easyMobile closes down its pay-as-you-go operations

Danish telecom backer decides its not profitable enough

14 November 2006 12:55 GMT / By Amber Maitland

After 2 years of operation, easyMobile, part of the same group as easyJet, is closing its doors.

The mobile service providers are stopping service on 13 December because TDC, a Danish telecom company, has withdrawn from the UK market, thereby forcing easyGroup to shut easyMobile down.

Customers with money in their accounts will get a full refund after 13 December, or can switch to Fresh Mobile from the Carphone Warehouse. If they want to transfer to another mobile service provider, easyMobile promises to help unlock their mobiles or transfer their numbers.

TDC has posted a statement on its website to say that its German operation will be renamed callmobile, while easyMobile UK is to be closed down. “We will further build on our success with the SIM only, no-frill concept in Germany. At the same time, we are withdrawing from the UK market, as the realised growth in the customer base does not live up to TDC’s original business plan expectations, and as we do not believe that easyMobile UK has the potential to develop into a sizeable and profitable MNO in the short term”, said Jesper Theill Eriksen, CEO of TDC.

easyMobile has about 80,000 customers in the UK.