http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/image/stock-photo-closed-sign/162678518/popup?al=168790927,72422554,200293248-001,168826521,164208935,86499750,162678518,82790753,162686023,122399270,168799550,83066041,170620364,168826527,200542919-001,163838816,169276588,168855379,168764597,168764599,74854782,170224335,93265831,170224927,medfr18350,56519237,170226550,122611787,168825496,78317318,160254383,155552890,120563331,156951997,sb10061843bd-001,160939543,87338882,154214865,112708292,154219040,87344922,152953184,200362995-001,153876989,152887680,147666394,146789679,145995345,144323690,200334153-001,139729594,135045479,124881765,80410828,78396615,94920300,93532589,89792344,93075803,168835868&sq=close/c=431,158,253,632,254,93,28,177,34,260,263,13,176,621,648,579,528,590,151,268,515,586,64,663,641,165,734,477,623,215,445,637,144,675,282,744,740,2,452,451,109,277,161,588,626,68,700,591,460,291,696,344,629,614,732,647/f=PIHVX/s=DynamicRank
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Ovivo Mobile, a virtual operator in the UK that offered a free mobile services in exchange for serving advertising, has closed down abruptly due to “reasons beyond our control.”
A notice on the company’s website — first spotted by the BBC — announces that the service shut down on March 19 with no prior warning. Although it doesn’t elaborate on the reasons behind its shuttering, it does provide a way for users to port their number to another mobile network.
Ovivo users were provided with a free SIM and mobile services in return for making themselves available for targeted advertising. A CIOL article from February suggested that the company had over 50,000 subscribers in the UK — its only market — and that it was looking to raise £3 million ($5 million) in order to expand overseas in 2015.
➤ British firm Ovivo Mobile shuts down without warning [BBC]
Thumbnail image via Thinkstock
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
