UK: China Telecom to launch as an MVNO.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

China Telecom is to launch as an MVNO in the UK, targeting Chinese residents and visitors to the country. The firm will launch on UK market-leader Everything Everywhere’s network beginning this quarter, marking the first time a Chinese operator has launched MVNO services outside China. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We are keen to launch the service in the UK as soon as possible as there is a real gap in the market for the provision of tailored mobile services and competitive tariffs aimed at the growing Chinese population in the UK,” said Yan Ou, Managing Director of China Telecom (Europe), the Chinese operator’s wholly-owned overseas subsidiary for the EMEA region.

China Telecom is China’s largest fixed-line operator and third-largest mobile operator behind China Mobile and China Unicom.

The company told the Financial Times that it would provide services in Chinese languages, as well as easy-access international calls back to China and services for callers in China to contact mobile users in the UK. It is thought that China Telecom could use the UK as a platform to expand into other markets in Europe.

The deal is Everything Everywhere’s 24th MVNO deal, and one of several managed by its mobile virtual network aggregator (MVNA), Transatel. “Our technology allows businesses to launch their MVNOs to market within weeks, ensuring they can get up and running and start marketing to customers as quickly as possible,” said Transatel CEO Jacques Bonifay.