Phone Co-op

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**The Phone Co-op**
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Type	Consumers' cooperative
Founded	1998
Headquarters	Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Area served	United Kingdom
Industry	Telecommunications
Products	Telephone, Internet
Revenue	£5 million
Operating income	£150,000
Net income	£100,000 ²
Employees	40
Website	www.phone.coop
1. Figures rounded from 2005 Annual Report 2. UK cooperative taxation means that after tax surplus is also after distributions

*Cooperatives*

Types of Co-operatives
Housing cooperative Building cooperative Retailers' cooperative Utility cooperative Worker cooperative Social cooperative Consumers' cooperative Agricultural cooperative Credit union Cooperative banking Cooperative federation Cooperative union Cooperative wholesale society Mutual insurance
Rochdale Principles
Voluntary and open membership Democratic member control Member economic participation Autonomy and independence Education, training, and information Cooperation among cooperatives Concern for community
Political and Economic Theories
Cooperative federalism Cooperative individualism Owenism Third way Socialism Socially responsible investing Social enterprise
Key Theorists
Robert Owen William King The Rochdale Pioneers G.D.H. Cole Charles Gide Beatrice Webb Friedrich Raiffeisen David Griffiths
Organizations
List of cooperatives List of cooperative federations International Co-operative Alliance Co-operative Party
· v • d • e

The Phone Co-op is a British telecommunications co-operative, which operates under self-imposed environmental and ethical guidelines. They provide telephone and internet services, including web hosting and broadband to private customers, charities and other co-operatives. The Phone Co-op's service has been taken up by some 12,000 customers, including Christian Aid, Amnesty International, Triodos Bank, the Centre for Alternative Technology, Leeds Co-operative Society, Manchester City Council and UNISON.

[edit] History

The Phone Co-op was founded in 1998 as SETCO (Social Economy Telecommunications Co-operative). Initially, membership of the Co-operative was reserved solely for other co-ops and charities. A rule change opened membership to the general public and as a result, in August 1999, SETCO became The Phone Co-op and was converted to a Society incorporated under the Industrial & Provident Societies Act.