Vodafone UK and Gigs Remove Barriers for New Virtual Mobile Operators

Broadband ISP and mobile operator Vodafone UK has this morning announced a new “strategic alliance” with Gigs, which provides a kind of operating system for mobile services that can help startups and large tech companies across the country to launch their own virtual mobile operator (MVNO) style services.

The move, which follows close behind last week’s complementary partnership with eSIM Go (here), is aimed at “drastically lowering the barriers to entry and reducing operational overhead” for businesses to launch their own MVNOs. Gigs’ own website similarly states that they offer “everything you need to launch phone and data plans, all in one place” (e.g. wholesale connectivity, checkout, payments / billing, tax, compliance, flexibility to build your own plans + allowances, pricing etc.).

According to the blurb, the adoption of Gigs’ platform will enable businesses of all sizes to allow their customers to “tag on connectivity when making purchases“, while naturally connecting “quickly and efficiently to Vodafone’s award-winning network“. In theory, this means businesses could setup their own MVNO plans “in just a few weeks instead of months or even years.”

Maria Grazia Pecorari, Director of Wholesale & Strategy at Vodafone UK, said:

“By combining our network with Gigs’ operating system we’re able to help businesses of all sizes give their customers or employees connectivity quickly and efficiently. At Vodafone UK, we are committed to fostering innovation and supporting our customers’ evolving needs, that includes giving more people access to our network, more flexibly.”

Hermann Frank, Co-founder and CEO of Gigs, said:

“We stand on the brink of a transformative shift in the telecommunications industry. A surging number of tech companies—from neobanks, travel companies to HR platforms—are launching unique product experiences with tailored phone plans to meet the demands of modern consumers and businesses. Our strategic partnership with Vodafone is a win-win-win for all involved.

Vodafone extends its network reach to innovative tech companies with large audiences and digital distribution channels, while driving significant mobile traffic to the Gigs platform. Our customers, meanwhile, can now seamlessly bundle their existing offerings with phone plans in their own brand on Vodafone’s premium 5G network.”

On the one hand, more choice is usually a good thing. But sometimes lowering the barrier to entry can also result in a more confusing market and one where quality may suffer, although for now this looks to be an interesting development and one to keep an eye on.