Prabhu Mobile launches MVNO via Enabling Asia

• Enabling Asia gets the second of its five MVNOs enabled
• Targets 200,000 customers by 2015, hopes to remain ‘sticky’

NEPALI-based remittance player Prabhu Money Transfer has become Enabling Asia’s second Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) with the launch of Prabhu Mobile services, targeted exclusively at its 200,000 monthly walk-in remittance customers in Malaysia.
 
Taking a leaf out of MVNO Merchantrade’s book, Prabhu Mobile plans to capitalise on the niche migrant workers market served by the Prabhu Money Transfer service.
 
Interestingly, Prabhu was once a Merchantrade business partner. It currently has around 12 outlets.
 
Primarily targeting the migrant worker market from its home base Nepal, where the Prabhu brand is well established, Prabhu Mobile offers prepaid services with competitive IDD rates, data plans and rewards for domestic calls.
 
These are similar services to what Enabling Asia is offering via its own MVNO called Buzz Me.
 
Enabling Asia chief executive officer Loke Yee Siong said that the increasing number of migrant workers in Malaysia will ensure a constant supply of new customers for Prabhu Mobile, which is targeting the estimated 600,000 to 800,000 Nepali workers in the country.
 
“Our goal is to attract 200,000 Prabhu Mobile subscribers by 2015, and the migrant workers’ high average revenue per user (ARPU) is good news for any mobile company,” he added.
 
Prabhu is also targeting Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indonesian and Indian workers.
 
“My customers want simple to understand services, competitive rates and airtime rewards which they can easily redeem so that they can call more,” said Prabhu group managing director D.P. Bhattachan.
 
“While this is a price-sensitive market, our ability to offer a combination of mobile offerings with the money remittance services which they regularly use will boost take-up rates and strengthen their brand loyalty to Prabhu,” he added.
 
Having enabled Prabhu to launch as an MVNO, Enabling Asia is now working on enabling a third brand to launch its MVNO services, said Loke.
 
This is a Malaysian brand in the lifestyle segment, he said, hesitant to share more. “Wait for the January launch.”
 
Enabling Asia is currently working out the commercial agreements with this third player.
 
At the BuzzMe launch in May, Loke said Enabling Asia was targeting to enable five MVNOs within 12 months of said launch.
 
Leasing its network from U Mobile Sdn Bhd, Enabling Asia has a current capacity of one million subscribers, he claimed.
 
Prabhu Mobile, priced at RM5 with a preloaded airtime of RM2, is offered free to all Prabhu’s money remittance customers in October, to celebrate the launch of the service. The SIM pack is exclusively available at Prabhu’s remittance services outlets nationwide.
 
Related Stories:
 
Enabling Asia takes on Msian telcos with unique MVNA model
 
Celcom takes 20% stake in MVNO Merchantrade
 
Enabling Asia launches its own MVNO service, Buzz Me
 
 
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