Broadband group Tiscali is preparing to introduce a mobile phone service this year. It is reported that the Italian group’s UK arm is in talks with four mobile operators in UK about renting their networks to carry the service.
The service will be launched in the first quarter of 2008. However Tiscali will not provide the handsets, and interested customers will have purchase a new one or use their existing handset.
The service is being created by Tiscali’s acquisition of ToucanMobile which was purchased by the internet provider Pipex the earlier year.
ToucanMobile which has 7000 customers will now be under Tiscali’s name.
Tiscali will use its customer base as the nucleus of the new business. It will also offer a new mobile service as a part of services including TV, voice calls and internet connections.
This service will be made available in the first quarter of 2008.