Post Office launches mobile network on EE

The UK is getting another mobile network as the Post Office joins a clamour of virtual providers promising cheap deals and friendly service.

With Asda, the Co-Op, Tesco and Sainsbury’s already offering their own mobile phone service the Post Office is set to launch its own network in autumn 2014.

The network will be hosted by EE, the UK’s largest mobile phone provider, and joins the Post Office’s home phone and broadband services, which are already used by nearly half a million people.

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The Post Office wasn’t able to confirm if the new network would have access to 4G from EE, nor how much of the UK it will cover.

A spokesperson for the Post Office said it would be announcing details of what the network would provide “later this year”.

Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) have become increasingly common in recent years, with major high-street brands jumping on networks from EE, O2 and Vodafone.

A soft launch of the Post Office network will take place at 50 branches, online and over the phone, before a nationwide roll-out planned for later this year. The Post Office said it would soon start selling handsets at its 11,500 branches.

Martin George, chief commercial officer at the Post Office said that people were keen to ditch big mobile networks to get better deals:

“Our research tells us that people are seeking greater value, with one in three of those surveyed saying they intended to move away from one of the mainstream providers for their next service,” he claimed.