The Phone Co-op
The Phone Co-op (OurCoop) is a UK member-owned co-operative providing residential and business broadband, mobile, ethical Fairphone devices and a global Travel eSIM, differentiated by carbon-neutral certification and UK-based customer service within the broader OurCoop family of co-operative businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersChipping Norton, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Phone Co-op does
The Phone Co-op operates as OurCoop, the telecom and utilities arm of a UK member-owned co-operative formed by Central England Co-operative (formerly Central Co-op), The Midcounties Co-operative and Chelmsford Star Co-op. It provides residential and business broadband, mobile (SIM-only and pay-monthly handset contracts), ethical smartphone resale (Fairphone Gen. 6 plus Fairbuds audio), a carbon-neutral service certification via Ecologi, and a Co-op Travel eSIM app delivering international data roaming in 200+ countries. Sub-brands BroadbandCoop, MobileCoop and EnergyCoop are wholly owned subsidiaries of the parent co-operative society (UK registration 10143R). The legal entity is Central England Co-operative Limited.
The business runs on a subscription-based recurring revenue model across broadband and mobile, supplemented by device resale (Fairphone, Fairbuds) and one-off travel eSIM purchases. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via broadband.yourcoop.coop (with postcode checker and One Touch Switching) and a UK-based inside-sales call centre; business customers are served via a dedicated direct sales channel. Pricing emphasises transparency — no hidden fees, no in-contract price rises, 30-day rolling plans — alongside member benefits including first-month-free, a £20 referral reward, and 10% family discounts on additional SIMs. Member acquisition leans on the co-operative brand, the OurCoop ecosystem (food retail, travel, funeralcare, early years, energy), Feefo-validated customer reviews, and organic social channels.
The technology layer is standard UK network reseller infrastructure for broadband and mobile, with proprietary service features including One Touch Switching, the Co-op Travel eSIM mobile application (iOS/Android), and a per-customer carbon footprint calculator tied to Ecologi tree-planting offsets (up to 144kg CO2e and two trees planted per year per dual broadband+mobile customer). The co-operative structure means there is no equity funding, no external shareholders, and profits are reinvested for member and community benefit.
The Phone Co-op firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Phone Co-op
- Legal name
- Central England Co-operative Limited
- Website
- https://thephone.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Phone Co-op (OurCoop) is a UK member-owned co-operative providing residential and business broadband, mobile, ethical Fairphone devices and a global Travel eSIM, differentiated by carbon-neutral certification and UK-based customer service within the broader OurCoop family of co-operative businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Phone Co-op industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Telecommunications Resellers and Agents for Wireless Telecommunication Services (51712), Telecommunications Resellers (517121)
- SIC
- Radiotelephone Communications (4812), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer Mobile Network Operators (Retail MNOs) (HDAIAAAA)
Keywords
Where The Phone Co-op is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chipping Norton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Phone Co-op business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Broadband Services: Monthly subscription broadband services for residential customers with no hidden fees or in-contract price rises. 30-day rolling plans available.
- Mobile Services: SIM-only and pay-monthly mobile plans including eSIM options. Family plans with 10% discount on additional SIMs.
- Device Sales: Sale of Fairphone devices (Gen. 6) and Fairbuds audio products, available through the platform
- Membership Programme: Free membership programme offering exclusive benefits including first month free, member-only pricing, and referral rewards
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | SIM-only plans with flexible monthly options |
| Subscription | Monthly | Family mobile plans with additional SIM discounts |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business broadband and mobile solutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Phone Co-op product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Phone Co-op, trading as OurCoop with sub-brands BroadbandCoop and MobileCoop, sells residential and business broadband, SIM-only and pay-monthly mobile plans, Fairphone ethical handsets, and the Co-op Travel eSIM data service to UK consumers and businesses. Services are delivered as subscriptions with no hidden fees or in-contract price rises, and carry carbon-neutral credentials funded through the Ecologi partnership.
Product overview
OurCoop (formerly BroadbandCoop/MobileCoop, a division of The Midcounties Co-operative) operates as a platform-plus-services provider of residential and business telecom utilities. The portfolio spans three core product lines — Broadband (residential and business packages, including Big Switch Off-ready connectivity), Mobile (SIM-only, pay-monthly device contracts, and business SIMs), and Fairphone (ethical smartphone hardware including Gen. 6 devices, Fairbuds XL, and Fairbuds). A cross-cutting Co-op Travel eSIM service enables international roaming in 200+ countries via a mobile app. All services carry a Carbon Neutral designation backed by Ecologi, with member benefits including first-month free, £20 referral rewards, and 10% family discounts on additional SIMs. The One Touch Switching feature provides frictionless provider switching. The offering positions transparency (no hidden fees, no in-contract price rises) and co-operative ownership as its primary differentiators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EnergyCoop: Co-operative energy provider for utilities
- MobileCoop
- BroadbandCoop
Products and services
- Residential Broadband Transparent residential broadband with no hidden fees and no in-contract price rises, sold on flexible monthly subscriptions and migrated via One Touch Switching.
- SIM Only Mobile Flexible pay-monthly SIM-only mobile plans on the UK's best network, with 30-day rolling options and member benefits including a 10% family discount on additional SIMs.
- Pay Monthly Mobiles Pay-monthly mobile handset contracts paired with network service, including Doro devices targeted at specific customer segments.
- Fairphone Handsets and Fairbuds Audio Ethical, modular, repairable smartphones and audio products from Fairphone (including Fairphone Gen. 6, Fairbuds XL headphones, and Fairbuds earbuds), sold direct to consumers seeking sustainable device options.
