FreedomPop expands European footprint with launch in Spain

FreedomPop continued its push into European markets with the launch of its unique "free" mobile service in Spain.

The market is the second in the region where FreedomPop has established operations, following the launch of its service in the UK in September 2015. The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) first unveiled its "fremium" mobile data service in the U.S. in 2012.

In a statement, the company explained that FreedomPop Espana is offering subscribers a "100 per cent free" mobile service comprising subsidised use of mobile data when using the WhatsApp messaging service, along with 200 MB of data, 100 voice minutes, and 300 free SMS each month in a SIM-only deal for Android and iOS smartphones.

FreedomPop is also offering users 2 GB of data, and unlimited talk, text and WhatsApp services for free for the next month as part of a launch promotion in Spain.

The company explained that it can offer free and low-cost mobile services because it sells value-added services on top of its subscription packages. Those services include a second phone number, discounted international calling, online security, and rolling over unused data to the next month.

Subscriptions on offer are "20 per cent to 50 per cent below market rates," the company stated. The cheapest package offers 200 voice minutes, 1 GB of data and 500 text messages for €4.99 ($5.52) per month, while the most expensive offers unlimited talk and text and 10 GB of data for €28.99 per month.

FreedomPop said it is "turning mobile data into a currency that users can share with friends." Subscribers to its service "will be able to request data from friends with unused capacity or share with those in need," and subscribers are offered incentives for getting friends to share their unused data.

Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop's CEO, said offering subscribers the ability to "earn free data as well as get data from friends with extra means they have the opportunity to use as much data as they want and never pay a penny."

The CEO added that the company had been overwhelmed by the response of Spanish subscribers to the pending launch of its service. "Over 100,000 people have signed up on our site to join the FreedomPop revolution before we even launched," Stokols stated.

For more:
- see this FreedomPop announcement

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