Industry | Telecommunications |
---|---|
Founded | September 2001 |
Founder | Baskaran Kandiah, Rasiah Ranjith Leon, Ratheesan Yoganathan |
Headquarters | London |
Area served | Europe, Saudi Arabia and Australia |
Key people | Stephen Shurrock (CEO) [1] |
Products | Mobile telecommunications services |
Revenue | EUR€ 400 million (2020) |
Owner | Alchemy and Triton |
Number of employees | 400 (2016) |
Parent | VIEO B.V. |
Website | www |
Lebara is a telecommunications company providing services using the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business model in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Australia. Lebara provides pay-as-you-go and contract-based mobile SIM cards [2] [3] in these countries, and its brand is also used under license in four other countries.
Lebara was founded in 2001 by UK-based Ratheesan Yoganathan, Rasiah Ranjith Leon and Baskaran Kandiah. The name Lebara was coined from the first two letters of each of the founders' names. [4] At launch the company's initial product was international telephone calling cards, sold through independent mobile phone shops. [4] In 2004, Lebara launched its first mobile virtual network, a low-cost international service in the Netherlands, selling SIM cards using mobile carrier Telfort, a subsidiary of KPN. [4] After finding success it subsequently launched operations in other European countries including the UK (2007), France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany (2010) and Denmark. [4]
Lebara's Swiss operations (Lebara GmbH, Zurich) was sold on July 1, 2013 to Sunrise Communications. [5]
In September 2017, Lebara Group B.V. was sold to Switzerland-based Palmarium Advisors AG. [6] The Spanish operation of Lebara (Lebara España SL) was sold to MASMOVIL Group in November 2018. [7] In 2019 bondholders of Lebara (under holding company Vieo B.V.) took control of the company. [8] [9]
The company currently operates in the UK, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany - it has at least 3.5 million customers as of 2017. [10] It has also entered into brand licence agreements for the use of its trademarks in Australia, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Spain.
In 2017 Lebara launched its first postpaid monthly contract SIMs in the Netherlands, as part of a move to appeal to a wider customer base. [11]
Today Lebara focuses on the traditional international calling market as well as offering SIM-only plans and post pay services. Lebara plans to offer 5G services as these become available. [12]
Country | Partner network |
---|---|
Australia | Vodafone [13] [14] |
Denmark | Telenor [15] |
France | Orange (Bouygues Telecom until August 2021) [16] |
Germany | O2 (Telekom until May 2022) [17] [18] |
Netherlands | KPN [19] |
Saudi Arabia | Mobily [20] |
Spain | Vodafone [21] |
Switzerland | Sunrise [22] |
United Kingdom | Vodafone [23] |
Swisscom AG is a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland. Its headquarters are located in Worblaufen near Bern. The Swiss government owns 51% of Swisscom. According to its own published data, Swisscom holds a market share of 56% for mobile, 50% for broadband and 37% for TV telecommunication in Switzerland. Its Italian subsidiary, FASTWEB, is attributed 16% of private clients and 29% of the corporate clients share of Italian broadband and is also active in the mobile market.
A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile network operator to obtain bulk access to network services at wholesale rates, then sets retail prices independently. An MVNO may use its own customer service, billing support systems, marketing, and sales personnel, or it could employ the services of a mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE).
Virgin Mobile is a wireless communications brand used by seven independent brand-licensees worldwide. Virgin Mobile branded wireless communications services are available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Poland and Mexico. Virgin Mobile branded services used to be offered in Australia, France, Singapore, India, Qatar, South Africa and the United States.
Vodafone Libertel B.V. is the second largest mobile phone company in the Netherlands, and was previously called Libertel. It is part of VodafoneZiggo, a joint venture between Ziggo and Vodafone Group.
Tele2 AB is a provider of mobile and fixed connectivity, telephony, data network services, TV, streaming and global Internet of Things services, amongst others, to consumers and enterprises. It is headquartered in Kista Science City, Stockholm, Sweden. It is a major mobile network operator in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The company initially founded Tele2 Russia, but later sold all its operations, only leasing the use of its brand name.
Xfera Móviles, S.A.U., d/b/a Yoigo, is the fourth-largest mobile network operator in Spain and a subsidiary of the Spanish telecommunications company Grupo MásMóvil, a subsidiary of MásOrange. Yoigo has a licence and its own cellular network for GSM/2G, UMTS/3G and LTE/4G technologies, and a national roaming agreement for usage of the 2G, 3G and 4G networks of Orange and Movistar.
Vodafone Italy is the Italian subsidiary of the UK-based telecommunications company Vodafone Group. The company's headquarters are in Ivrea (TO) and Milan.
Truphone is a GSMA-accredited global mobile network that operates its service internationally. The company is headquartered in London and has offices in ten other countries, being spread across four continents.
Tesco Mobile Limited is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It is operated by British retailer Tesco, using the network O2 as its carrier except in Ireland, where the network operator is Three Ireland.
Digi Communications N.V., also known as DIGI Group, is a Romanian telecommunications holding company, which also has businesses in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Belgium. The firm has current statutory seat in the Netherlands and headquarters of effective management in Romania. Digi was founded by Zoltán Teszári, who is the majority shareholder, and has been listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange since May 16, 2017.
Asda Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the United Kingdom operated by Asda and using the Vodafone network. Asda Mobile is available in over 360 stores across the UK and online through purchasing either a SIM card or through an Asda Mobile handset.
Transatel is a telecom corporation headquartered in Paris, La Défense, and led by the founders Jacques Bonifay (CEO) and Bertrand Salomon. NTT Communications took a majority stake in the company on 28 February 2019, transferred to NTT Ltd. on 1 July 2019.
Talkmobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) operating in the United Kingdom on the Vodafone network. As a brand of Vodafone, the business is based in Newbury, Berkshire.
Lyca Mobile is a British mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) operating in 23 countries. The chairman is Subaskaran Allirajah and the CEO is Richard Schafer. The company sells international pay-as-you-go SIMs. As an MVNO, Lyca Mobile leases radio frequencies from mobile phone network operators and forms partnerships with the operators in each country it serves. Lyca Mobile has also developed distinct business structures such as MVNA aggregator arrangements in various countries.
6GMOBILE was a Dutch telecommunications operator that declared bankruptcy in 2012. It combined mobile (GSM), fixed voice and Internet technologies into a single network. It was fully licensed and operational as a GSM operator in the Netherlands.
In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications standards. It is a successor to the third generation (3G) standards. A 4G system provides mobile "ultra-broadband" Internet access. Major Australian telecommunications companies, and most resellers that use one of these major telcos, have been rolling out and continuing to upgrade 4G since 2011/2012.
SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited (0315.HK), listed in Hong Kong since 1996 and a subsidiary of Jio Platforms Limited, is a leading telecommunications provider with operating subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Macau, offering voice, multimedia and mobile broadband services, as well as fixed fibre broadband services for both consumer and corporate markets. SmarTone spearheaded 5G development in Hong Kong since May 2020, with the launch of its territory-wide 5G services. SmarTone is also the first in Hong Kong to launch Home 5G Broadband service.
ASPIDER is the group name for a series of companies that are mostly based in Europe. The company name has evolved over the years as a result of acquisitions, mergers and restructuring. The company is an MVNE, providing mobile services to companies that want to control their own network. Clients include enterprises, manufacturers, integrators, and the mobile operators themselves.