Charitable mobile network The People’s Operator (TPO) is planning to launch its first contract and Sim-only deals in Q1 and has inked a new partner deal with the Childrens’ Heart Federation.

The UK-based operator, which runs on EE’s network via aggregator Transatel, launched in November last year as a Pay As You Go MVNO. TPO donates 10% of a consumer’s bill to an organisation or charity of their choice and annually donates 25% of its profits to charities, including the NSPCC and Childline, via an independent charity, the TPO Foundation.

TPO plans to offer rolling 30-day Sim-only contracts and bundled deals on 24-month contracts. The MVNO is also set to offer 4G deals once EE gives its MVNO partners the green light later this year.

CEO Alex Franks (pictured) told Mobile the MVNO had signed up a number of new partners since its launch last November, with further partnership deals with major organizations in the pipeline. The MVNO launched with Childline and the NSPCC already on board as charitable partners in November. Since then, it has signed two major deals with unions Unite and GMB. This week it confirmed the Children’s Heart Federation deal.

Franks said: ‘In 2013 our focus is to launch our pay monthly and Sim-only propositions by the end of this quarter, as well as focusing on our existing partners and getting new partners on board.’

The MVNO is also in talks with a number of large corporate businesses about providing its services to their workforces as a way of meeting their corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments, Franks added.

TPO is also targeting the business sector. Companies can fulfill their CSR commitments with 10% of all call, text and data spend directed to their nominated cause. Franks said: ‘We are creating an ecosystem of partners we can collate and use as a distribution channel. The unions and the NSPCC, for example, have huge membership bases.’

He added: ‘Corporate accounts are our next focus. We are having conversations with a number of corporates who see it as a great way to meet their CSR commitments.’

The MVNO is also targeting schools and colleges. Franks said the MVNO would consider a wide range of partnerships. ‘As long as the end game is to support good causes we will look at it. We do not want to be seen as a niche player. Our aim is to be a big player in the telco market. We are built to be lean and profitable whilst supporting good causes. We are not going to compete with Lycamobile or Lebara but we think we are keenly priced.’

Franks, who founded mobile advertising MVNO Blyk, said TPO had taken on former members of the Blyk team. He said: ‘We have imported a lot of learning from there. Blyk was ahead of its time and a great idea but it was a difficult market at that time. Now the MVNO market is much stronger and more widespread.’

Author: Carol Millett

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