Dot Mobile goes titsup
Student-targeted MVNO discovers students have no money
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Dot Mobile, an MVNO aimed at students, has been put into administration and its subscribers will be migrated to Vodafone, the company's carrying network since its launch in 2005.
A message posted to Dot Mobile's website confirms its slide into financial ignominy. "Your contract of service remains unaffected. [We] will continue to invoice and collect payments in the normal way," it says.
Tony Fish, Dot Mobile's chairman told El Reg that calling the administrators in does not signal the end of the road for the venture. "There's going to be a positive outcome," he said, indicating that it will reappear in another, as-yet-undisclosed guise.
He said he has strong opinions on what went wrong with Dot Mobile, but would not share them.
Vodafone sent us this statement:
Vodafone UK is aware of the news regarding dot mobile's financial difficulties and recent move into administration. Dot Mobile had been offering students their own tariffs and proposition, using Vodafone as the wholesale partner.Vodafone will be working closely with the administrator on a managed migration programme to ensure that customers can continue to have an uninterrupted mobile service.
Dot Mobile's failure on the UK yoof MVNO scene follows the closure of Disney's virtual network, and the bankruptcy of Amp'd stateside. Blyk, the ad-funded MVNO that is targeting British yoof, is still in the running. ®
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COMMENTS
i actually quite enjoyed the dot mobile bubble
I never got charged a penny over my £20 a month contract, despite frequently making hour-long calls to another network. Looking at my bills, almost all months show all my units "rolled over" to the next... seems like something might have gone wrong there on the old e-billing system, but I wasn't going to blame them for that!
Stuff Vodafone
Why would I 'migrate' to Vodafone? They can't offer me the same Unit Bundle as they only work in standard minutes and TXTs, and therefore I think that they are in breach of contract (I may be wrong?). The whole point of Dot was that it offered flexible deals - Vodafone don't.
I'm asking for my contract to be canceled and for them to send me my PAC, I'll keep my handset and sign up to O2 simplicity!
@AC
Having recently finished a degree, I can safely say that students have no money. And when they do finally finish, they get more taxed off them. And the cars (for those few who get through uni with their license intact) are generally crapheaps on what pass for wheels. Or their parents'.
Most of the money goes on cheap food/drink (etc).
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