Following months of rumours, Carphone Warehouse has announced the launch of its own mobile network: iD.
The mobile phone retailer is partnering with Three to offer customers the budget, own-brand mobile network, which will become available in May, and aims to solve three key customer issues, including the use of capped plans, flexible roaming plans and value for money on 12 month 4G contracts.
Customers will be able to join the new network across Carphone Warehouse, Currys and PC World stores, in addition to online.
Earlier this year Three and O2 announced a merger, leaving something of a space in the market for another carrier. But what will iD‘s USP be? Perhaps its international roaming – iD customers will be given free access to their normal data allowances in 22 countries, which beats even Three’s current offering. At launch, those regions will be Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the US.
The company is yet to disclose any specific contracts, bar a limited-time offer which includes a Samsung A3, 300 minutes, 500 texts and 1GB of data for £19.50 per month.
Carphone Warehouse’s UK CEO, Graham Stapleton, said: “We’ve been listening to our millions of customers’ network requirements and desires for years. In doing so we have identified some common challenges.
People want greater flexibility from their plans and are fed up with the ‘one size fits all’ approach. In fact, a recent study by Which? found that overspend on mobile phone charges in the UK amounts to £5.42bn each year – showing just how many people aren’t on the right plan for them.
We are also a generation obsessed with the mobile internet and accessing data and services on the move – things people are either paying too much for or just aren’t getting. Addressing these challenges forms the basis of the first wave of plans from iD.”
“This is just the beginning” he added. “We know that there are lots more customer issues and frustrations with existing mobile plans that we’re eager to tackle.
We want this network to be focused on the individual and we will continue to listen to customers over the coming months, asking them to help develop and evolve iD.”
