Lebara Explained

Lebara
Industry:Telecommunications
Foundation:September 2001
Founder:Baskaran Kandiah, Rasiah Ranjith Leon, Ratheesan Yoganathan
Area Served:Europe, Saudi Arabia and Australia
Key People:Stephen Shurrock (CEO)[1]
Products:Mobile telecommunications services
Revenue: EUR€ 400 million (2020)
Owner:Alchemy and Triton
Num Employees:400 (2016)
Parent:VIEO B.V.
Location Country:London

Lebara is a telecommunications company providing services using the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business model in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Australia. Lebara provides pay-as-you-go and contract-based mobile SIM cards[2] [3] in these countries, and its brand is also used under license in four other countries.

History

Lebara was founded in 2001 by UK-based Ratheesan Yoganathan, Rasiah Ranjith Leon and Baskaran Kandiah. The name Lebara was coined from the first two letters of each of the founders' names.[4] At launch the company's initial product was international telephone calling cards, sold through independent mobile phone shops.[4] In 2004, Lebara launched its first mobile virtual network, a low-cost international service in the Netherlands, selling SIM cards using mobile carrier Telfort, a subsidiary of KPN.[4] After finding success it subsequently launched operations in other European countries including the UK (2007), France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany (2010) and Denmark.

Lebara's Swiss operations (Lebara GmbH, Zurich) was sold on July 1, 2013 to Sunrise Communications.[5]

In September 2017, Lebara Group B.V. was sold to Switzerland-based Palmarium Advisors AG.[6] The Spanish operation of Lebara (Lebara España SL) was sold to MASMOVIL Group in November 2018.[7] In 2019 bondholders of Lebara (under holding company Vieo B.V.) took control of the company.[8] [9]

Operations

The company currently operates in the UK, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany - it has at least 3.5 million customers as of 2017.[10] It has also entered into brand licence agreements for the use of its trademarks in Australia, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Spain.

In 2017 Lebara launched its first postpaid monthly contract SIMs in the Netherlands, as part of a move to appeal to a wider customer base.[11]

Today Lebara focuses on the traditional international calling market as well as offering SIM-only plans and post pay services. Lebara plans to offer 5G services as these become available.[12]

Country Partner network
Vodafone[13] [14]
Telenor[15]
Orange (Bouygues Telecom until August 2021)[16]
O2 (Telekom until May 2022)[17] [18]
KPN[19]
Mobily[20]
Vodafone[21]
Sunrise[22]
Vodafone[23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stephen J. Shurrock. UK Companies House. 14 July 2021.
  2. News: Vodafone calls up economic migrants. Wray. Richard . 30 October 2007. The Guardian. 31 August 2008.
  3. News: Vodafone partners new Sim-only service aimed at immigrants. Wray. Richard . 31 October 2007 . The Guardian. 31 August 2008.
  4. News: Lebara co-founder made virtual phone network a real money-maker. 17 November 2011. The Guardian. https://web.archive.org/web/20131226133253/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/nov/17/lebara-co-founder-yoganathan-ratheesan-interview. 26 December 2013. Juliette. Garside.
  5. Web site: Sunrise Communications acquires Lebara Switzerland.
  6. Web site: Lebara Group B.V. sold to Palmarium . 2022-06-04 . Lenz & Staehelin . en-EN.
  7. Web site: MASMOVIL acquires Lebara España. 21 November 2018 .
  8. News: 2019-06-11 . Bondholders poised to seize control of telco Lebara . Financial Times . 2022-06-04.
  9. Web site: Bondholders Take Control of Lebara Via Enforcement Publications Kirkland & Ellis LLP . 2022-06-04 . www.kirkland.com . en.
  10. Web site: Palmarium-15.09.2017 .
  11. Web site: Telecompaper . 2022-06-02 . www.telecompaper.com.
  12. Web site: Lebara Group in handen van Palmarium . 2022-06-02 . www.computable.nl . NL.
  13. Lebara Mobile launches in Australia . Lebara . https://web.archive.org/web/20110517001748/http://www.assets.lebara.com/medias/sys_master/8799860424734.pdf. 17 May 2011. 30 March 2009. 26 March 2014.
  14. News: Vodafone, Lebara launch new pre-paid mobile service . Tim. Lohman. https://web.archive.org/web/20121031122554/http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/297325/vodafone_lebara_launch_new_pre-paid_mobile_service_/. live. 31 October 2012. 30 March 2009. IDG Communications. Computer World.
  15. Web site: Network status . Lebara . 26 March 2014.
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/20110517004107/http://www.assets.lebara.com/medias/sys_master/8799859933214.pdf. 17 May 2011 . Lebara Mobile enters French market . Lebara . 6 May 2010 . 26 March 2014.
  17. Web site: Telecompaper .
  18. https://web.archive.org/web/20110517004131/http://www.assets.lebara.com/medias/sys_master/8799860031518.pdf. 17 May 2011 . Global Market Leader Lebara Mobile launches in Germany . Lebara . 10 January 2010. 26 March 2014.
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20110516071244/http://www.assets.lebara.com/medias/sys_master/8799860621342.pdf. 16 May 2011. Persbericht . Lebara . nl . 2008 . 26 March 2014.
  20. Web site: Lebara Mobile to Launch MVNO in Saudi Arabia Shortly . cellular-news . 26 March 2014 . 26 March 2014.
  21. https://web.archive.org/web/20140326153222/http://www.assets.lebara.com/medias/sys_master/8799861243934.pdf. 26 March 2014. Lebara Mobile partners with Vodafone to launch low cost, high quality mobile services in Spain . Lebara . February 2007 . 26 March 2014.
  22. Web site: Lebara Mobile – slashes the cost of international mobile calling from Switzerland . Lebara . 26 February 2007 . 26 March 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140112003648/http://www.assets.lebara.com/medias/sys_master/8799861145630.pdf . 12 January 2014 . dmy-all .
  23. https://web.archive.org/web/20140112003648/http://www.assets.lebara.com/medias/sys_master/8799861145630.pdf. 12 January 2014. Lebara Mobile Launches Low Cost International SIM . Lebara . 31 October 2007. 26 March 2014.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lebara".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.