Mobiboo (UK's 6th mobile network)

telecomsavings

A new type of mobile service has been introduced. It is Voip/Wifi based and claims that it is the cheapest on the market. It currently has around 2,000 customers. However, Hutchison 3G and T-Mobile customers are not able to call Mobiboo due to a dsipute between the 3 companies and BT wholesale.

https://www.mobiboo.com

hurrah

Does not get a very good response here:;)

http://niftylist.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1752.0

redux

It isn't a mobile service to be compared with GSM networks, as it relies on having wi-fi access.

Anyone could set up similar facilities using a landline number from other VoIP providers, thus avoiding the mobile termination charges that this network uses to boost its revenues. And despite Moboboo's claims, these others do not all have monthly fees, or if they do they are in the order of £2 a month.

And they are promoting the use of it in chargeable wifi zones, which do involve monthly or other access fees.

What is more, these rivals that Mobiboo slags off have been around for a year or three or more

greenstreetprince

JUST FOR THE RECORD:

it cant be the 6th network, vodafone and o2 (originally cellnet) were the first then came along orange n t-mobile (originally one-2-one), virgin was the 5th, using the t-mobile network to offer its own service and then carphone warehouse started up its own service called fresh telecom which is still running.

thats 6 already, then came 3 with the introduction of 3g technology, and tesco have since started up tesco mobile, the 7th.

since then disney have launched their own service and so too have sainsbury's (both using o2 as well as tesco) and there may be others.

mobilegossip

greenstreetprince wrote:

JUST FOR THE RECORD:

it cant be the 6th network, vodafone and o2 (originally cellnet) were the first then came along orange n t-mobile (originally one-2-one), virgin was the 5th, using the t-mobile network to offer its own service and then carphone warehouse started up its own service called fresh telecom which is still running.

thats 6 already, then came 3 with the introduction of 3g technology, and tesco have since started up tesco mobile, the 7th.

since then disney have launched their own service and so too have sainsbury's (both using o2 as well as tesco) and there may be others.

Their are in fact only Five real networks as such.. O2,Orange,Voda,Three,T-Mob.

The rest are virtual networks and piggy back on the above..;)

redux

I think Disney never launched, and there are several other mvno operations, but that isn't relevant.

Clearly a mobile network that isn't mobile or actually a network is a misnomer, even if that is the focus of their marketing. Nor is it the cheapest VoIP provider.

mo_rafiq

mobilegossip wrote:

The rest are virtual networks and piggy back on the above..;)

I think OP (greenstreetprince) mentions that? lol

Browntoa

mmmm...only a mobile number for contact

telecomsavings

Thats very right, there are only 5 main networks offering direct services to personal customers which are:

Orange Personal Communications services ltd (Owned by France Telecom)
O2 UK Limited (Owned by O2 plc of Telefonica)
T-Mobile UK Limited (Owned by Deutsche Telekom)
Vodafone limited
Hutchison 3G UK limited (Owned by Hutchison-Whampoa)

There are also two other organisations operating a mobile phone network together with full licenses to operate such a service and mobile masts:

Network Rail
Dolphin Telecom

The virtual networks are basically the above 4 main networks trading under different brand names and the companies which own the brands are entitled to a 50:50 share of the profits.

The UK virtual networks are:

Virgin Mobile (50% joint venture between NTL and T-Mobile UK)
Mobile world (50% joint venture between CPW and T-Mobile UK)
TalkTalk (50% joint venture between CPW and T-Mobile UK)
M&S Mobile (50% joint venture between CPW and T-Mobile UK)
Fresh Mobile (50% joint venture between CPW and T-Mobile UK)
Tesco Mobile (50% joint venture between Tesco and O2 UK)
Sainsbury's mobile (50% joint venture between O2 and Sainsburys)
One Tel (50% joint venture between CPW and Vodafone)
Your Communications (50% joint venture between United Utilities and Voda)
Kingston Communications (50% joint venture between KC and O2 UK)
BT Mobile (Owned by BT Group but network supplied by Vodafone)
20% of Hutchison 3G (Supported by O2 when outside 3G area)

CPW(Carphone Warehouse) owns the brand names and customer bases of TalkTalk,Mobile world,Fresh and One Tel, the other 50% of the company is owned by T-Mobile, and vodafone for one tel which probably soon to be withdrawn.

M&S just own the brand name and are paid for the use of this by Carphone Warehouse group and T-Mobile.

jhp

All very interesting so why suggest they were 6th in the first place.

redux

We hardly need a totally off-topic cut-and-paste list of mvno details, especially as it is partly out of date.

Dolphin Telecom no longer exists, having gone broke and the network shut down more than two years ago. The numbers are now used by some callthrough providers as discussed on plenty of threads here.

Mobiboo is not mobile anyway. It is a VoIP operation marketed as mobile, but they might have difficulty explaining to some customers that 40% of mobiles in the UK, and some foreign networks, cannot call them at the moment.

They seem to have an offshoot brand Tovo that has payg call charges of 5 pence a minute for landlines and UK mobile at 20 pence a minute. Or there are monthly rental charge options which don't include calls to UK mobiles unless you spend £29.95 a month. It costs £14.95 to get free UK landline calls, with int'l from 2p a minute.

Other VoIP companies can give you a landline number for free or £2 a month installed in exactly the same phones that Mobiboo are selling, which is cheaper to call, and accessible from all networks, and call charges from free or a penny a minute.

But for any of these, the issue of wi-fi coverage and access cost comes into the picture