The Sunday Telegraph reports that Octopus Group has held talks with a major mobile operator about a potential partnership to piggyback on existing infrastructure.
If launched, the new mobile offering would bundle telecoms with Octopus’s energy and financial services, creating a potential all-in-one utilities package for customers.
The Telegraph reports that Fern Trading, a subsidiary of Octopus, approached EE, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, and Three UK, with the latter two set to merge.
Fern Trading already owns several telecom brands, including Jurassic Fibre, Swish Fibre, Giganet and AllPoints Fibre, of which it consolidated into a single entity back in 2023.
Y Corp, which Fern Trading also owns, already boasts a wholesale agreement to tap Three’s network. The brand previously launched a data-only eSIM last November via Three’s network. The reports fail to mention whether Octopus’s proposed mobile network would incorporate the Y Corp offering.
To further explore the idea, Octopus brought in Adam Dunlop, the former CEO of TalkTalk’s consumer business, to lead the project.
Octopus already has a history in the connectivity market, having acquired Shell Energy UK, including its broadband and home phone customers, back in 2023, before selling it on to TalkTalk a year later.
Capacity has contacted Octopus Group for comment.
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