Revolut, the fintech giant with over 50 million customers worldwide, has announced its expansion into the telecommunications industry. On April 30, 2025, the company revealed its new mobile plans for customers in the UK and Germany, signaling a bold move beyond its core financial services and positioning itself to compete directly with traditional telecom providers.
This move is part of Revolut’s vision to evolve into a comprehensive “super-app” that encompasses banking, investing, travel, and now mobile connectivity. The announcement comes shortly after Revolut reported a record £3.1 billion in revenue for 2024, demonstrating substantial growth and a strong financial position as it ventures into the competitive telecom sector.
Revolut’s entry into mobile services marks an ambitious step in its ongoing efforts to offer a one-stop platform for all digital services. The company’s success in disrupting various sectors, including travel insurance, stock trading, and cryptocurrency, has paved the way for this new challenge in telecommunications.
What Revolut’s Mobile Plans Offer
Revolut’s mobile plans aim to disrupt the UK and German telecom markets by offering flexible, contract-free services with competitive pricing. The mobile plans include unlimited calls, texts, and data within home countries, with generous roaming allowances. UK users can enjoy 20GB of data across the EU and the US, while German users receive 40GB of EU roaming data.
For early adopters who join the waitlist, Revolut is offering an introductory rate of £12.50 per month, positioning itself as a cost-effective alternative to the UK’s established telecom giants. The service integrates seamlessly with Revolut’s existing app ecosystem, allowing users to manage their mobile service through the app, track usage, and even use RevPoints for payments.
Customers can choose to either keep their existing phone number or opt for a new Revolut number, which is activated within minutes. Revolut’s digital-first approach targets tech-savvy users who prefer managing all their services through a single app, streamlining the user experience.
Competing with Major Telecom Providers
As a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), Revolut will lease network capacity from established telecom carriers rather than building its own infrastructure. While the specifics of its network partnerships remain undisclosed, Revolut is expected to collaborate with major pan-European carriers to deliver its mobile services.
This strategy enables Revolut to enter the telecommunications market with minimal infrastructure costs while leveraging its existing customer base of over 10 million users in the UK and 2 million in Germany. By offering transparent pricing, flexible contracts, and a modern app-based experience, Revolut aims to attract consumers dissatisfied with the traditional telecom market’s hidden fees, poor customer service, and outdated digital experiences.
The timing of Revolut’s entry into the UK telecom market is significant, as Vodafone and Three’s £15 billion merger is reshaping the sector. Revolut is not alone in spotting an opportunity in the MVNO space; other non-telecom brands, such as Octopus Group (famous for Octopus Energy), are also exploring MVNO plans, signaling a broader trend of new players entering the telecommunications market.
Why Now? The Appeal of MVNOs
Revolut’s move into the telecom sector marks the company’s latest evolution from a digital banking provider to a comprehensive lifestyle platform. Revolut has already disrupted markets in travel, finance, and cryptocurrency, and its entry into telecoms is seen as another step toward achieving its vision of becoming a “super-app.”
The company’s eSIM travel data service, launched in 2024, demonstrated the demand for mobile innovations, especially among frequent travelers. The mobile plans are expected to bring several benefits to consumers, including increased competition, greater pricing transparency, flexible options without fixed contracts, and streamlined digital services that combine financial and telecom features.
As Tomaso Duso, head of department at DIW Berlin and chairman of the German monopolies commission, stated (though not specifically about Revolut), “MVNOs have the potential to bring benefits to consumers” by offering innovative services without disrupting investments in infrastructure.
While Revolut’s new mobile service has the potential to disrupt the telecom market, the company faces several challenges. As an MVNO, its service quality depends on the network partners it works with. Revolut will also need to manage customer support and technical issues at scale, which could be a challenge in the telecom industry, where customers are particularly sensitive to service disruptions.
Established telecom providers, such as EE, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, and Three, could counter with competitive pricing, bundles, and loyalty programs, making it difficult for newcomers like Revolut to gain significant market share. Additionally, regulatory hurdles, such as post-Brexit roaming rules and data privacy requirements, will need careful attention.
What’s Next for Revolut’s Telecom Ambitions?
Revolut plans to launch its mobile plans in the UK and Germany later in 2025, with additional markets to follow. The company sees this as a key step in its mission to bring innovation to the consumer telecommunications space, a sector it believes is “desperately overdue” for disruption.
As financial services, telecommunications, and digital offerings continue to converge, Revolut’s move into telecoms demonstrates how digital-native companies are breaking down industry boundaries. If successful, Revolut could drive innovation in the telecom sector and push traditional providers to modernize their services.
