This article was published on July 10, 2014

FreedomPop brings its free mobile network overseas, starting with Belgium


FreedomPop brings its free mobile network overseas, starting with Belgium

Freemium mobile network FreedomPop has its eye set on Europe, as it announced today a partnership with Dutch carrier KPN for an initial test launch of its service in Belgium. Subsequently, it plans to expand to the UK, Germany, France, Spain and countries in the Pacific Rim (which include Asia) in the “coming months” with different carrier partners.

FreedomPop acts as a mobile virtual network operator — in the US it purchases bandwidth from Sprint. Steven Sesar, FreedomPop’s co-founder and chief operating officer, says that the company has been receiving “a ton of interest” from international carriers and consumers.

FreedomPop, however, won’t be selling devices globally as it has done in the US. Rather, it will offer SIM-based free data plans and deliver free voice and text services via its over-the-top iOS and Android apps. It plans to give customers its staple 500MB worth of data free per month without compromise, but warns that propositions may change slightly by market.

To make money, FreedomPop seeks to woo new and current customers to its paid services — it recently launched an ‘Unlimited Everything’ plan for $20.

FreedomPop also announced today that it will make available its international SIMs for US users seeking to travel abroad to markets where its service is present, therefore helping to cut costs.

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