- Co-op Travel eSIM Affordable international data roaming delivered as a downloadable eSIM via iOS and Android apps, providing connectivity in over 200 countries without a physical SIM card.
- Mobile for Business Business-focused mobile SIM solutions providing employee connectivity, with per-user carbon reduction tracking for sustainability reporting.
- Business Broadband Broadband packages tailored for business customers, providing reliable connectivity backed by the same carbon-neutral and transparent pricing principles as the residential offering.
- Big Switch Off Ready Broadband Broadband packages positioned for customers preparing for the UK's PSTN/ISDN switch-off, ensuring readiness for the migration away from legacy copper phone networks.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 144kg CO2e reduced per year for customers with both broadband and mobile
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Phone Co-op
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Phone Co-op technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Phone Co-op partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- EcologicoreClimate impact partnership for carbon neutral credentials. Ecologi provides carbon offsetting through tree planting projects and carbon reduction initiatives. OurCoop calculates average emissions for broadband and mobile services and funds offsetting exceeding those emissions.
- FairphonecorePartnership to sell Fairphone Gen. 6 smartphones and Fairbuds audio products. Fairphone is known for modular, repairable design philosophy, aligning with OurCoop's sustainability values.
- FeefominorIndependent customer review platform hosting reviews of OurCoop's customer service. Reviews displayed on website showcase award-winning service credentials.
- OurCoop Family (Central Co-op, Midcounties Co-operative, Chelmsford Star Co-op)flagshipOurCoop formed by three founding co-operative societies: Central Co-op, The Midcounties Co-operative, and Chelmsford Star Co-op. Operates as a member-owned organisation with shared co-operative values across food retail, travel, funeralcare, Early Years, and utilities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Phone Co-op competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Vodafone UK: One of four UK MNOs and a major broadband provider. Overlaps with OurCoop in consumer mobile and broadband retail; explicitly referenced in OurCoop's own Feefo reviews as a competitor benchmark for customer service quality.
- BT Consumer (EE): Largest UK retail broadband provider and parent of EE, the largest mobile network operator. Overlaps with OurCoop across both broadband and mobile but operates owned infrastructure at vastly greater scale — the dominant incumbent OurCoop competes against.
- Virgin Media O2: Major UK quad-play provider combining Virgin Media's cable/fiber broadband with O2's mobile network. Competes with OurCoop across broadband and mobile retail, with structural advantages of owned cable/mobile infrastructure.
Direct peers
- TalkTalk: UK value-positioned broadband and mobile provider for residential and small business customers, using Openreach and wholesale mobile. Directly competes with OurCoop on price-led broadband, no-frills positioning, and UK-focused consumer segments.
- Airalo: Global consumer eSIM marketplace offering data plans in 200+ countries via mobile app. Directly comparable to Co-op Travel eSIM in product (travel eSIM), distribution (app stores), and customer use case (international data roaming for travelers).
- Community Fibre: London-focused full-fiber altnet offering residential and business broadband with competitive pricing and UK-based service. Comparable as an independent UK broadband challenger, though OurCoop's co-operative ownership and national footprint differentiate the customer narrative.
- Hyperoptic: UK full-fiber broadband challenger serving residential and business customers in urban multi-dwelling units. Comparable as an independent UK broadband alternative, though differentiated by owned FTTP infrastructure versus OurCoop's Openreach-dependent model.
- Smarty: UK consumer MVNO on Three's network offering simple, low-cost SIM-only plans with no-frills branding. Closely comparable in scale and operating model to OurCoop MobileCoop (reseller MVNO with consumer-direct positioning).
- Sky Broadband: Major UK consumer broadband and mobile provider (Sky Mobile is an MVNO on O2) serving residential households with bundled broadband/TV/mobile. Direct competitor in UK broadband retail, with a similar dual broadband + mobile proposition though at vastly greater scale.
- Plusnet: UK consumer broadband and mobile reseller operating on partner networks (BT/EE) with a focus on value-conscious residential customers. Closely comparable to OurCoop in business model (reseller), customer segment (residential UK), and value proposition (transparent pricing, UK support).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Phone Co-op social profiles
Digital presenceThe Phone Co-op financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Phone Co-op leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Phone Co-op subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The Phone Co-op funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Phone Co-op M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Phone Co-op
What does The Phone Co-op do?
The Phone Co-op, trading as OurCoop with sub-brands BroadbandCoop and MobileCoop, sells residential and business broadband, SIM-only and pay-monthly mobile plans, Fairphone ethical handsets, and the Co-op Travel eSIM data service to UK consumers and businesses. Services are delivered as subscriptions with no hidden fees or in-contract price rises, and carry carbon-neutral credentials funded through the Ecologi partnership.
Is The Phone Co-op a public or private company?
The Phone Co-op is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was The Phone Co-op founded?
The Phone Co-op was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Phone Co-op based?
The Phone Co-op is headquartered in Chipping Norton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Phone Co-op make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Broadband Services are the primary driver. The others are mobile Services, device Sales and membership Programme.
Who are The Phone Co-op's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Vodafone UK, BT Consumer (EE) and Virgin Media O2. Direct peers are TalkTalk, Airalo, Community Fibre, Hyperoptic, Smarty, Sky Broadband and Plusnet.
Does The Phone Co-op have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Phone Co-op.
What industry is The Phone Co-op in?
The Phone Co-op's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAAAA, Consumer Mobile Network Operators (Retail MNOs). Its NAICS code is 51712 and its SIC code is 4812.