Optus buys Amaysim to shake up MVNO market

Optus has arranged to acquire MVNO Amaysim for $250 million as part of plans to shake up the Australian MVNO market.

Under the new strategy, Optus will buy Amaysim, the fourth-largest mobile provider in Australia by subscribers and a long-standing MVNO on the Optus network. The all-cash deal for Amaysim will net Optus around 1.19 million customers.

Meanwhile, Optus plans to launch its own MVNO brand in Australia, Gomo. Optus’s Singapore-based parent company Singtel already operates the Gomo brand in Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.

But Gomo will complement not replace the Amaysim brand, with Optus revealing plans to maintain the standalone Amaysim brand.

Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said Amaysim has built up a strong brand reputation in its 10 years in operation.

“Already underpinned by Optus’s premium 4G network, Amaysim has a customer-oriented philosophy which very much aligns with Optus’s own customer-first approach. As its many awards attest, Amaysim has successfully resonated with a broad segment of the Australian market,” she said.

“Optus will keep the Amaysim brand intact and this deal will provide the certainty and backing Amaysim needs to power ahead and accelerate its growth in the MVNO segment.”

Gomo will meanwhile be operated as a digital-only offering targeting value-conscious customers. It will be accompanied by a dedicated app that can be used round the clock for onboarding, service and payments.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/ultramansk