Original article ISPreview UK:Read More
At present it often seems like a new eSIM (Embedded SIM) based mobile operator is launching almost every other week and today it’s the turn of Rewild Mobile, which says they’re “operating on the Three UK & Vodafone network” and intend to put any profits they make back into “rewilding nature“.
In such a crowded market, it often helps if you’re doing something a bit different from the pack, even if that might sometimes be viewed as a gimmick. “Rewild was built in response to a mobile industry that customers no longer trust. Complicated pricing, poor service and a focus on extracting profit have left most people frustrated with their mobile network. Rewild takes a different approach, building a simple, high-performance network and using its profits to fund rewilding projects around the world,” states the announcement.
At launch it appears as if Rewild Mobile’s primary UK plan is an unlimited data, calls and texts tariff that is priced from £18.50 per month on a 24-month minimum term (12-month and 30-day contracts are available at extra cost). The plan also includes support for EU roaming (20GB fair use data cap). But the provider’s Price List suggests that 4GB and 10GB UK data plans may launch in the near future.
In terms of pricing, the provider states there will be “no surprise increases. You pay the price you sign up to, and we will always be clear and upfront if anything changes in the future“.
Rewild’s Director, Anne Johnson, told ISPreview:
“We built Rewild to do exactly what it says: to rewild nature. The mobile industry feels extractive and disconnected from the real world. We wanted to prove you can build a serious tech business that does something genuinely good for the planet.
We are completely focused on building a high-performance network, but we are equally focused on where the money goes.”
Like many other virtual eSIM-only providers, Rewild Mobile states that they’re also “building a travel essentials SIM, launching soon in over 180 countries. The SIM connects to multiple local networks in the UK and internationally, including Three, Vodafone, EE, O2, AT&T and T-Mobile“. All the profits from that will also go to rewilding.
However, the T&Cs also mention a Fair Use Policy (FUP), which states that customers of their unlimited plan can use “up to 4,000 UK call minutes, up to 2,000 UK text messages (SMS) [and] up to 750GB of UK data per month” (other mobile operators have a similar clause for unlimited data, albeit not always calls and texts). But those who “repeatedly or significantly” exceed this are told that their service may be restricted in some unspecified way or “paused“.