and has similar deals in 20 countries worldwide.

KPMG said in a statement it was not able to form a conclusive report on Lycamobile’s financials as it was “not able to obtain all the information and explanations from the company that we considered necessary for the purpose of our audit. Resigning an audit is not a step we take lightly”.