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Truphone
Global mobile virtual network operator From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Truphone (now acquired by 1GLOBAL) is a GSMA-accredited global mobile network that operates its service internationally. The company is headquartered in London and had offices in ten other countries, being spread across four continents.[2][3]
 | This article contains promotional content. (July 2018) |
1GLOBAL offers eSIM-based GSM mobile services to both businesses and individuals, mobile phone calls and SMS recording services for businesses,[4][5] remote SIM provisioning and related services,[6] and has a customer base that includes more than 3,500 multinational enterprises in 190+ countries.[7][2]
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History
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Truphone (now acquired by 1GLOBAL) was founded in 2006.[8] The company's core business focus was Truphone (launched as Truphone Local Anywhere in January 2010[9]). It was a GSM SIM-based mobile service that provides bundles of minutes, text and data to business customers for use in an area of 66 countries. Truphone called this group of countries Truphone World (Now 1GLOBAL World)[10].
Within this area is a group of countries the company called the Truphone Zone (now 1GLOBAL zone[11]). Here, the company has full MVNO partnerships with local operators and offers customers additional local mobile phone numbers. This is so users’ contacts can always reach them with a local call at a local rate.
Truphone was originally formed to develop downloadable mobile VoIP applications for smartphones, using the integrated Wi-Fi connection on the device.[12] These offered the ability to make free or low cost calls on the mobile device in areas where there is weak or no GSM coverage, and to send Instant Messages to other networks.
The first Truphone application released was for Nokia devices. This was followed by applications for Apple iPhone,[13] BlackBerry smartphones,[14] Apple iPod Touch,[15] Android devices and a softphone application for desktop was launched in late 2010.[16]
In 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to fine Truphone for exceeding foreign ownership limits without FCC approval, noting that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and his children indirectly control a stake in the company.[17]
On 24 January 2023, Truphone Limited has sold substantially all assets and subsidiaries to TP Global Operations Limited (1GLOBAL).
In December 2024, German Manager Magazin revealed that Russian oligarchs Abramovich, Abramov and Frolov, who had previously owned 96% of Truphone and invested more than €360 million in the company, could still benefit from any success achieved by 1Global. This is due to a debtor warrant, which guarantees the former owners further payments in case of later positive economic performance. The magazine suggested that, in certain scenarios such as an IPO, this could result in them receiving sums in the triple-digit millions, although it added that any such proceeds would likely be frozen by the UK government while sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine remain in place.[18]
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(Past) products and services
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Truphone SIM (Now 1GLOBAL SIM)
The Truphone SIM was a standard GSM service with patented technology[47] that allowed customers to have additional phone numbers for any or all of the countries where Truphone had MVNO partnerships with local operators. Currently this included Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.[48]
The company built a mobile network with core network technology distributed across four continents. Truphone used these local points of presence (POPs) to reduce the distance that mobile traffic has to travel. This reduced latency, improves data speeds and call quality.
Truphone offered local rates for calls, texts and data through commercial arrangements with mobile network operators in 66 countries around the world.
The company focused mainly on the business marketplace, and also has a pre-pay SIM that came with 1 phone number, additional numbers could be purchased for an extra monthly fee (currently $8 per month). Business plans included two phone numbers as standard.[49]
Geographical breakdown
- Truphone Zone (Now 1GLOBAL zone) Countries where Truphone customers can purchase additional phone numbers, includes: the US, UK, Australia, France, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Spain
- Truphone World (Now 1GLOBAL World) Countries where business users' bundles of minutes, texts and data can be used includes: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vatican City
- Other countries: Truphone network provides service with higher quality performance in over 220 countries.[50]
Truphone Mobile Recording (Now 1GLOBAL for Finance)
In addition to the roaming service, Truphone offers mobile call and SMS recording service to financial institutions in the UK, US, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain and others to comply with the mobile recording legislation from the Financial Conduct Authority, MiFID 2 and the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform Act.[51] The Truphone Mobile Recording service is delivered with its wholly owned subsidiary TruObsidian, an organisation created out of the acquisition of Obsidian Wireless by Truphone in 2012.
