A new MVNO, The People’s Operator (TPO), has launched with a promise to give 25% of its profits to charity.
As well as the operator offering to give 25% of its profits to charity, it will also allow users to donate 10% of their monthly usage to a charity or cause of their choice.
The MVNO is offering SIM-only deals on PAYG with text messages from 7.5p per minute and calls from 12.5 per minute. It says this compares favourably to the PAYG tariffs from the main five MNOs in the UK. It also said it made it competitive with “other” MVNOs.
There are also a variety of bundles available. Packages include 500MB data per month for £17.50 plus, 200 texts per month for £4.50 and 200 minutes for 12.50.
Contract deals and some devices will be available from 2013. The operator is using EE’s network as host, giving it the chance to support 4G devices when available.
Alex Franks, who founded the ad-funded network Blyk, and is TPO’s CEO, said that the operator would operate as a completely normal business, commercially competitive with other operators. The only difference is what it chooses to do with its profits.
The operator is hoping that the chance for users to carry on their mobile lives as normal, whilst giving to charity at the same time, will be a draw for users to switch provider.
The company will feed donated money into a foundation, which will in turn make grants to partner charities and causes.
Charitable giving is under pressure at the moment, with giving by direct debit down 20% in the UK this year, according to TPO’s Tom Gutteridge, Vice-Chair and Co-founder of TPO.
Esther Rantzen, founder of Childline and a Trustee of the NSPCC, said, “These are tough times for charities…This could be the answer to the voluntary sector’s prayers at this moment.”