Tesco Mobile Ireland reports 40% increase in customers

Tesco Mobile Ireland said its customer base rose by more than 40 per cent last year.

The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which is a joint venture between retail giant Tesco and Three, said it started 2015 with 300,000 customers, giving it a 5.9 per cent market share.

MVNOs are mobiler providers who ‘piggyback’ on the network of another operator to offer alternative services.

Tesco Mobile now claims to be the biggest MVNO player in Ireland however, this may not be the case for long with Carphone Warehouse, UPC and Setanta Sports all expected to launch similar services in the coming months.

The mobile provider doubled its retail footprint over the past year and is now trading in 20 phone shop locations as well as online.

"Passing 300,000 customers is a significant milestone for Tesco Mobile and we aim to continue to grow our customer base this year by responding to customer feedback and continuing to provide market leading value on our price plans and handsets, great data allowances and excellent customer service," said Tesco Mobile Ireland's general manager Elaine Russell.