United Mobile

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United Mobile is a Swiss company, operating in Kloten (near Zurich Airport) as a "branch" of a company based in Lichtenstein [1] (for tax and legal purposes) and providing prepaid SIM cards offering low roaming costs, based on call back [2] business approach.

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[edit] Prices, fees structure

United Mobile charge customers call fees based on the usual roaming fees for both outgoing and incoming calls, albeit on (distinctly) lower rates than the competition (in marketing terms so called arbitrage offer) and marketed as "roaming free".

United Mobile, one of numerous MVNOs, seems to concentrate their purchasing costs, so called Inter Operator Tariffs (IOT) on termination fees of their call back business approach.

[edit] SIM cards

The SIM cards are available at the United Mobile web shop, where they may also be recharged, and through resellers (eg. Die Post in Switzerland). The customer gets a new phone number – either in Liechtenstein or, since 2007, UK. During 2008 US, German and Russian phone numbers should be available as well [3].

So far one SIM card for voice and SMS, the other one since 2008 in cooperation with ICQ for data (SMS, voice as well, for higher cost than the voice SIM) marketed as different products as ICQ SIM and United Mobile Data SIM Card [4].

[edit] The company

United Mobile was founded in 2001 in Winterthur by Rob Snijder and Erik Brunnekreef [5] in 2002 bringing their first SIM on the market. Sven Donhuysen joined the company in 2004, getting Mobilcom Liechtenstein as much needed network partner aboard.

Morten Lund joined as investor in 2007 [6], the goal would be to "combine Truphone, Jajah and Skype on one SIM card" [7].

During 2007 Charles Fränkl, Achilles Rupf and Cor Swart joined in in executive positions. On United Mobile's board are Sven Donhuysen, Alfred K. Roth, Kaj-Erik Relander and Andreas Rueter. [8]

The partnership with ICQ, that began 2008, should help find mobile network partners in 140 countries, ICQ already cooperates with [9] [2].

[edit] Coverage

In 2005 [10], and 2007 again [11], United Mobile claims to cover over 80 countries with voice, SMS. For the data SIMs, some 16 countries at start in 2008, "to rise to 30 until end of the year" [12].

[edit] References

  1. ^ United Mobile Liechtenstein AG, Schaanwald, Kloten Branch, Commercial Register of Canton of Zurich / HR-Monitor
  2. ^ a b Land in Sicht für grenzenlose Surfer, SonntagsZeitung, 1 June 2008
  3. ^ United Mobile bekommt deutsche und amerikanische Rufnummern, teltarif.ch, 7 February 2005
  4. ^ ICQSIM kostenloser Anrufempfang im Roaming GPRS Datenroaming in 15 Ländern (Test und Review), mobiles-leben.ch, 25 February 2008
  5. ^ Echte Pionierarbeit geleistet, Der Landbote, 15 October 2005
  6. ^ Skype-Investor springt bei United Mobile an Bord, computerworld.ch, 13 July 2007
  7. ^ United Mobile soll Web-2.0-Funktionen bekommen, teltarif.ch, 13 July 2007
  8. ^ Company, Executive Team, Board on united-mobile.com
  9. ^ ICQ und United Mobile lancieren neue günstige Reise-SIM-Karte, teltarif.ch, 21 February 2008
  10. ^ Auch im Ausland sorglos telefonieren, NZZ, 5 December 2005
  11. ^ United Mobile soll Web-2.0-Funktionen bekommen, teltarif.ch, 13 July 2007
  12. ^ United Mobile bekommt deutsche und amerikanische Rufnummern, teltarif.ch, 7 February 2007

[edit] External Links