Monzo Mobile is on the horizon from £8/month
So, after quite a wait, I got a press release in my inbox this morning highlighting that Monzo, the UK neobank with 15M+ customers, is launching it's mobile network offering this summer.
It's being driven by the team from 1GLOBAL and will be running on the Virgin Media O2 network.
If you visit the /mobile page on the Monzo website right now, you'll see this holding page:
You can join the waitlist via the app.
Are you curious on the price points? Well here we go...
The basic one, £8 a month, is really, really good. This is likely going to have most people thinking 'oh, well, that's competitive' which I think is a good start. No international roaming though.
Then they've got the £12 for 30GB... that gives you international data roaming (10GB) across the usual EU and 11 other countries... this is good.
Then £20 a month gets you unlimited data, a rather good 25GB of global roaming in 52 countries (very good), plus 60 minutes of international calls... yeah. Very good.
This is clear, simple pricing.
There will likely be one or two people who like taking their 'calls and data' abroad to Europe, and might feel limited by the 60 minutes of talk time internationally. However, most of us are now defaulting to WhatsApp, right? And even on the £12 price plan, you'll have 10GB of EU roaming - plenty for audio. Plenty.
One other interesting point: 5% off your bill each year. That's an innovation I haven't seen before:
This is likely a really, really good clincher for a lot of people. I think the real value with the likes of Monzo offering mobile connectivity is that it's long been an also-ran for so many people. Just something you have to pay for. The mobile operators have been absolutely rubbish at offering anything compelling for so many years now... so when faced with the possibility that your £8 per month will, after a year, become (if my maths is anywhere near accurate) £7.60 next year, then £7.22 a month the following year... very smart thinking this (the max discount is 30%).
Good luck Team Monzo!
I should also point out that it's not just me that likes the 5% discount every year... Jez Samuel from Uswitch Mobiles was similarly impressed in commentary I received this morning:
"The loyalty discount is the standout feature. Honest Mobile already takes a similar approach, so Monzo isn't breaking new ground – but broader adoption is a positive sign. That said, reaching the maximum 30% discount means committing to six years, which is a long time in a fast-moving market.
Here's the Monzo Mobile press release in case anyone's interested...
Monzo Mobile set to launch this summer, powered by Virgin Media O2 and 1GLOBAL
- Launching in summer 2026, Monzo Mobile offers a new kind of mobile plan that’s simple, flexible and rewards staying, not switching.
- Powered by Virgin Media O2 through an exclusive multi-year partnership, customers will have access to reliable nationwide 5G coverage, competitive data plans, and seamless international roaming capabilities through 1GLOBAL.
- Bringing mobile and money together in one place, Monzo Mobile helps customers manage a key monthly expense and get a more holistic view of everyday spending.
28 May 2026, London: Monzo, a leading digital bank, has today announced Monzo Mobile, its first ever phone plan and eSIM offering. Powered exclusively by Virgin Media O2 in the UK, Monzo Mobile is designed to simplify how its 14 million personal customers stay connected and manage mobile spending. With this launch, Monzo will give customers more visibility and control over a key monthly expense alongside their everyday spending.
Monzo is bringing the simplicity, transparency and magical customer experience it’s known for to mobile. Customers will be able to track data usage, roaming and mobile spend all within the trusted Monzo app, helping them stay on top of their overall spending. With three different plans and the freedom to upgrade or cancel at any time with no hidden fees, Monzo Mobile offers a premium mobile experience and real flexibility.
Through an exclusive multi-year partnership with Virgin Media O2, the service will offer robust UK connectivity alongside global reach thanks to 1GLOBAL. Virgin Media O2, one of the UK’s leading telecoms operators and the biggest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) host, will provide the underlying UK mobile network infrastructure, delivering extensive nationwide coverage and reliable 5G performance.
Monzo customers will benefit from Virgin Media O2’s continuously improving mobile network. The operator is investing £700 million to upgrade and expand its network this year as part of plans to build the UK’s most reliable mobile network.
1GLOBAL, a pioneer in global telecommunications solutions, provides the global network infrastructure powering Monzo Mobile. 1GLOBAL’s technical platform offers connectivity to over 600 different networks globally. It has network service agreements in place with a host of global mobile operators including Virgin Media O2 in the UK, enabling international connectivity across more than 200 destinations.
By partnering directly with Virgin Media O2 and 1GLOBAL, Monzo can offer customers high-quality, dependable UK and roaming connectivity in one eSIM, as well as a more tailored product suited to their needs.
Duygu Yenidogan-Schmidt, General Manager of Core Banking at Monzo, said: "Monzo Mobile is a natural extension of our mission to make money work for everyone. By bringing mobile connectivity into the Monzo app through a simple eSIM experience, we’re giving customers more visibility and control over another essential part of their everyday spending. Partnering with 1GLOBAL and Virgin Media O2 allows us to deliver a reliable, flexible and high-quality service, while continuing to build products that are simple, transparent and designed around our customers’ needs."
Paul O’Sullivan, Director of Wholesale Mobile at Virgin Media O2, said: “This partnership underlines the strength of the O2 network and our position as the UK’s trusted host of choice for MVNOs. Our unrivalled record helping partners launch and scale, alongside continued investment to upgrade and expand our mobile network, will enable us to support Monzo Mobile with ever-improving services.”
Hakan Koç, founder and CEO of 1GLOBAL, said: “This partnership shows that mobile offerings can be key differentiators and growth drivers for digital businesses. At 1GLOBAL, we help digital champions like Monzo turbocharge their customer experience by embedding global connectivity directly into their service. Through our expansive international roaming infrastructure, Monzo customers can stay connected across more than 200 destinations – managed entirely within the Monzo app.”