Ovivo Mobile

OVIVO Mobile Communications
Company typePrivate
IndustryTelecommunications
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Dariush Zand (Founder, CEO)
ProductsMobile telecommunications
Websitehttp://www.ovivomobile.com

OVIVO Mobile was a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the United Kingdom, using the Vodafone UK network as its carrier.[1] OVIVO was unique in the UK in offering a free (£0 monthly fee) advertising-funded mobile tariff, which was financed by showing an advert in the user's web browser. They charged a nominal fee to cover admin and initial SIM setup costs, returning a portion as user credit upon activation.[1]

OVIVO raised £414,000 in exchange for 25.48% equity via crowdfunding site Crowdcube.[2]

The service closed down on Wednesday, 19 March 2014 without prior notice.

The firm's Twitter and Facebook accounts were deactivated the same day, and email attempts were bounced back.[3]

There was a report that a dispute over network software led to the abrupt closure of the network.[4]

The Ovivo website posted a warning to visitors that the website would be shut down on 10 April.[5] The website and the ability to claim a PAC was taken down in June 2014.[6]

  1. ^ a b Leslie Bunder (4 November 2013). "Ovivo proves you don't need to pay monthly mobile phone charges". Metro.
  2. ^ "OVIVO Mobile Communications Limited". CrowdCube.
  3. ^ Curtis, Sophie (20 March 2014). "Ovivo mobile network shuts down without warning". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Exclusive: Dispute with Cognatel led to Ovivo Mobile termination". Mobile News Online, Clark White Publications Ltd.
  5. ^ "OVIVO Mobile". Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  6. ^ "OVIVO Mobile". Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2017.