TruPhone Buys SIM4travel

VoIP operator TruPhone [1] has bought roaming operator SIM4travel [2], planning to combine operations and provide travelers with low cost phone calls over cellular.  TruPhone is paying around $2.64 million in cash and $2.56 million in stock to get SIM4travel's travel SIM capability and its' Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) platform.  Other assets in the deal include SIM4travel's infrastructure, customer base, distribution, and staff in Portugal and London.

TruPhone has been providing free and local calls through the Internet and WiFi, supported through a VoIP client on Nokia N and E-Series phones. The deal now gives the company the ability to provide global mobile operator services. It also provides a consumer channel since SIM4travel sells SIM cards through Tesco, WHSmith, Carphone Warehouse and other stores.

From a regulatory standpoint, the purchase might make it easier for Truphone to claim to be a mobile operator and get mobile termination fees. T-Mobile and Truphone are in court, T-Mobile arguing that it doesn't have to pay such fees since a Truphone call routed over the Internet costs nothing to deliver.

For more:
- Truphone blog announcing acquisition of SIM4 Travel [3]
- Register write-up of Truephone SIM4 Travel [4] deal

Related articles:
Truphone launches iPhone VoIP client [5]
T-Mobile, Truphone tussle [6]
Truphone/Vodafone tiff expands [7]