UPC to enter mobile phone market from 2015

Communications company UPC is to enter the mobile phone market, having signed an agreement with the Three network.

UPC, which currently provides broadband, television and home phone services, has signed a Mobile Virtual Network Operator agreement with the provider.

The move will see UPC enter the mobile phone market in 2015.

"This is a strategic and exciting agreement which gives UPC the opportunity to provide another extraordinary product to consumers with the launch of mobile and to become a fully-fledged quad-play services provider," said Magnus Ternsjo, CEO of UPC Ireland.

"Three together with their acquired O2 business will be a great mobile network partner of ours going forward."

The announcement closely follows the news of Three's acquisition of O2 Ireland.

An MVNO is a mobile operator company which does not own the infrastructure on which it operates, but instead piggybacks on the wireless network of another provider.

One of the conditions of Three's acquisition of O2 was that they would provide services to at least two MVNOs.