Features
- Local rates in multiple countries
- Bundles of voice minutes, texts and data used across the 66 countries in Truphone World
- Multiple Local Numbers on one mobile / SIM for the eight Truphone Zone countries
- Smart CLI
- Works in over 190 countries (As per the GSMA)
- Call and SMS recording (Optional available for UK, US, Hong Kong and Australia subscribers only)
Technology
Multi IMSI
The Truphone SIM allows more than one mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) to be added onto the SIM,[52] so a user can have a number for every country Truphone has an MVNO partnership with.
Smart CLI
The Smart Caller Line Identification (Smart CLI) technology ensures that the most appropriate number is displayed on the phone of the person the Truphone user is calling.[53]
Mobile recording
Truphone's voice and SMS recording is integrated within the network infrastructure.[54] Recorded conversations can be stored in the cloud or within the financial institution's existing recording infrastructure. In September 2013, Truphone partnered with BT to market Truphone Mobile Recording service to help firms meet new financial market regulations in the US.
Partnerships and MVNO agreements
Truphone has MVNO agreements with operators in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States. It has additional bi-lateral roaming agreements in place with a wide range of operators around the world .
Global mobile network infrastructure
Truphone owns and manages its own core mobile technology. The core is connected to global distributed major points of presence using a dedicated high speed internet connection (IP/VPLS). International mobile traffic is routed through the nearest point of presence, this reduction in physical distance reduces call interference and latency, and increases data throughput.
My Truphone App
Truphone was the first carrier in the world to launch an eSIM enabled app in the APP store in November 2018.
Known as my Truphone the app allows apple iPhone eSIM compatible to download a sim over the air mapped to the world's famous Truphone's travel plan.
Truphone's old VoIP application (known as Truphone App[55]), was a separate product to the Tru SIM, allowing users to make calls over the internet to landline and mobile phone contacts, and free calls to other Truphone App users.[56] Customers were also able to instant message contacts on other networks, such as Skype or Windows Live[57] on selected devices.
The application also had additional user experience enhancements including:
- ‘call cost indicator’ that advises the per minute cost before a call is placed
- signal strength checker
- photo led contacts book
- instant Messaging
The application was available as a free download and worked on the following devices:
- Mobile devices:[55]
- Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad; however, user reviews on Apple's App Store report that the Tru App does not work correctly with iOS 5.
- BlackBerry smartphones (calls via WI-FI for BB not supported)
- Mobile phones with Android OS
- Nokia smartphones
- Desktops and laptops:[58]
- Computers with Apple Mac OS, Windows and Linux
The app was also in development for Windows Phone 8.[59]
Text messages could be sent from Tru app versions for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Nokia; as well as Apple Mac OS, Windows and Linux. Note as of the release of TruApp version 5 (in October/November 2012), text messaging functionality was removed from the iOS app and TruApp for iPad was removed from the Apple App Store altogether.
Tru App supported a range of calling methods: calls over wired or wireless internet on Windows, Mac and Linux. It supported calls over Wi-Fi, 3G and call-through, depending on the platform. Call-through was called Tru Anywhere, which used the local minutes of the user to connect the call to a local Tru server.[60] The BlackBerry application from Tru uses this method of calling only.[61]
Truphone applications used the Session Initiation Protocol open standard,[62] that competes with other VoIP standards such as UMA and proprietary protocols such as the Skype protocol.
It has been suggested[63] that internet-based communications could be used without fear of interception. Truphone maintained, however, that it is governed by and complies with the same 'lawful intercept' laws as every other telecommunications company.
In September 2016, Truphone announced that the Truphone App would close on Monday, 21 November 2016. According to an email to its user base from Director of Service & Operations, Paula Booth, Truphone "took this hard decision to allow us focus on our core business".
[ Update per website 2023-12-22 ]
Due to changes in payment systems, consumer prepaid service top-ups are no longer supported; after 180 days of no usage such accounts are terminated.
Consumer services may currently be limited to data plans, on certain recent smart-phones, smart-watches, and smart-tablets.
Enterprise: "We're delighted to share that 1GLOBAL has successfully acquired Truphone."
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